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Transcript

START

Ready to up your chemistry game? Press start and immerse yourself in our resource to uncover strategies for pre, during, and post-lecture success, plus some fun tips along the way!

Understanding Chemistry: Your Guide to Slaying in the Lecture Hall

https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.27223584.v1

A Bit of Background...

Before we delve into the main event, we thought it would be helpful to provide a bit of context for the resource. I (Drew) created this resource in the final year of my undergraduate chemistry degree, and, along with my wonderful supervisors, Dr. Linnea Soler and Dr. Smita Odedra, we wanted to conduct research and create a resource to assist incoming chemistry students with their transition to higher education, with a specific focus on lecture learning. This is intended for University of Glasgow chemistry students but it is suitable for any undergraduate chemistry degree.

Drew

Dr. Soler

Dr. Odedra

For additional insights into why I believe this resource will be valuable (and to learn from my mistakes!), simply click on my name.

Navigating the Resource

The resource is rich with concealed information. To ensure you don't miss any content, click the button located at the top right corner of each page. This button will reveal all hidden interactive elements on the page:

Lots of pages have extra little navigation reccomendations hidden behind buttons that look like this:

From each page, it's possible to go back to the home or content page by clicking the buttons in the top left corner:

The side arrows on either end of the page should be used to work through the resource sequentially:

Contents

Pre-Lecture Preparation

Making the Most of In-Lecture Time

Extras I Wish I Knew at the Start of my Time at UofG

Post-Lecture Practices

References

Objectives

Objectives

This resource is intended to support existing learning support at UofG (but is applicable beyond the university). While current resources offer valuable general tips for lecture learning, they lack subject specificity for students in the School of Chemistry. Drawing on existing resources and extensive research into Chemistry-specific lecture learning methods, we've created this resource to enhance students' chemistry learning experience and ease their transition into higher education.

Objectives

This resource is intended to support existing learning support at UofG (but is applicable beyond the university). While current resources offer valuable general tips for lecture learning, they lack subject specificity for students in the School of Chemistry. Drawing on existing resources and extensive research into Chemistry-specific lecture learning methods, we've created this resource to enhance students' chemistry learning experience and ease their transition into higher education.

At the end of the resource there's a very brief questionnaire to help us evaluate the usefullness of this resource and make improvements based on your feedback- we promise it won't take much of your time!

QuestionnaireLevel 4/5/PGT

QuestionnaireLevel 1/2/3

Why do we Have Lectures?

What's the take-home message of this slide?

Go to Your Lectures!!!

References

Efficient way to transfer information.

Provides a good foundationof knowledge.

Gives expert insightinto a field.

Helps builda community between students and academics.

Pre-Lecture Preparation

References

The answer to that question is rooted in Cognitive Load Theory (CLT).

Sure, it's normal to hear every lecturer ever saying, "Hey, read this chapter" or "Make sure you've looked over the slides beforehand." But, you know, us scientists like to see the evidence behind the statement. So, why should we bother with pre-lecture work?

Cognitive Load Theory

Pre-Lecture Preparation

Pre-Lecture Preparation

Where to find reading lists and lecture slides

In the School of Chemistry at UofG, students can access lecture slides on Moodle (UofG's virtual learning environment) at least 24 hours before the scheduled lecture. This, along with the designated course textbooks, provides a foundation for our lecture preparation.

Preparation Using Lecture Slides and Notes

Preparation Using Textbooks

For this section, I'd recommend following the order of navigating moodle, then following the side arrows!

Accessing the Chemistry 1 Moodle

Accessing your Lecture Slides

Accessing your Reading List

Click each box for the full sized image!

Scroll Down

Navigating Moodle

Preparation Using Lecture Slides and Notes

Whilst some lecturers upload specific pre-lecture activites for students, this isn't standard practice. So, here we will focus on how to prepare for a lecture soley with the slides provided.

Create a Lecture Framework

Note any Unfamiliar Words/Concepts

Recap Previous Lecture Slides/Notes

If you take one thing from this page, let it be to familiarise yourself- at least a little bit- with what the upcoming lecture is about. Speaking from my own final-year experience, you'll thank yourself later!

Preparation Using Textbooks

Skim Through the Chapter

Read the Chapter Introduction

Though using provided slides seems like the more obvious choice, mastering prep with a textbook is a valuable skill. In the future, especially in research careers, you won't have specific slides. Also, for those rare occasions when slides aren't uploaded in time, textbook know-how comes in handy.

Where to Find the Relevant Section

All the required textbooks for Chemistry 1 can be found online, so avoid the mistakes I made—don't spend hundreds of pounds on textbooks, and even worse, don't let them sit in a cupboard unopened! There's also an amazing chemistry library in the Joesph Black Building (level 5) housing every chemistry textbook ever written.

Making the Most of In-Lecture Time

References

Making the Most of In-Lecture Time

Congratulations! You've successfully prepared yourself for your upcoming lecture (or not— that is okay too; life happens, and we're all about self-compassion here. You can still nail this lecture!). So now what?

In this section, we're going to focus on the do's and don'ts of your in-lecture time. Much of this might seem pretty self-explanatory, but I knew perfectly well that sitting at the back of a lecture theatre and playing Mario Kart was not the way to go about things, yet, I still made that decision. Hopefully, with a bit of explanation about the consequences and why things work or don't work, you can have a much better in-lecture learning experience. We'll focus on the in-lecture basics and some quality note-making for chemists.

The In-Lecture Basics

Minimize Digital Distraction

Get to Lectures on Time

Choose your Seat Wisely

In order to really make the most of your in-lecture time, you need to take a few steps to ensure that you are prepared and ready to learn. These tips are super straightforward and somewhat obvious, but first-year me would really have benefited from actually taking this advice!

As mentioned before, lectures are a great way to meet people and build your community, so absolutely, take all of the opportunities in the lecture to engage with your peers. However, remember that others are there to learn, so be respectful and avoid spending the entire lecture chatting, as it can be off-putting. Now that we're seated and ready to learn, let's get into note-making!

Why Should We Make Notes?

Choose your Seat Wisely

  • Making notes ensures you have all of the information needed for the course.
  • Note-making helps you to "make-it-your-own", adding more meaning to the lecture, hence note-making rather than note-taking.
  • Making notes helps provide a basis when it comes to revision.
  • High quality note-making is linked with achieving higher test scores.
  • Note-making helps you to prioritise key points.
  • Note-making helps with linking concepts together and making connections within the material.
  • High quality note-making improves short term retention and retention a short while after the lecture, attributed to the active engagement with the content required to take notes.
  • Note-making improves working-memory.

