DEMONSTRATION OF KNOWLEDGE
It is important for you, as a student, to understand how you will need to demonstrate the knowledge you acquire from the class. In other words, how will the instructor evaluate your performance? The how will affect your note taking strategies as well as the way you will prepare for the big day - THE TEST DAY.
There are three major ways in which you may be asked to demonstrate how much you really know about the subject. In many cases, instructors use a combination of these methods.
1. Objective
The objective method is often the student's favorite because it involves recall and recognition. Objective methods include true/false, multiple choice, and fill-in the blank.
Note taking strategies must emphasize the major concepts or ideas with the appropriate details. Instructors frequently give clues to potential objective questions. Be prepared to note these references.
2. Essay
Some students prefer the essay method because they believe they can "write around" the topic and still get some credit. Others feel their writing skills are weak and thus, it is difficult for them to show mastery of knowledge.
As you take notes and review your notes, you should be aware of patterns or links in the material. Be aware of the question words for essays and begin to formulate your own questions based on your notes and text material.
3. Application
There are many disciplines in which a high percentage of test questions use application. Nursing tests, for example, often require the student to consider physiology and pharmacology as well as knowledge of the specifics of a disease in order to answer just one question.
Your notes may reflect only parts or sections of a topic. It is your job to link the information together. Summarizing your notes is very important for application. You want to easily find information within your class notes so that your study time is not wasted on endless searches.