Taking organized notes while learning both drafting and a software program, AutoCAD, helps with retention. Notes will also be an integral part of the way we will communicate. Students will use Google Docs. They will add notes of important drafting and drawing tips to remember later. Usually as learning takes place, questions arise. They can ask questions with a note or add a reminder to ask something later. During Grade Checks this semester, students will share their notes with the instructor. With them, the instructor can check for understanding and assess that learning has taken place via comments. Their notes will expand over time.
During the final Grade Check, students will complete a survey asking questions that self-assess their content retention, objective completion, and the opportunity for multiple student-teacher communication during the course.
I predict students will benefit from taking notes, retain more knowledge, are more cognizant of course objectives, and will appreciate the continuous communication between teacher and student.
The survey results are posted as a comment.
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Comments
This is a great idea to have students share their notes with the instructor. Using the Grade Check is a good place to keep the students on task. It will make them more focused on their notetaking. Will you give them a score for the notes along with the feedback? I am curious to see the survey results on the opportunities provided.
In reply to This is a great idea to have students share their notes by Olga Tsoudis
Hi tsoudis,
Thank you for your interest and comment. I have been using grade checks in the past but placed no point value to it. It was also very basic with simple canned comments. I got no valuable information from that. As a result, I am trying something more comprehensive. This time, there will be a score for the notes since this is a communication document; and it aligns nicely with the EMCC General Education Abilities Matrix for Level 2 Understanding and Level 3 Apply - under Communication.
https://www.estrellamountain.edu/sites/default/files/docs/sustainability/690-emcc-gen-ed-abilities-2015.pdf
I am also curious to see the survey results.
Is the attachement an example to show students how to take notes, or is this a shared google doc where students and instuctor collaborate?
In reply to Is the attachement an example to show students how to take by Jim Nichols
Hi nichols,
Thank you for your interest and comment. The answers to your questions are posted..
In class, my students will receive an example like the one posted. By given them an example of what I am looking for, my students can adapt it to their own preferences. Since my class is online, I can use this activity to see how they are processing the learning.
However, the student is responsible for creating their own notetaking document on Google Drive. He or she will then share that document with me so that we can communicate on it together. Each student learns differently so I expect to see different styles of notetaking. In my own opinion, the act of notetaking itself helps retain information.
One of the things I've learned is that most students don't know how to take notes, and subsequently don't know how to use them to improve their academic proficiency. You seem to be addressing both of these areas, and it looks like a very good CATS! I can't wait to see the results!
I asked my students to complete a survey at the end of the course. Here is the baseline data for general and for all types of classes.
How often do you take notes? 42.9% responded All the time and 28.6% Sometimes.
How much value do you place on your notes in relation to improving your academic proficiency? 85.8% responded Very or Somewhat valuable
Does note-taking help you with knowledge retention? 85.7% responded Always or Sometime helps me.
How often does your instructor take the initiative to communicate with you? 100% responded All the time or Sometimes.
How often do you take the initiative to communicate with your instructor? 85.7% responded All the time or Sometimes.
I gathered data derived from my newly implemented strategy in CAD101.
How often did you take notes? 57.2% responded All the time or Sometimes.
Did your notes help you with retaining that drafting knowledge? 85.7% responded Yes or Sometimes.
Did you refer to your notes at any time about drafting skills, rules, and concepts? 71.4% responded All the time or Sometimes.
Did your notes help you with retaining AutoCAD software knowledge? 71.4% responded Yes or Sometimes.
Did you refer to your notes at any time about AutoCAD commands, tips, and techniques? 71.4% responded All the time or Sometimes.
Did you use your note-taking document to check your understanding about drafting skills, rules, and concepts? 57.2% responded All the time or Sometimes.
Did your instructor use your note-taking document to check your understanding about drafting skills, rules, and concepts? 85.7% responded All the time or Sometimes.
Did your instructor use your note-taking document to check your understanding about AutoCAD commands, tips, and techniques? 100% responded All the time or Sometimes.
Did your note-taking document provide more, same, or less communication between you and your instructor? 57.1% responded More, 42.9% responded the Same.
Did your note-taking document provide more, same, or less EFFECTIVE communication between you and your instructor? 57.1% responded More, 42.9% responded the Same.
So did the practice of note-taking by my CAD students occur because of the requirement during Grade Checks? Compared to the benchmark, I see there is little to no difference in the amount of note-taking. The results are the same.
The questions within the survey provided my students with a self-reflection about their note-taking. When asked if the note-taking document hepled with checking for understanding, a large percent of my students agreed that it did. When asked if the note-taking document hepled with communication, a large percent of my students agreed that it did. They were also cognizant of the feedback, advice, comments, tips, and suggestions I gave them within their notes.
As I compare the recent data with the baseline data, I feel that my strategy was successful. My decision based on the data is to continue on with the new strategy.
Nice closing of the loop on this one, and based on your analysis I agree that to continue with the new strategy is the right direction!
I am so glad you updated us with your results. I have never really took time to teach my students how to take notes. I collect their notebooks and tell them how I want it organized, but that is the extent of what I do. Maybe I should try it for two semesters and see how it goes. Thanks for the ideas.