Learning from Lecture: Investigations of Study Strategies Involving Note Taking

The Navy's continued reliance upon the lecture form of instruction requires the optimization of this learning strategy. Two experiments were conducted with college students as subjects in an effort to determine the note-taking strategy most effective for learning from lecture. In Experiment I, students listened to a lecture while engaging in either parallel or distributed note taking. The information density of the lecture and the lecture presentation speed were also varied. In Experiment II, the students engaged in one of four learning strategies involving combinations of note-taking and review procedures, with either immediate or delayed review and testing. Suggested instructional guidelines for instructors were also provided.