Many students, including myself (more often than I'd like to admit), attend lectures and end up simply sitting through the 50 minutes, feeling bored, passively listening to the lecturer, and counting down the minutes until it's over. While the idea that students' attention span in lectures ranges from 10 to 15 minutes is highly debated among researchers, for a generation of students addicted to minute-long TikTok videos, the notion of maintaining full concentration for a continuous 50 minutes without actively engaging with the content is simply unrealistic. Note-making serves as an anchor to the lecture, alongside the many other benefits.

Note Making for Chemists

Given the availability of lecture slides before lectures, you've got a couple of options for taking notes during the lecture: you can either spice up the slides with your annotations or make your own longhand structured notes.

Digital Handwritten vs Paper Handwritten Notes

I'll focus on handwritten notes/annotations for both strategies, as they're proven to be more effective than typed notes/annotations for contextual questions and eliminate the need for fancy laptops. Click the bubble for some evidence!

Annotating Like a Pro

Strategic Note-Making

For this section, I'd suggest learning about handwriting notes, followed by digital vs paper. Afterwards follow the side arrows and you won't miss anything!

Annotating Like a Pro

Research leans towards the power of longhand notes over annotating slides when it comes to test prep time and retention. Yet, the complexity and visual aspect of Chemistry often puts a time-limit on capturing everything during lectures. That's where mastering the art of annotation becomes your secret weapon.

When annotating slides, the goal isn't to transcribe every word the lecturer says (most of which will already be on the slide), but to include missing details, highlight key points, incorporate visual cues, and jot down questions for further exploration. Rather than diving into a lengthy essay on effective annotating in this section, I'll opt for a more engaging approach. I'll give an example of a well annotated slide, with reasoning, and the following page will display some more examples for you to do a bit of your own analysis on!

Click the image to go to a window with some features to why this type of annotation is effective. The image is a bit small, but clicking it in the window will enlarge it, allowing you to read it more comfortably!

Annotation Examples

D

C

B

A

Annotation Examples

D

C

B

A

A- Yes we have some highlighting, but there's no evidence of any active engagement with the lecture. This person will struggle with revising the lecture as they haven't processed it in class time.B- I'd argue that this is the best of the 4 options, key points are highlighted, the graphs are annotated, missing details have been added, summaries and details are colour coded, and connections to previous courses have been added. Whilst the writing is a bit small it's on tablet so can easily be zoomed in. This will help the person when it comes to revising the content as most of the processing has been done in lecture, and there are aids to help with the parts that haven't quite stuck.C- This isn't the worst annotating ever since lots of new missing details have been added and the graphs/diagrams have been annotated, however, everything is the same colour so nothing stands out, lots of content already in the slide has been rewritten without any substantial attempt to paraphrase and the slides are super crammed.D- Don't do this. Every word is highlighted, so nothing has actually been processed to pick out key parts. There's been no attempt to even remotely annotate the quite tricky looking graph so when it comes to revision it'll be extra confusing. The room to answer in lecture questions is filled with noughts and crosses- not the intended use of that space. On top of that there are 8 slides in 1 A4 page so even if it was perfectly annotated, you wouldn't be able to see it clearly anyways.

Longhand Strategic Note-Making for Chemists

Perhaps a good way to determine if it's worth taking the harder but more effective route of longhand note-taking is to examine the type of notes provided and set your intention for the process: Are you focusing on understanding the information, or are you concentrating on the initial gathering of information?

Lecturers approach their slides in different ways. Some offer comprehensive details on the slides, treating additional information from the spoken lecture as supplementary content meant to enhance understanding. On the other hand, some prefer to use slides as general frameworks, keeping details to a minimum and relying on the spoken lecture to provide the necessary specifics. In the School of Chemistry at Glasgow you'll find a good mix of both and everything in between.

Annotating seems like a great option for those already containing most of the details, but for the latter option, starting with a blank page and creating your own set of structured longhand notes is a great option, especially since lectures with this structure tend to be delivered at a slower pace.

I'm sure you've heard of note-making strategies like the Cornell method, but is it the best option for Chemistry?

While the Cornell method proves effective for Humanities and Social Sciences, it falls short in certain aspects when applied to Chemistry.

  • Information Complexity: Chemistry lectures involve lots of complex information being delivered, with a large part of the course being detailed equations, diagrams, and mechanisms. With this method there just isn't enough space or the right structure to capture all the neccessary details.
  • Visual Issues: Like the complexity problem, the 2 column method doesnt provide enough space/ spatial freedom for the amount of mechanisms and diagrams required in Chemistry.
  • Lacks Connectivity: In Chemistry, it's essential to clearly see how each concept links together with another, for example when learning about acids and bases it's helpful to see the how they are linked through Bronsted-Lowry Theory to understand their applications and reactions, which is tricky to do with the Cornell method.

So what's the best way to make longhand notes as a Chemist?

Longhand Strategic Note-Making for Chemists

Longhand Strategic Note-Making for Chemists

All of the methods discussed are examples of non-linear notes.

Instead of naming a single note-taking method as the ultimate solution, as it's crucial to experiment with various approaches to discover what best suits you, I'll go over essential elements of effective note-taking for Chemistry and provide examples for you to try and adapt to work for you!

Paraphrase and Summarise

Get Visual with your Notes

Regardless of your note-making skills, it's perfectly normal to miss a few details – don't worry! I'd first consider asking friends if they caught the information you might have overlooked while scribbling down other notes. If that doesn't yield results, consult the textbook for the missing details. If it's still not quite making sense, don't hesitate to reach out to the lecturer via email or attend office hours; they are generally very willing to help!

Use a Non-Linear Structure

Note-Making Summary

Navigating the terrain of effective note-taking in chemistry lectures can be a tricky feat. While researchers may not give a resounding endorsement to annotation, finding a sweet spot between tried-and-tested effectiveness and real-world practicality is super important.Let's face it – the idea of meticulously turning every chemistry lecture into longhand notes sounds great in theory. But the reality of the subject's complexity, rapid pace of lectures, and graphical elements (diagrams, equations and mechanisms) makes this approach more of a Herculean task than a study hack. Annotating slides emerges as an enticing option, often reffered to as the easy learning route which has a lovely sound to it, however, often falls short of delivering the "desirable difficulty" needed for that deep understanding and long-term retention of the material.Yet, attempting to go all-in with longhand notes could easily tip the scales from desirable to undesirable difficulties, triggering adverse effects on your learning journey. So, here's the solution – finding the middle ground. Take heed of the annotating tips we've covered along with the longhand tips tailored to chemistry, experiment with what clicks for you, and acknowledge that achieving that coveted depth of understanding requires some post-lecture strategies.

