## Note-taking in History and Practice - Note-taking has played a significant role throughout [[Human history | human history]], with ancient Greeks using the word "hypomnema" to describe a note, reminder, or anecdotal record [(00:00:10)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=10s). - Before the development of digital devices, people used marginalia and commonplace books to take notes, and today note-taking plays an important role in work and education [(00:00:21)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=21s). - Many different note-taking systems have been devised over the years, including outlining, the sentence method, and guided notes [(00:00:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=42s). - Outlining involves quickly capturing key points in the form of indented bullet points, making it easy to distinguish between top-level topics and subtopics [(00:00:44)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=44s). - The sentence method involves writing every new fact or topic on a separate line, numbering these lines as you progress, making it easy to scan and [[Review Notebook of My Embarrassing Days | review notes]] [(00:01:03)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=63s). - Guided notes involve using templates provided by an educator to take notes, reducing cognitive load and effort in structuring content [(00:01:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=77s). - Most note-taking methods can increase short-term recall but not long-term understanding and memory, with benefits coming from reviewing notes afterwards [(00:01:37)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=97s). ## Note-taking vs. Note-making - Research suggests that when the goal is short-term recall, using the instructor's notes is more effective than taking your own [(00:01:53)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=113s). - [[Edgar Wright]] makes a distinction between note-taking and note-making in his 1962 book on study methods, with note-making involving deliberately crafting your own version of content [(00:02:26)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=146s). - Note-making is slower and more involved than note-taking, using your own language, and results in better understanding and memory of content [(00:02:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=160s). ## The Generation Effect and Note-making - The [[Generation effect]] is the phenomenon where information is better remembered if it's created from your own mind rather than simply read in a passive way [(00:03:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=187s). - Note-making works well because it involves creating new connections between existing nodes in your memory network, rather than just adding new information [(00:03:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=209s). - Notemaking involves adding personal context, associations, and details from existing knowledge, making the information more memorable and easier to retrieve later by linking new information to known information in the brain network [(00:03:41)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=221s). ## Rephrasing and Connecting Ideas - Rephrasing content in one's own words is an effective way to commit information to long-term memory and avoid unintentional plagiarism, making it the first step in transitioning from passive note-taking to active note-making [(00:04:10)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=250s). - Relating and connecting ideas together is crucial for understanding and recall, as memories are rarely formed in isolation, and can be achieved by creating links between ideas, drawing mental maps, and using tools such as [[Rome]], [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]], Logseq, and Notion [(00:04:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=267s). ## Revisiting and Expanding Notes - Revisiting notes and building upon the ideas is essential, as notes should be a [[Living document | living document]] that is reviewed, revised, and expanded upon as more is learned about a topic, adding more examples, questions, and related ideas [(00:05:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=312s). ## Active Engagement and Mind Gardening - Active engagement is the key to effective note-making, involving proactive use of one's own language and creation of personal systems, and can be thought of as "mind gardening," where seeds of knowledge are carefully planted, nurtured, and allowed to grow [(00:05:34)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=334s). - Consistently tending to one's "mind garden" can lead to the development of a unique understanding of an area of study, making the investment of time and energy into note-making worthwhile [(00:06:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc&t=367s). ## Sources - [website](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unohwunTIZc)