Taking Note of Note Taking

This week during Listening, by way of practicing for the pratice TOEFL, we examined a note-taking technique that involves assigning a column for each speaker (or, in the case of a lecturer, using the entire page). However, as one student observed after today's practice test, there wasn't any time to look at the notes before answering the questions. So why bother taking notes? Because the act of note taking reinforces the knowledge you acquire while listening. That is why active listening requires taking notes. You see, it's not really about the notes, it's about the process. Taking notes requires that you think about what you're writing, as you're writing it. That's where the reinforcement part comes in. Here's a PowerPoint presentation from Virgina Western Community College on effective note taking that includes a  summary of the Cornell Method.