While 'difficulty' has negative connotations, in the context of learning, a desirably difficult task is one that isn't super easy, requires a good amount of effort to solve, and is linked with better long-term memory and performance.

Post-Lecture Practices

References

Post-Lecture Practices

Okay, so the lecture's over, you've got a rough set of notes. Surely, you've already engaged with the lecture enough that you fully understand every concept in depth and are ready to nail your exams with ease, right? Not quite. While, yes, you'll be in a slightly better position than someone who merely just showed up for the lecture, it's what you do to review and consolidate your notes afterwards that will really allow for that deep understanding we're after.

In this section we'll focus on what to do with your notes within the first 24 hours after the lecture and how to retain that knowledge, rather than how to cram study for your exams.

Why 24 Hours?

You may or may not have seen Ebbinghaus' forgetting curve and review cycle before, but basically the curve shows a corrolation between time and memory retention.

Initially the drop in retention is very steep, but once reviewed within/after 1 day, retention jumps back up to 100%.

In 3 days, 40% of your lecture knowledge diminishes. Reviewing later becomes more challenging, as you're reinforcing the 40%, not the initial 20% lost after just 1 day.

Each time you revise the lecture, the rate of memory loss decreases- so eventually you'll be able to go a few weeks without looking at the lecture and the vast majority of the information will have been retained- which is exactly what you want when it comes to revising for exams. We will revisit this idea when talking about spaced retrieval practice.

It's also a good idea to review and consolidate your lecture notes within the first 24 hours after the lecture as in Chemistry, you tend to have multiple lectures of the same topic in consecutive days. So, if you haven't already reviewed the first lecture, you'll struggle to understand the next days, and then the next, and then by the fifth lecture you'll realise you haven't really understood a word of what's been said and you definitely haven't retained any of it either.

Always try to start a lecture course as you mean to go on. I always understand and enjoy courses so much more when I keep in control of them from the very first lecture. Needing to start from scratch at the end of an 8 lecture block isn't a fun feeling and wastes so much time.

Completing your Notes

As previously mentioned, your in-class notes will be incomplete. Instead of leaving gaps unaddressed, take the initiative to ask a friend or refer to the textbook to complete the missing information and, again making sure paraphrase rather than directly copying. This is also the stage to make sure that any diagrams you previously left out are added. It's also the time to try an answer any questions that you had during the lecture. These notes will serve as a basis to generate new learning materials so it's important that they aren't missing any of the basics.

Once you've got a basic set of notes to work from, it's important to know how to transform these notes into more than just written versions of a lecture and then how to use what you've created to deepen your understanding of the content. One tried and tested method that we'll cover next is elaboration.

Elaboration

Elaborating on your notes involves expanding and enriching the information you've initially recorded during a lecture. Elaboration goes beyond basic surface level learning by encouraging you to dig a bit deeper into a subject, connect new ideas with prior knowledge, and add some meaningful context to your learning. There's lots of ways to elabote on your notes, and depending on the topic you're learning, you may find some more helpful than others.

Asking "How" and "Why"

Generating your own Questions

Learning by Analogy

Comparing and Contrasting

For elaboration to be effective you need to have some prior knowledge (not an issue in chemistry as the course starts from entry requirement level).Don't be vague—research shows that more detailed elaborations lead to better retention, and make sure your elaborations come from you.

Spaced Retrieval Practice

Spaced retrieval practice is a learning technique that involves reviewing information at increasingly longer intervals over time with the goal to enhance long-term retention and recall of information, think back to Ebbinghaus' forgetting curve. This method is based on the spacing effect, which suggests that information is better retained when learning sessions are spaced out over time, as opposed to being crammed into a single session. The practice can be broken down into 4 steps:

1. Learn

2. Recall

3. Review

4. Repeat

After your lecture, spend some time elaborating on your notes until you feel like you have a solid understanding of the content.

After a short interval, within 1-3 days, try to recall the information from memory without looking at the source material.

Compare your recall to your notes and if you couldn't recall the information accurately, review the material to reinforce the correct information.

Repeat the process at increasingly longer intervals. This could mean recalling the information after a few hours, then a day, then a few days, and so on.

Having the right tools for spaced retrieval practice can seriously boost your learning experience by breaking down big topics into smaller sections and acting as a guide for the practice. One popular and well-researched tip is making and using flashcards.

Flashcard Making

Flashcard Making

There's many different ways to make flashcards however a good start to your flashcard making journey is the basic question and answer card. It's so simple-you ask a question on one side and you write the answer on the reverse side. However, there are some things to consider when making your flashcards, most notably- are the questions specific enough?

Instead of asking very broad questions such as:

Break the topic down into smaller sections. This encougarages you to generate your own questions and highlights any nuances.

Generating questions and asking "why" in the context of flashcard making is a great way to use an elaborative learning strategy to create a spaced retrieval resource.

You could also make digital flashcards. Apps such as Anki and Quizlet are powerful flashcard making apps which allow you to create flashcard sets alongside having practice modes and test modes for you to really monitor your learning.

More Spaced Retrieval Practices

Whilst flashcards are a great option, they're not for everyone. So, here's a few more methods to try!

The Blurting Method

This is probably one of the most straightforward, yet effective, study methods. Grab a piece of paper or whiteboard and write/draw everything you know related to a particular concept. Once you're finished, check your answers against your notes and add in anything thats missing. Repeat again in a few days and watch as the amount that you need to add in later gradually decreases each time. It really is that simple. A big tip for this method is to use a different colour for things you remembered and things you added.

Using Posters

My favourite method of learning involves creating informative posters as a tool for self-assessment. Following a lecture, I take the key points, essential diagrams, mechanisms, or equations, and compile them into an A3 poster. I display the poster on my wall, and after a few days, I challenge myself by closing my eyes and attempting to recall all the information. Afterwards, I review the poster to identify any gaps or areas I may have overlooked. I find that this method works well for me however I am very quickly running out of empty wall space...

My biggest tip ever for anyone studying chemistry is to get a whiteboard. From using the blurting strategy, revisiting questions, to rewriting organic mechanisms over and over and over again, by the end of your degree the whiteboard will be your best friend.

Post-Lecture Practices Summary

In this section we've covered the imporance of completing your notes when the lecture is fresh in your mind, elaborating on your notes, spaced retrieval, and different spaced retrieval strategies- I very much hope that you have found it to be helpful! In considering many different post-lecture learning strategies, I've selected these tips as particularly beneficial for grasping chemistry concepts. However, it's important to recognise that individual preferences vary. I encourage you to explore and experiment with different techniques to identify the most effective methods for you!

