Abstract
Effects of pretraining subjects to use a notetaking system while listening to a lecture were compared with those of giving subjects no pretraining. A second variable was test mode expectation: One-third of the subjects were told they would be given a multiple-choice test; another third of the subjects, an essay test; the final third were told only that they would be tested. A 35-item objective test was given immediately after the lecture and a free recall test was given one week after the lecture. The design was a 2 × 3 factorial with a total of 100 high school students serving as subjects. ANOVAs on performance scores for the objective and free recall tests and scores reflecting the efficiency of the notes themselves showed several significant interactions between the two independent variables. From this study and others, recommendations for educators who wish to improve the notetaking skills of students are included.
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