Pen, Pixel, or Paraphrase? Investigating the Relationship between Note-taking Modalities and Graduate Learning Outcomes

Abstract

The paper addresses the relationship between note-taking modalities and learning outcomes among graduate students and specifically examines how this relationship is mediated by cognitive processing. The study analyses the connection between different styles of note- taking, including one's own word summarising, structured/systematic, analogue, digital, and verbatim note-taking, and academic performance, based on the cognitive load theory and the generative learning model. A structured survey was used to gather data from 88 graduate students, and the data were analysed using Spearman's rank-order correlation since they were not normally distributed. The findings show that note-taking in one's own words has the strongest positive association with achievement, followed by structured note-taking, with verbatim transcription showing the weakest association. The digital and analogue modalities demonstrate the same level of success, which means that the medium does not have as significant an influence as cognitive engagement. The mindfulness of students in relation to note-taking as an active, metacognitive process that helps to understand, organise, and revise is also evidenced by qualitative data. The research is an addition to the existing literature that has placed cognitive processing as one of the key processes linking the activities of note taking with the learning outcomes, particularly in graduate learning which is cognitively demanding. The conclusions reflect the need to have pedagogical tools that promote active change and systematization of information.