Extras I Wish I Knew at the Start of my Time at UofG

1. You probably won't get A's all the time.You go from being high achievers in high school and expect the same at university, so when you're met with your first test and get a C (or even a D), it is quite a shock to the system. But don't let it majorly knock your confidence—it's normal and expected. Plus, with Glasgow's grading system, a C is considered "good," and a D is "satisfactory." The important thing is that you learn from the experience and make any adjustments to your current learning strategies rather than giving up.

2. You don't need to suffer in silence.If you find that things are spiraling a bit out of control, reach out and let someone know. At UofG you'll have an Advisor of Studies who can help put you in touch with the relevant people/service. You can also access support through the Student Learning Development (SLD) team, where you can receive additional academic help, ranging from support with academic writing to enhancing your maths skills. If you're struggling with your mental health, have a long-term disability, or needing a bit of support navigating challenging personal circumstances, the Counselling and Psycological Service (CAPS), Disability Service, and Chaplaincy Service are the people to contact.

SLD Webpage

CAPS Webpage

Disability Service Webpage

Chaplaincy Service Webpage

Congratulations, you made it to the end!

I really hope that you've enjoyed going through this resource as much as I enjoyed creating it and hopefully, you've picked up a thing or two about pre, during, and post-lecture learning in the progress. I've mentioned it a lot, but do experiment with different techniques and really customise your own learning experience. As Elle Woods once said "You must always have faith in yourself", so use these tips, believe in yourself, and go forth and nail your lecture learning journey!

Congratulations you made it to the end! (23/24)

I really hope that you've enjoyed going through this resource as much as I enjoyed creating it and hopefully, you've picked up a thing or two about pre, during, and post-lecture learning in the progress. I've mentioned it a lot, but do experiment with different techniques and really customise your own learning experience. As Elle Woods once said "You must always have faith in yourself", so use these tips, believe in yourself, and go forth and nail your lecture learning journey!

I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to complete the questionnaire linked below. Your feedback will help us assess the usefulness of this resource and make improvements. I promise you it won't take much of your time!

QuestionnaireLevel 4/5/PGT

QuestionnaireLevel 1/2/3

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In 2017 40th International Convention on Information and Communication Technology, Electronics and Microelectronics (MIPRO); 2017; pp 624–629. https://doi.org/10.23919/MIPRO.2017.7973500. Morehead, K.; Dunlosky, J.; Rawson, K. A. How Much Mightier Is the Pen than the Keyboard for Note-Taking? A Replication and Extension of Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014). Educ. Psychol. Rev. 2019, 31 (3), 753–780. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09468-2. Mueller, P. A.; Oppenheimer, D. M. The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard. Psychol. Sci. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614524581. Perkins, K. K.; Wieman, C. E. The Surprising Impact of Seat Location on Student Performance. Phys. Teach. 2005, 43 (1), 30–33. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1845987. Podolefsky, N. S.; Finkelstein, N. D. Use of Analogy in Learning Physics: The Role of Representations. Phys. Rev. Spec. Top. - Phys. Educ. Res. 2006, 2 (2), 020101. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.2.020101. Seery, M. K.; Donnelly, R. The Implementation of Pre-Lecture Resources to Reduce in-Class Cognitive Load: A Case Study for Higher Education Chemistry. Br. J. Educ. Technol. 2012, 43 (4), 667–677. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2011.01237.x. Sirhan, G.; Gray, C.; Johnstone, A. H.; Reid, N. Preparing the Mind of the Learner. U N V E R T C H E M T R E U C T O N 1999, No. 1999. Witherby, A. E.; Tauber, S. K. The Current Status of Students’ Note-Taking: Why and How Do Students Take Notes? J. Appl. Res. Mem. Cogn. 2019, 8 (2), 139–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2019.04.002. Encoding Process - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/encoding-process (accessed 2024-01-21). May 2019, S. A. Asking why builds learning. RSC Education. https://edu.rsc.org/feature/asking-why-builds-learning/3010487.article (accessed 2024-01-18). Psychology, P. Semantic Encoding (Definition + Examples). Practical Psychology. https://practicalpie.com/semantic-encoding/ (accessed 2024-01-21). Pros and Cons of Typed, Digitally Handwritten, and Paper Notes | GUTS Tip. Greater University Tutoring Service. https://guts.wisc.edu/2020/11/19/pros-and-cons-of-typed-digitally-handwritten-and-paper-notes/ (accessed 2024-01-04).

Textbook chapters often begin with an application of the content covered in the chapter. For example, the issues of bromomethane as a pesticide are discussed in the section on haloalkanes in Burrows Chemistry3. Whilst reading this section isn't going to cover the detail of the course, it is going to add meaning to what you will be learning.

Read the Chapter Introduction

Think back to high school maths and the whole "When will I ever use Pythagoras' Theorem in real life?" vibe. Fair point for many jobs, you won't be busting out the hypotenuse calculations. But, surprise! When you're setting up a room or wrapping gifts, Pythagoras' Theorem sneaks in and becomes unexpectedly useful. Highlighting these applications makes the learing more meaningful and less about simply memorising abstract concepts.

Meaningful learning has been shown to promote deeper understanding, enhance information retention, and increase student motivation—a win-win all around!

Going into my first year, I underestimated the challenge of university, having breezed through high school somewhat effortlessly. I started on a Chemical Physics degree (interesting choice for someone who can't do maths..) and to no surprise felt entirely overwhelmed with Maths and Physics to the point where I decided I was failing uni anyways so what was the point in trying to pass Chemistry.Fast forward to the December exam period where super stressed out first year me realised the extent of my mistakes, trying to scramble out of my mess decided that Chemistry seemed easiset so lets completely neglect it and spend every minute on Maths instead, Christmas 2019 was a fun one!My first year May exams were cancelled due to the pandemic, so obviously no exams= no studying.

-aka how not to learn...

My First Year Experience

I decided to switch to straight Chemistry in second year which was entirely online- exams included. This meant that instead of actually learning a thing, I became a command+F wizard and managed to get brilliant results! The world opened up again for third year and to cut a very very long story short, my lack of prior knowledge and study skills along with some less than ideal personal circumstances led me to needing to repeat the year.This time round I decided to reach out to the appropriate people and get some support with life and learning and really concentrated on getting back on track with my degree, which I did and achieved results that first year me would never have dreamt of.Reflecting on my journey, I believe a smoother transition into higher education and better understanding of the demands in the first year could have prevented the initial struggle, paving the way for a more successful academic path.

An accurate depiction of how I spent the entirety of 2020/21 ignoring all academic responsibilities...

Digital Handwritten vs Paper handwritten

After looking into both methods, there's not really a clear winner in terms of effectiveness in lectures. Each format has its pros and cons. I'm breaking down the advantages and disadvantages of both formats so you can make a well-informed decision based on what will work best for you.

