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From: del@hou2d.UUCP (D.LEASURE)
Newsgroups: comp.edu,sci.math,sci.physics
Subject: Re: Student preparedness
Summary: Notes are ineffective way of recording
Message-ID: <2334@hou2d.UUCP>
Date: 10 Jan 89 18:19:28 GMT
References: <4893@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <6435@killer.DALLAS.TX.US> <8125@aw.sei.cmu.edu>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel
Lines: 35

In article <8125@aw.sei.cmu.edu>, firth@sei.cmu.edu (Robert Firth) writes:
> Having prepared lecture notes, why not hand them out?  If 50%
> notes will help the student, surely 100% will help more, and why ever
> would a teacher NOT want to help the pupils?

Dr. J. McNaughton of Expert Knowledge Systems does an exercise in
his knowledge acquisition class to show the ineffectiveness of note
taking.  He has the students take notes from a tape of an actual
interview with an expert.  His experience is that only 20% of the
topics listed by the expert are accurately identified and that only
30% of the details recorded for each topic are correct, giving an
overall correctness rating of 6% for notetaking.

The knowledge acquisition atmosphere is generally more hostile to
the interviewer than the classroom environment to the student,
since professors are supposed to prepare the material for
teachability, but the lesson is still that there just isn't time to
pay attention and take notes in most situations, especially when
individual interaction is not allowed.  

By all means, supply the notes.  Do it ahead of time so that the
students have a chance to come to class prepared to ask questions
on the notes and to better anticipate the flow of the lecture.
Most students don't attend classes to be held in suspense, they do
it to learn what's being taught.

> Likewise, if the student feels attending the lecture will help, she'll
> attend.  If just reading the notes is as good, why force her to waste
> time in the lecture - students typically are VERY pressed for time.
The notes give the opportunity to interact at the lecture.  Always
go to class, the notes are never as good.  Give feedback to the
lecturer if the lectures don't surpass the value of the notes.
-- 
David E. Leasure - AT&T Bell Laboratories - (201) 615-4169
hou2d!del del@hou2d.att.com leasure@paul.rutgers.edu