by – Barbara Orr, Ph.D.

How many of your students have read their textbooks and readings before entering your classroom? Are students ready to learn when they walk in the door? If you find yourself answering “no” to these questions, you are not alone! It was reported by the Lilly Conference presenter, Dr. Lynn Gillette,from Nicholls State University, “A key component for student success comes down to students showing up for class prepared to do the work…Students, in class and prepared to learn, is a fundamental challenge in essentially every educational program at every educational institution” (Gillette, L., March 15, 2018). A student‘s success begins with the knowledge of effective preparation prior to attending class and is NOT homework! One strategy to support students’ active reading skills and support transfer of knowledge from short term to long term memory, is the skill to read a chapter and make notes of the key concepts prior to class for a robust class discussion.

Dr. Gillette presented on the strategy of chapter preparation activities and a unique grading schema which made the assignments mandatory to pass the course. I modified the format of the chapter preparation assignments to use the Cornell note method and eschewed the requirement to pass the course, instead used a simple point value of 10 points per 10 assignments to equal 100 points in the EDUC-1300 OER Effective Learning Strategies course. Each chapter preparation assignment was drawn from the chapter objectives and key takeaways to help direct the students’ identification of key concepts. The Cornell Note method of notetaking supports analytical thinking required to locate supporting material of a concept, followed by the left-hand column of creative thinking to note questions or important terms, and closing with a summary in their own words which solidifies the progression to understanding which links to prior knowledge and experiences. Students were directed to make two copies, one to turn in and the other to make additional class notes for areas of emphasis and discussion. These final notes from the text and class become exam review.

Active reading is dynamically paired with active listening in the classroom so students grasp a firm understanding of key concepts as areas of emphasis for enhanced learning and future exams. The chapter preparation assignments act as agents of active retrieval and support the testing effect of effective learning in cognitive science noted in the book, Make it Stick by Peter Brown, Henry Roediger & Mark McDaniel. We review a great video by Brian Johnson of Philosopher’s Notes to bring home the ideas from the text and newest scientific literature of memory from fluency to mastery learning. These findings combined with Bloom’s levels of learning point to a natural progression of learning from read = remember, understanding = to text notes and summaries, applying = practice key concepts, analyzing = combine text and class notes to a master, evaluating = test prep and flashcards, and creating = elaborating and teaching key concepts resulting in students’ learning critical thinking skills as they study.

As students become proficient identifying key learning objectives, they are then given blank Cornell Note templates to continue applying their new skills to future chapters. These skills support their learning in current and future classes to identify important concepts in their readings, deepen their learning, and create engaged classroom discussion for student success.

Brian Johnson Philosophers’ Notes: Make It Stick by Peter Brown, Henry Roediger & Mark McDaniel. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQsIlnuAB9E

Gillette, L. (March 15, 2018) Student Preparedness Incorporated into the Course Design. The Scholarly Teacher: Applying Evidence-based Strategies to Enhance Learning Blog. Retrieved from https://www.scholarlyteacher.com/blog/studentpreparedness