Digital Handwritten

Paper Handwritten

Pro's

Con's

  • Portability- You can keep all of your notes together without taking up too much space.
  • Editability- With a tablet, it's easy to rectify writing errors or quickly address small mistakes made by the lecturer without creating a mess.
  • Shareability- It's easy to transfer notes to your laptop post-lecture or share them with friends who may have missed the class.

  • Cost- The biggest drawback is the steep cost of tablets. Whilst you don't need the newest iPad, even opting for an older model or different brand can still be quite pricey.
  • Battery Reliant- There's nothing more frustrating than sitting the first of 4 lectures of the day to find out you forgot to charge your tablet and have left the charger at home...

  • Lack of Distractions- As long as you're not glued to your phone throughout the lecture, paper notes keep digital distraction to a minimum.
  • Cheap- All you need is a couple of pens and paper, unless you're a stationary addict, in which taking paper notes is a wonderful excuse to buy all the cute notebooks and pens.
  • Portability- Notebooks are easy to carry around without the fear of damage to expensive equipment, as long as you dont have too many.

  • No Backups- If you lose your notes or they get damaged, you don't have any way of recovering them.
  • Lacks Editability-If you make a mistake you're either left with a tipex mark or an ugly scribble, which isn't all bad as this means you have to focus that little bit more which in turn does every so slightly increase the content retention.

Personally, I've found that using apps such as Notability (apple devices only) or Goodnote (apple and android) on my iPad with a paper-like screen protector (has a more natural feel to it) to take notes works the best for me!

Student life is a whirlwind of chaos, juggling a packed timetable, societies, part-time jobs, and the occasional hangover. With such a hectic schedule, there isn't always time for post-lecture consolidation. As a result, we often find ourselves sitting in lectures, having lived a whole other life since the last one, with little recollection of what was previously taught. A quick fix for this issue is a 5-minute recap of the last lecture.

So, instead of scrolling through Insta and TikTok while waiting for the lecturer to start, maybe take a moment to read over the previous lecture.

Recap Previous Lecture Slides/Notes

Good Foundation of Knowledge

Lectures are instrumental in establishing the foundations of a course. Lecturers can present the key principles and concepts in a structured way, providing students with a point of departure to launch into deeper exploration of the subject.

Learning by analogy involves structure mapping, where you mentally connect the dots between two domains based on shared characteristics. Just as in chemistry you could solve the structure of an unknown molecule by looking at similar known reactions and known data about the molecule, you can deepen your understanding of new concepts by recognising similarities between that concept and prior knowledge. The prior knowledge doesn't have to directly relate subject-wise, rather just in structure. Take Rutherford's planetary model of the atom as an example.

Learning by Analogy

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Like the planets orbit the sun via the force of gravity, Rutherford's model shows the negatively charged electrons orbiting the positively charged nucleus via Coulombic interactions

Known-Planetary Orbit

Unknown-Atomic Structure

While the temptation to hit the snooze button on your alarm is real, particularly before a 9am Quantum Mechanics Lecture, or to make a quick pit stop for an iced latte when you're already running behind schedule, showing up late to your lecture is not ideal. Picture this: you walk in 10 minutes into the lecture, offering awkward apologies to the lecturer. Then comes the challenge of finding an empty seat while everyone's eyes are on you, followed by the noisy rustling to get out your equipment. It's even more challenging when the lecture is on level 11 of the Adam Smith Building, requiring you to do all of the above whilst fighting for a breath – all of which adds unnecessary anxiety to your day.

Get to Lectures on Time

Beyond the social discomfort, there's the significant downside of missing content. The beginning of a lecture often provides essential context for what follows (remember all that pre-lecture stuff and why context is important?). That initial 10 minutes might cover material crucial for your understanding, and you've missed it – all for the sake of a cup of coffee or an extra 10 minutes in bed.

However, life happens- trains delay, motorways get congested, and some things are beyond our control. Being fashionably late isn't the end of the world; it's still better than not showing up at all. After all, it happens to everyone at some point.

Note any Unfamiliar Words/Concepts

As you skim through the lecture slides, there's a high chance you'll stumble upon some unfamiliar words, especially in Chemistry— where else are you using words like "chirality" and "zwitterion." Lecturers might not always explain these, assuming you're already in the know. So, to avoid sitting in a stereochemistry class thinking, "What's an isomer again?" it's a good idea to do a quick Google search beforehand. Just to get the lowdown and not feel lost during the lecture.

In simple terms, CLT is an educational framework that explores how the human brain processes and retains information. The theory explains that the cognitive load (new information), influenced by prior knowledge, determines how much information can be effectively processed, so for effective learning it's super important not to be bombarded with loads of new information at one time. The more familiar a learner is with a subject, the easier it is to integrate new information into long-term memory.

Cognitive Load Theory

For learners new to a topic, pre-lecture activities aim to reduce the amount of new information in a single session, fostering a more effective learning environment.

Learning by comparing similarities and differences between two or more concepts or ideas enhances understanding by highlighting key features and relationships. It helps you to grasp nuances, recognise patterns, and develop a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. This approach encourages critical thinking and analytical skills by encouraging learners to evaluate and analyse information. Here's the much loved SN1 vs SN2 reaction as an example:

Comparing and Contrasting

SN1

SN2

Mechanism

Similarities

Differences

  • Both reactions are examples of nucleophilic substitution reactions.
  • Both reactions involve leaving groups and nucleophiles.
  • Both reactions are possible on secondary carbon centres.

  • Reaction proceeds via a carbocation intermediate
  • Reaction can occur on tertiary carbon centre, not primary.
  • Stereochemistry is lost upon formation of carbocation so racemic mixture of products formed.
  • Unimolecular- 1 species involved in the RDS.

  • Reaction proceeds via a non isolatable transition state
  • Reaction can occur on primary carbon centre, not tertiary.
  • Stereochemistry is inverted due to back-side attack.
  • Bimolecular- 2 species involved in the RDS.

This is a handy tool for organic chemistry where often you have many similar reactions but with different reagents and conditions to visualise how changing that particular variable alters the outcome.

French, S.; Kennedy, G. Reassessing the Value of University Lectures. Teach. High. Educ. 2017, 22 (6), 639–654. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2016.1273213.Overton, T.; Johnson, S.; Scott, J. Making the Most of Lectures. In Study and Communication Skills for the Chemical Sciences; Oxford University Press, 2019.

Provides Expert Insight into a Field

In Chemistry, it is common for lecture courses to be conducted by academics who possess considerable expertise in the specific field. These lecturers provide expert insights and often demonstrate a strong passion for their subject matter. If you've ever attended a lecture on catalysis by Professor Lennon, you'll understand what I mean!

