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Notetaking Guide...
  1. Role Description
     
  2. Person Specification
     
  3. Students who may need notetaking support
     
  4. Types of notetaking
     
  5. Minimum acceptable standards for notetaking
     
  6. Professional issues
     
  7. Feedback from students
     
  8. Code of Practice
     
  9. Professional issues
     
  10. Supporting a student with increasing needs
     
  11. Some student comments about notes and notetaking
Role Description

Responsible to

Main Purpose of the Job

Source of funding

Grade / Scale

Key Duties and Responsibilities

  1. To make manual notes (handwritten) in taught sessions for students

  2. To liaise with lecturers regarding your presence in the class and communicate information about your role as a notetaker

  3. To review notes at the end of the lecture and ensure they are in a suitable format for the student to access effectively

  4. Adapt content and layout to suit the student’s needs

  5. To liaise with lecturers to obtain copies of OHTs and handouts in advance of lectures where possible or at the end of lectures when available and if this resource is necessary to the student

And to

  1. To attend meetings to review the operation of the Support Worker Service, to network with colleagues and for purposes of professional development and resourcing;

  2. To undertake continuing professional development as appropriate to maintain currency;

  3. To follow the Code of Practice for Support Workers.

Person Specification 

Qualifications

Knowledge, Experience and Skills

Other

Students who may need notetaking support

Students who are deaf or hard of hearing

  1. A profoundly deaf student who does not use British Sign Language (BSL) may rely on a notetaker to provide a full record of everything that happens in the classroom. Called ‘verbatim notetaking’, even asides and jokes are recorded; the deaf student watches the page as the notes are written and receives each page as it is finished.
  2. A deaf student who uses BSL may have an interpreter in the lecturer. The notetaker is needed to write summary notes as it is extremely difficult for deaf students to lipread and take notes at the same time.
    Some deaf students, usually those with more hearing, use their residual hearing and lipreading in class and want summary notes to refer to afterwards.
  3. Students who have been deaf from early childhood may want notes where idioms are explained, new technical terms are carefully defined and complex language is modified into plain English. This is an advanced skill which there is not really time to teach on this introductory course, but you can learn more about it on the CACDP Notetaking course or on a language modification course for deaf learners at City College Manchester.

Students with dyslexia

  1. Students may find notetaking impossible. They may want the notes printed out on cream or light yellow paper in a font which is easy to read such as Arial. Students with dyslexia may want new technical terms defined. It is particularly important to get names of authors so that students can look up references.
  2. Many students with dyslexia think visually, so diagrams and explanations of process explained through pictures or charts will make the information easier to absorb.
  3. Your layout skills will be particularly important. References to reading lists, assignments, deadlines, will need to be carefully highlighted. Some students may want these notes taped and others will prefer them word processed.

Students with a physical disability

  1. If the disability prevents them writing, these students will probably want summary notes. If the student has cerebral palsy or spina bifida the assessment may say that he / she has particular organisational difficulties. If this is so, the student may benefit from clear layout and particular detailed notes when the lecturer is discussing study skills, booklists and how to tackle assignments.

Students with a deteriorating or variable condition

  1. This means the student is sometimes unable to take notes, for example if they have MS or mental health difficulties. These students will usually want summary notes.
  2. These students may not always be able to be in class, so they will want background information about incidental experiences as well as what the lecturer said. For example, student presentations or seminars should be noted in full with names of the students where possible.

Students who are blind or partially sighted

  1. These students will probably want summary notes, supplemented by notes of visual information which are available in the classroom. For example diagrams, OHTs, descriptions of visual material such as slides, layout and names of people in the group, results of group work flip charts.
  2. Usually these students want the notes in a more accessible format, for example word processed and printed out in a large font (often Arial). The exact font and size may be specified in the student’s assessment, otherwise you will need to ask the student.
  3. Some students like their notes emailed to them, or sent on disk, or sent to be brailled. In these cases speed is most important so that the student receives notes as soon as possible after the class. Some students like their notes taped. The labelling method for lecture cassettes will need to be agreed: eg using Dynobraille or large print.
Professional issues

Your role

  1. To convey faithfully the subject, content and spirit of the speaker. Notetakers are responsible for conveying information accurately and should endeavour not to make too many omissions or impose their own ideas;

  2. Cover all the main points of the lecture (do not 'filter-out' points you consider unimportant)

  3. When you are writing verbatim notes, include everything that is said by students as well as staff, and even ‘noises off’
  4. Note where handouts, diagrams or visuals come into the lecture and number and date the handouts as you get them
  5. Ensure your notes are clear and, for summary notes, concise
  6. Be particularly careful to get down details of assessments, deadlines, reading lists, authors, titles, statistics, room changes
  7. Write in full sentences
  8. Try to build your speed so that your number of words per minute increases: 30wpm is a good speed to aim for in the first few months
  9. Use one side of the paper only and black pen ( easier to photocopy)
  10. Do not take notes in capitals
  11. If you abbreviate e.g. initials for names like DSA, ensure these are written out fully at first - then bracket the initials for further reference.

