Students’ note-taking challenges in the twenty-first century: considerations for teachers and academic staff developers

Note-taking in lectures is often taken to be the distinguishing characteristic of learning at university. It is typically assumed that this is a commonsensical skill that students either have or will learn through trial and error. The data from a research project in one New Zealand university suggest that taking good notes is not a skill that first-year students just have: they face considerable challenges and in many instances prefer to be provided with notes. Although as academics we need to ask the question what our role is in students’ note-taking, we also need to ask ourselves whether the debate about note-taking is still relevant in the twenty-first century. The rapid technological changes challenge not only the idea of note-taking in lectures but also the idea of lectures as a format and forum where teaching and learning takes place.