Generating your own Questions

Generating your own questions as a way to learn improves your critical thinking skills as you need to be able to identify key areas and understand the context in which it would be used to generate a question. It's also shown to improve reading comprehension and reduce test anxiety (which in itself is a wonderful reason to give this learning method a go).

This approach also serves as an excellent collaborative learning strategy (learning with peers). Each group member formulates individual questions related to the lecture, and everyone answers each other's questions. Collectively, the group discusses their answers and raises queries about any unclear aspects. This collaborative process allows students to enhance their understanding through teaching others, while those less confident benefit from explanations provided by their peers.

If you're a UofG student, you can download the "UofG Life" app which has a room booking feature, ideal for when doing collaborative learning which may be difficult in public spaces. I didn't know about this until recently and have found it very useful!

Studies show that students who sit at the front of lectures have higher chances of achieving a higher grade. When you sit at the front it's easier to see the lecturer (and easier for the lecturer to see you), there's less screens in front to distract you, and probably the biggest benefit is being surrounded by other students who are equally as eager to learn and thus less likely to sit and whisper throughout the lecture.

Sitting up the back of the lecture is a risky move. This was probably one of my biggest errors in first year- my friend group were those annoying ones who sit at the back and whisper throughout the entire lecture, don't be like this it's not fair to others and it's not fair to set yourself up to fail. Even now when I end up at the back I'll spend half of the lecture on Insta or ASOS and leave the lecture annoyed with myself.

If being a front row student isn't your thing, find a nice middle ground rather than going to the back. Somewhere that you feel obliged to stay focused and can't see too many screens without the fear of direct lecturer eye contact. If you know that your friends tend to be disruptive and distractive, try to sit elsewhere- I'm sure they'll understand!

The idea here isn't to fully read every tiny detail of the upcoming lecture (realistically no one has time or the willpower for that), but instead focus on constructing a rough framework of the lecture.

Create a Lecture Framework

Creating a framework will help you get a general sense of the main concepts to be discussed. It allows you to organise information and see the connections between different ideas. Think of it as creating a mental mind map or flowchart (you could even make a physical version if thats more your style), and then during the lecture or afterward, you can fill in the details. Here's one I made earlier...

  • Very brief framework
  • No in depth information
  • Definitely not perfect
  • Takes maybe 15 minutes max

You may notice going through this resource that I'm a MASSIVE fan of using colour to group things, stay tuned for why its such a helpful little tool.

Similar to crafting a lecture slide framework, the goal here isn't to meticulously read every single word. Instead, it's about getting a quick overview of the ideas to be covered and understanding how one concept connects to the next. While creating a detailed framework might be impractical due to the larger size and increased detail compared to the lecture slides, and chapters not neatly segmented for a 50-minute class, it's still beneficial to gain a rough overview of the chapter.

Skim Through the Chapter

Many textbooks, including Burrows Chemistry3, incorporate highlighted summary sections throughout the chapters, so even just reading over these sections will help you to prepare for your lectures.

Helps Build a Community

Although many lectures can now be viewed online, they miss the community-building aspect. Attending lectures is a fantastic opportunity to build new connections, particularly for incoming students where lectures can be one of the first oppertunities to meet people on the same course. It's also reassuring to witness others in the same boat, especially when navigating the challenging waters of topics like quantum mechanics; knowing you're not the only one sinking can be quite comforting!

In a lecture, you're often given the facts, or the "what," and you just accept that it simply is. The practice of releasing your inner 3-year-old to ask the "how" and the "why" rather than just accepting the "what" allows you to make sense of new and confusing concepts by seeing how it relates to your prior knowledge. This technique is known as "elaborative interrogation." Let's look at an example:

Asking "How" and "Why"

Concept: Le Chatelier's Principle

When a system at equilibrium experiences alterations in temperature, pressure, or the concentrations of reactants or products, it will naturally readjust to counterbalance the impact of the change, establishing a new state of equilibrium.

Elaboration

1. Why does the system want to establish equilibrium?

Equilibrium is favorable because it corresponds to a state of minimum free energy, maximum stability, and increased entropy. At equilibrium reactions have balanced rates of forward and reverse reactions, representing a stable and energetically favorable condition in accordance with the principles of thermodynamics.

You could then ask why free energy is at minimum?

2. Why does altering temperature shift the equilibrium?

Chemical reactions are about breaking and making bonds. When it gets hotter, there's more thermal energy. If it's an endothermic reaction (sucks up heat), the equilibrium moves to the right to grab extra heat. If it's exothermic (releases heat), the equilibrium shifts left to balance out the temperature increase.

You could then ask why endothermic reactions suck up heat?

3. Why does altering the pressure shift the equilibrium?

The ideal gas law (PV = nRT) states that at constant moles (n) and temperature (T), higher pressure (P) corresponds to lower volume (V). In gas-involved reactions, increased pressure shifts the equilibrium toward the side with fewer gas moles, relieving the heightened pressure by reducing the number of gas molecules

4. Why does altering concentrations shift the equilibrium?

This relates to the mass action principle. Increasing reactant concentration shifts the equilibrium right, consuming excess reactants. Conversely, increasing product concentration shifts it left, producing more reactants. The system aims to sustain balance, minimising concentration changes

Adding titles, lecturers, and dates to slides helps organise your notes by establishing a chronological order (especially helpful with paper notes) and provides contexual reference points, useful when reviewing your notes.

Throughout lectures, lecturers will often give little tips and tricks about their course and what they expect you to focus your learning on- these are always helpful to jot down for reviewing later on.

When highlighting slides, focus on key points like summaries, key equations, and frequently mentioned items rather than highlighting every word on the slide as this shows that you're processing the information to make judgemnts rather than passively highlighting everything. In chemistry, I find it helpful to highlight reagents and reaction conditions too. Use different colours for various types of content—e.g., blue for summaries, pink for reagents, and purple for reaction conditions.

Lecturers often give memory aids or share funny references related to concepts. In this lecture, the RDS is humorously called the "pop step," aiding in understanding the SN1 mechanism. Be sure to jot these down- they majorly help you to remember and understand the concept.

Paraphrasing summaries adds a personal touch to the lecture, making learning more meaningful. It also saves time during the revision process as using your own words requires you to process the content. I like to use a different color for summary annotations to make them stand out.