Types of notetaking

  1. Lectures and other taught sessions are often delivered in such a way as to make the making of verbatim notes impossible. What you are there to do is to make notes on behalf of a student, as he / she would if it were possible. You will be there to make notes in a taught session in which the student would otherwise record him/herself and so you need to provide a functional and complete set of notes to be used by the student for studying purposes. In this mode you are taking note of all the salient points of the lecture in a neat and articulate way. Usually you will add in handouts and notes from the board and will hand-over these summary notes immediately at the end of the lecture.
  2. Notetaking with transcription which involves taking notes which are then reproduced in an electronic format for use with assistive software or printed out. This can be simpler in that you can use your own style of shorthand and type the fuller version on transcription.
  3. Notetaking for deaf students - skilled live notetaking that records all relevant interactions in the lecture room (such as any questions asked).  Of course it is impossible to write down everything by hand, but the aim is to give a complete picture about what is happening in the lecture room.

Accuracy

  1. legible writing - throughout the notes
  2. spelling - fewer than 5 errors per hour
  3. coherence - 90% complete and comprehensible sentences
  4. fact score - 75%

Lecture room situations

  1. In many situations (depending on the needs of the student you are working for) it may not be necessary to sit with the student. It depends what they feel comfortable with.
  2. Do not immediately assume that you will be sitting with your student - or if you are, don't assume you will be week in week out. It is obviously important to respect the student's independence and their entitlement for space and opportunity to sit and meet with other people.

Identifying yourself to the lecturer

  1. It will be important to do this and the student will have to agree to it. It might be advisable to wait outside the lecture room and introduce yourself when the lecturer arrives, preferably in the company of the student. The lecturer will appreciate this as it will save any possible embarrassment in the future. You will also not be included in any register head-count.
  2. ID cards will be provided to give you the means of identifying yourself if necessary.

The register and student absence

  1. In a situation where students have to write their names down on a sheet of paper do not be tempted to write down your student's name in their absence. The department should know about your student - particularly if that student's disability necessitates absence from time to time. The student is breaking your working agreement if he or she requests you to sign for them when they are able to attend. If your student is 'doing a bunk' - which for many, of course, is part of the Higher Education experience - that is their decision and you should maintain a professional distance from this. In the main, this is not a common practice for most students with disabilities because your presence makes them feel obliged to attend.
  2. Usually you should not take notes in a class where the student is absent. Exceptions to this will be outlined in the assessment, for example a student who has a condition which sometimes makes it difficult to attend lectures needs a notetaker to be in class even though they can’t get there.
  3. If the student does not attend, the usual rule is to leave after 20 minutes, to inform the disability officer and not to pass on the notes to the student.

Group work

  1. You should not join in group work, as you are not a student. Make sure that the lecturer and the student are clear about your role from the start of the course.
  2. If the whole lecture consists of group work and your student feels that you are surplus to requirements at the start of the lecture there is no reason why you should not claim that hour's notetaking. If you have had a week's notice that you will not be required for that lecture then you cannot claim for that hour's work.

Seminars and tutorials

  1. Notetaking mainly applies to lectures. Seminar work usually involves discussion and group work concerning subjects brought up in the lectures. If the student requires your attendance in a specific seminar it would have to be accounted for in your working agreement and you would have to ensure that you are not working beyond the amount of hours agreed. Deaf students are likely to need notetaking in seminars and tutorials, but check the assessment.

Conventions

  1. On the front page (unless you have agreed anything different with the student) write:
  2. On any following pages (unless you have agreed anything different with the student) write:
  3. Use a black pen
  4. Use only one side of each page
  5. Provide a generous margin

Handwriting

  1. Handwriting will be legible.
  2. Where a notetaker is not sure of spelling write 'sp' to act as a reminder to look up the word.
  3. Assume your student is logical and tidy and does not like untidy notes.
  4. Make your notes easy to read - students may be reading the notes late at night when they are tired.
  5. If you are indenting, make sure the indented passage is blocked with a neat line, even if it is imaginary.
  6. Number any points that are indented.
  7. Make your handwriting as bland as possible so that the message is clear; try to lose any "style" you may have acquired.
  8. Ensure your letters are well formed and clearly differentiated. This makes it easier for students to read, without having to guess words and letters.
  9. Remember that while you may be able to read your own handwriting very easily it may be much more difficult for others.

