The Educational Psychology of Note Taking: Effects of Prior Word/World Knowledge.

A study was conducted to determine whether extensive vocabularies increase students' notetaking skills. The subjects, 45 volunteer college seniors involved in elementary and secondary student teaching, were given both the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (Form A) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (revised), as well as the general information subtest of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test. After testing, subjects were read a three-page essay and told to take notes in anticipation of a test. They were later given 25 multiple choice questions about the essay, and their responses were machine scored. Results indicated that students' ability to integrate new information with previous knowledge or existing schemata was more likely to help them learn and retain information than were their vocabularies or reading skills. Further research on what particular aspects of notetaking aid future recall and more long-term studies of the encoding/retrieval dilemma are indicated. (Tables of results and 26 references are included.) (AEW)