Burrows, A. Chemistry(3); 2021; Vol. 4.Gammerdinger, W. J.; Kocher, T. D. Understanding Student Perceptions and Practices for Pre-Lecture Content Reading in the Genetics Classroom. J. Microbiol. Biol. Educ. 2018, 19 (2). https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v19i2.1371.Overton, T.; Johnson, S.; Scott, J. Making the Most of Lectures. In Study and Communication Skills for the Chemical Sciences; Oxford University Press, 2019.Seery, M. K.; Donnelly, R. The Implementation of Pre-Lecture Resources to Reduce in-Class Cognitive Load: A Case Study for Higher Education Chemistry. Br. J. Educ. Technol. 2012, 43 (4), 667–677. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2011.01237.x.Sirhan, G.; Gray, C.; Johnstone, A. H.; Reid, N. Preparing the Mind of the Learner. U N V E R T C H E M T R E U C T O N 1999, No. 1999.

While the use of laptops for note-taking is of increasing popularity, they aren't the best for deep understanding of the content for a few reasons.

Why Handwritten is Best

Laptops serve as a distraction.

Numerous studies propose that having internet access can divert students from focusing on lecture content. Empirical research supports this, indicating that students using laptops often deviate from the task at hand during lectures

Typing encourage transcription.

Transcribing rather than paraphrasing promotes a more surface level understanding of lecture content (more on this later). People tend to type faster than they write, thus eliminating the need to paraphrase.

Handwriting notes increases retention.

Whilst slower than typing, the information needs to be processed before writing. This requires increased focus in lecture and thus reduces the time needed to recap lecture notes after the lecture.

Paraphrasing and Summarising

Often the approach for longhand note-taking is to write down what the lecturer says verbatim (transcription) in fear of not missing out any detail- however when it comes to effect note-making quality is far more important than quantity. Paraphrasing on the other hand is the act of expressing someone else's ideas or information in your own words, while maintaining the original meaning and avoiding direct copying.

Research indicates that transcription does not enhance students' learning; in fact, it may hinder it. On the other hand, students who employ paraphrasing and summarising techniques experience heightened comprehension and improved retention of content. This is attributed to the increased cognitive processing required for paraphrasing, known technically as 'semantic encoding.' In essence, paraphrasing demands thoughtful consideration to extract meaning from spoken lectures. It's more than just jotting down every word; it involves critical thinking skills to analyze and discern key components of the content.

Click to see my answer!

In the process of photosynthesis, plants utilize sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose (a complex sugar) and oxygen. This intricate biological mechanism involves the absorption of light energy by chlorophyll, the subsequent splitting of water molecules in a process known as photolysis, and the synthesis of glucose through a series of enzymatic reactions within the chloroplasts.

Use a Non-Linear Structure

Linear note-taking is basically the "go with the flow" style. You write down information in the same order it's thrown at you. It's super easy to keep track of, saves you some time, and works well for subjects that roll out info in a neat, chronological line – think history. But it has its downfalls: it can be a bit on the passive side. You're kind of on autopilot, just transcribing without needing to do much of your own thinking. Using a non-linear style, along with paraphrasing and incorporating visual cues, really is the way to go for chemistry.

Non-linear notes use visual techniques to organise ideas. Non-linear notes tend to start with the main idea related concepts branched. You need to use your paraphrasing skills (promoting semantic encoding), your visial cues (promoting visual encoding), alongside being able to spot connections between concepts which gives even more context and meaning to the information. As a result, non-linear note-making strategies are shown to improve the recording of information, alongside improving comprehension and recall.

Nuclear Notes

Concept Maps

Boxing Method

Personally, the boxing method is my favourite! Sometimes I find with nuclear and concept maps that it's easy to misjudge the space I'll need, but this isn't an issue with the boxing method! I also like how its super clear categories, sometimes nuclear and concept maps can get a bit messy.

Efficient Information Transfer

Lectures serve as dedicated moments when all students, ideally, come together to receive course content. During these 50-minute sessions, the entire class focuses on the lecturer, facilitating the effective and streamlined delivery of course material. Whilst the term "efficient" may imply the quickest and most convenient approach, you could argue that simply providing a handout or a textbook section to read would be the best choice from that perspective. However, lectures contribute additional context that surpasses what a printout alone could offer, enhancing understanding and making things more coherent.

Minimize Digital Distraction

The number of students admitting to being on their phone or other electronic devices, rather than being on task in lectures, is on the rise. It's so easy, when the slightest bit of boredom creeps in or when you see an Insta notification, to abandon all note-taking and concentration to check your phone. But 9/10 times, those notifications will still be there after the lecture, whereas in that time, you might have missed something crucial to your understanding. So what can you do to minimize this?

  • Probably the most self-explanatory tip ever, but if possible, turn your phone off. That's not a viable option for everyone so instead you could even just remove it from your direct eyesight?
  • Set timers on apps; this tip works wonders, particularly for TikTok. Many apps now offer the option to set a password-locked time limit. Personally, I've found that when I set such limits, I'm less inclined to waste the short amount of time I have on the app through boredom scrolling. I'd also recommend having a trusted friend set the password- there's no point setting the limit if you know the password

Phone Distraction

In both cases, acknowledge the distraction. If you find yourself more distracted than usual, approach it with curiosity rather than resistance. Consider whether it could be due to the course being particularly challenging and you're unsure how to manage it, or if it's simply because you skipped breakfast and are struggling to concentrate.

Laptop/Tablet Distraction

  • Preload your lecture slides so that they're the first thing to open when you open the device, this way you won't be sidetracked by the million tabs open on your browser from other work (speaking from experience).
  • Use note-making software for their intended purpose in lectures. Unlike shown below, but do appreciate the artistic talent.

40 minutes

In Lecture BasicsFlanigan, A. E.; Titsworth, S. The Impact of Digital Distraction on Lecture Note Taking and Student Learning. Instr. Sci. 2020, 48 (5), 495–524. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-020-09517-2. McGowan, A.; Hanna, P.; Greer, D.; Busch, J.; Anderson, N. Learning to Program - Does It Matter Where You Sit in the Lecture Theatre? In 2017 40th International Convention on Information and Communication Technology, Electronics and Microelectronics (MIPRO); 2017; pp 624–629. https://doi.org/10.23919/MIPRO.2017.7973500. Perkins, K. K.; Wieman, C. E. The Surprising Impact of Seat Location on Student Performance. Phys. Teach. 2005, 43 (1), 30–33. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1845987.

Typed vs HandwrittenMorehead, K.; Dunlosky, J.; Rawson, K. A. How Much Mightier Is the Pen than the Keyboard for Note-Taking? A Replication and Extension of Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014). Educ. Psychol. Rev. 2019, 31 (3), 753–780. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09468-2. Mueller, P. A.; Oppenheimer, D. M. The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard. Psychol. Sci. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614524581.Kuepper-Tetzel, C. The Benefits of Longhand Notetaking Versus Slide Annotations. The Learning Scientists. https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2018/5/31-1 (accessed 2024-01-03). Pros and Cons of Typed, Digitally Handwritten, and Paper Notes | GUTS Tip. Greater University Tutoring Service. https://guts.wisc.edu/2020/11/19/pros-and-cons-of-typed-digitally-handwritten-and-paper-notes/ (accessed 2024-01-04).

