Types of digital notes
Studying at Deakin, I've seen so many different ways that students take notes in class and to study.
Throughout the year, I give myself time to focus and reflect on my approach to making notes. Figuring out what works best for myself for lectures, tutorials, readings, placements, etc.
Ways to make notes
There’s no single strategy or way people make notes. Explore different ways of making notes and figure out what works for you.
Here are three main ways you can make notes:
You can use just one of these ways or a combination. Remember, your purpose for making notes impacts the way you create them.
Note making can involve digital tools at different stages. You might take notes entirely digitally or you might start with handwritten notes and only use digital tools for revision.
Check out the different ways for making notes and using digital tools in more detail below.
Making audio notes
What is it?
Taking audio notes requires the use of a recording device or an application to record someone or yourself speaking. Most laptops, tablets and smartphones have an audio recording function built in. If not, audio recording apps can be easily downloaded.
Recorded audio notes are information that you have heard or expressed and decided that it is important.
When it works well?
- Getting everything out of your system. Immediately expressing information without the need to think about using the correct words
- Recording thoughts and questions about information
- Process allows you to go back and review the recordings
- When it’s difficult to listen and write at the same time
- When it’s difficult to translate a thoughts into another medium (text or visual)
Making text notes
What is it?
Text-based notes can be digital or using pen and paper. Some people work best typing notes digitally, others value the action of handwriting or using a stylus. Platforms for making text notes are readily available, such as Word, OneNote and note taking apps on your phone or other devices.
You can make text notes as you read or listen to information. Or more reflectively afterwards. The key is to not write everything down, but to summarise.
When it works well?
- Summarising key points
- Writing or typing in your own words
- For linear note making
- To keep focused and stay engaged while reading/listening
- To think critically while you read
- Structuring your notes under categories and themes using headings
- For writing lists
Making visual notes
What is it?
Visual note making is when you make drawings that combine text and imagery to convey key points from presentations, meetings, class lectures, etc. You can make visual notes as you read, or create a visual representation of your notes when you have finished reading. They can be linear or non-linear, multi-media or just a sketch. The key value is making clear, visible connections between content or key concepts.
When it works well?
- learning a new concept or getting an overview of a topic
- summarising key points
- showing connections, differences or hierarchies
- demonstrating a process or sequence
- demonstrating statistics
- revising for exams
- organising concepts, principles or arguments by grouping them visually
Blended approach to making notes
Combining elements from the three main ways of making notes can also work well when studying. The process to making meaningful notes flows in different ways for everyone. Whichever approach you take to making notes it should help to build your connections and understanding to new information.
Click the plus icons below to discover different examples of making notes.
Activity overview
This interactive image hotspot provides real world examples of different elements, that students could incorporate into the way they make digital notes. Each hotspot has the tips grouped under a particular way to make digital notes. Hotspots are displayed as plus (+) icons that can be clicked, presenting information for each type of digital notes.
Hotspot 1
Ways to make audio notes
- Immediately after a lecture record a summary on your phone. Example: https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-voice-recording-apps-for-android-iphone/
- When listening to a pre-recorded lecture. Pausing the lecture and recording yourself expressing your thoughts or any questions on the lecture topic. Example: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/record-audio-notes-in-onenote-for-windows-10-96301c11-ad5b-44b5-a446-8f30f5d1b9d0
- Record important pieces of information that are being delivered by a lecturer. Example: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-and-record-audio-in-powerpoint-eeac1757-5f20-4379-95f2-0d0cd151d5b8
Hotspot 2
Ways to make text notes
- Annotating alongside readings, so you can see your notes in context. Example: https://campuspress.yale.edu/ycbateachers/annotations-a-visual-record-of-the-reading-experience/
- When you want to quickly note down information into key points to help you remember. Example: https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/annotating-texts/
- Transcribe audio notes into text notes. Example: https://youtu.be/FxQvsCBpNAw
Hotspot 3
Ways to make visual notes
- You can create visual notes with pen and paper, digitally, or both. You might start off drawing a sketch note and later uploaded it, or sketch entirely in a digital space. Example: https://chloeburroughs.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/mindmap-diagram.jpeg
- You may have typed up notes as a lecturer spoke and then afterwards used those notes to draw an infographic in your physical notebook. Example: https://mrsrclassroom.weebly.com/sp.html
- You can combine images, symbols, draw labelled diagrams or create mind maps. Example: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/video-draw-and-sketch-in-onenote-e5d9e43e-96a0-442a-85e9-298e029aa76c
- Representing data or statistics as charts or graphs. Example: https://www.canva.com/designschool/tutorials/designing/introduction-infographics/
Key considerations
The approach you choose may differ depending on your purpose for making your notes.
It is important to experiment to find out which strategies and tools work for you to create meaningful notes.
Check out the next page of the guide for digital tools and templates that can be used.