Why Make Notes?Asst. Prof., The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the School of Education, The City College of New York of the City University of New York, USA, isalame@ccny.cuny.edu; Salame, I. I.; Thompson, A.; B.S., Psychology, The City College of New York, USA, athomps002@citymail.cuny.edu. Students’ Views on Strategic Note-Taking and Its Impact on Performance, Achievement, and Learning. Int. J. Instr. 2020, 13 (2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2020.1321a. (14) Karen Wilson; James H. Korn. Attention during Lectures: Beyond Ten Minutes. In Teaching of Psycology; Saint Louis University, 2007; Vol. 34, pp 85–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/00986280701291291. (15) Witherby, A. E.; Tauber, S. K. The Current Status of Students’ Note-Taking: Why and How Do Students Take Notes? J. Appl. Res. Mem. Cogn. 2019, 8 (2), 139–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2019.04.002.

Annotated and LonghandAsst. Prof., The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the School of Education, The City College of New York of the City University of New York, USA, isalame@ccny.cuny.edu; Salame, I. I.; Thompson, A.; B.S., Psychology, The City College of New York, USA, athomps002@citymail.cuny.edu. Students’ Views on Strategic Note-Taking and Its Impact on Performance, Achievement, and Learning. Int. J. Instr. 2020, 13 (2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2020.1321a.Bjork, E. L.; Bjork, R. Making Things Hard on Yourself, But in a Good Way: Creating Desirable Difficulties to Enhance Learning. Chai, M. T.; Amin, H. U.; Izhar, L. I.; Saad, M. N. M.; Abdul Rahman, M.; Malik, A. S.; Tang, T. B. Exploring EEG Effective Connectivity Network in Estimating Influence of Color on Emotion and Memory. Front. Neuroinformatics 2019, 13, 66. https://doi.org/10.3389/fninf.2019.00066. Dror, I.; Makany, T.; Kemp, J. Overcoming Learning Barriers Through Knowledge Management. Dyslexia Chichester Engl. 2011, 17, 38–47. https://doi.org/10.1002/dys.419. Makany, T.; Kemp, J.; Dror, I. E. Optimising the Use of Note-Taking as an External Cognitive Aid for Increasing Learning. Br. J. Educ. Technol. 2009, 40 (4), 619–635. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2008.00906.x. Kuepper-Tetzel, C. The Benefits of Longhand Notetaking Versus Slide Annotations. The Learning Scientists. https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2018/5/31-1 (accessed 2024-01-03).Psychology, P. Semantic Encoding (Definition + Examples). Practical Psychology. https://practicalpie.com/semantic-encoding/ (accessed 2024-01-21). Encoding Process - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/encoding-process (accessed 2024-01-21).

Aflalo, E. Students Generating Questions as a Way of Learning. Act. Learn. High. Educ. 2021, 22 (1), 63–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787418769120. Chen, P.-H. In-Class and after-Class Lecture Note-Taking Strategies. 2019, 22 (3), 245–260. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787419893490. Chen, P.-H. In-Class and after-Class Lecture Note-Taking Strategies. Act. Learn. High. Educ. 2021, 22 (3), 245–260. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787419893490. Dunlosky, J.; Rawson, K. A.; Marsh, E. J.; Nathan, M. J.; Willingham, D. T. Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology. Psychol. Sci. Public Interest 2013, 14 (1), 4–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266. Froehlich, A.; Rogers, E. B. Four Keys to Unlocking Equitable Learning: Retrieval, Spacing, Interleaving, and Elaborative Encoding. In Teaching and Learning for Social Justice and Equity in Higher Education : Virtual Settings; Parson, L., Ozaki, C. C., Eds.; Springer International Publishing: Cham, 2022; pp 249–275. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88608-0_10. Podolefsky, N. S.; Finkelstein, N. D. Use of Analogy in Learning Physics: The Role of Representations. Phys. Rev. Spec. Top. - Phys. Educ. Res. 2006, 2 (2), 020101. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.2.020101. King, A. Effects of Self-Questioning Training on College Students’ Comprehension of Lectures. Contemp. Educ. Psychol. 1989, 14 (4), 366–381. https://doi.org/10.1016/0361-476X(89)90022-2. Loveless, B. The Forgetting Curve. Education Corner. https://www.educationcorner.com/the-forgetting-curve/ (accessed 2024-01-15). May 2019, S. A. Asking why builds learning. RSC Education. https://edu.rsc.org/feature/asking-why-builds-learning/3010487.article (accessed 2024-01-18).

Where to find the Relevant Section

Often, the textbook chapter relating to the lecture content is noted within the slides/on the moodle page.

This isn't the case for every lecture course you'll take, so you'll need to know how to use the content and index pages (the pink section will hopefully provide some insight).

So we don't have a given textbook section, we shall have to do a bit more of our own detective work.

The contents page of a textbook provides an organised list of the main topics within the book and is used for easy navigation of sections.

The index page provides an alphabetic list of individual concepts and allows for quick access to detailed concepts throughout the textbook.

When reading before the lecture, use the contents page to get a basic overview of the main topic.

Get Visual with your Notes

As already mentioned, Chemistry is inherently visual, so it makes sense to employ graphical techniques and use visual cues to enhance your understanding of the subject- otherwise known as 'visual encoding.'

Colour-Coding

As discussed in the pre-lecture and annotation section, colour-coding is an excellent method for organising your notes and emphasizing key elements. Research indicates that colour-coding significantly enhances the retention of content. In my experience, maintaining a consistent colour system with a corresponding key proves to be useful. This approach ensures that during post-lecture revision, the colour-coded content is easily identifiable and stands out

What to do with Diagrams?

It's unrealistic to expect to be able to draw every diagram or mechanism that appears in a lecture in present time, but often these diagrams contain a great deal of information we don't want to go without. One way to combat this is if using digital notes, before the lecture copy them all into your blank page and add them as you need. If using paper notes you could print them and stick them in. Alternatively, take a note of what the diagram is, leave space and add it to the section after the lecture, instead of losing focus to go and find the diagram in the moment. Remember to annotate your diagrams!

If leaving the diagrams for later, commit to doing that. I'm so guilty of saying "yes I'll go add this" and "find out more about that after the lecture" and then proceeding not to. So much material is contained in diagrams and mechanisms that you'd be missing like 90% of Organic Chemistry.