Labelling

On the front page (unless you have agreed anything different with the student) write:

  1. the date
  2. the course title
  3. the title of the session or lesson
  4. the tutor / lecturer's name
  5. the student's name
  6. your name

On any following pages (unless you have agreed anything different with the student) write:

  1. the date
  2. the title of the session or lesson
  3. the student's initials
  4. your initials
  5. the page number

Layout & Style

General:

  1. Use a black pen.
  2. Use only one side of each page.
  3. Provide a generous margin

You can use different layouts to:

  1. Highlight key points.
  2. Show a structure of ideas.
  3. Highlight essential points for study or assessment.
  4. List examples.
  5. Highlight important concepts and vocabulary.
  6. Show hierarchies of importance.
  7. Point out areas for further study.
  8. Show cause and effect.
  9. Hierarchal concepts can be shown by:
    1. numbering points
    2. indenting
    3. bullet points
    4. arrows

When it comes to style deaf students may require notes to be written in full sentences; straightforward English and short sentences are best. Use a style that is appropriate for the student - if in doubt ask the student!

In addition:

  1. Include information about the speaker in the margin, eg T for tutor
  2. When you know student names, use them in the margin; add a diagram with student names in a seminar or tutorial
  3. Use hanging indents and numbered lists for easy reading
  4. Use clear layout, plenty of space and underlining of main points

Dealing with Handouts

  1. Make sure the student you are working for has copies of all handouts. You may want to number handouts e.g. HO1, HO2, HO3 etc and refer to them in your notes. Alternatively, it may be appropriate to integrate them into your notes;
  2. Some lecturers supply their own lecture notes for students as handouts or on the University's computer network. In most cases your notes still have important supplementary value which may include examples or case studies not provided in the original.
  3. Some lectures may be more than adequately covered in lecturer notes. Your student will have to decide whether your support for these lectures is still required.

NB If your student has a visual impairment and requires enlargements this should have already been arranged.

New or Difficult Vocabulary

  1. Try to use the same language that the speaker uses and write a glossary or check with the student how much the information can be re-worded or re-phrased.
  2. Some students may want you to use the original technical language and highlight any new or difficult words.

Technical Language

  1. Try to keep any technical terminology in your notes even if you have to paraphrase or summarise any surrounding language.
  2. For some students you may need to take full, detailed notes and to include any difficult vocabulary and sentence structures.

Complete Sentences

  1. The student may be looking at the notes months later for revision. Complete sentences hold meaning and are much easier to understand later, especially for deaf students.
  2. It is difficult to write in full sentences if the lecture is being delivered at speed so you will need to use your summarising skills, making sure that you keep the essence of the lecture and doing so  in complete sentences.
  3. However, once again you will need to check with the student to see whether they prefer complete sentences or brief numbered/bulleted points.
  4. Remember the notes are for other people, not for yourself!

Comments, Jokes & Asides

  1. It is important to note comments and asides for deaf students although hearing students may not require this.
  2. As always, check with the student.

Word-processed Notes

  1. Some assessments recommend that the handwritten notes should be word processed (or transcribed) by you. If this is not mentioned in the assessment, then it is not necessary, so please don’t do it.
  2. If it is necessary then use a font and size appropriate to the student and their disability. If in doubt ask the student. Should no other advice be available use Arial size n12.

Abbreviations

  1. You may be tempted to use abbreviations from your own academic discipline or preference. If you do, note them in a glossary and make sure the student knows what they mean.
  2. Try to keep abbreviations to a minimum because they can disrupt the flow of reading as the student has to continually refer to the the glossary.

Special situations

  1. for many students it will be particularly important to define new technical terms clearly. If the lecturer doesn’t do this in class, see him / her afterwards and check the definitions you have got down.
  2. in a slide show organise a notetaker’s light so you and the student, if necessary, can see the notes.
  3. If you are moving round, e.g. on a trip or demonstration, notetaking will be very difficult; take a clipboard

At the end of a session

  1. Check any details with the tutor, e.g. spellings of names;
  2. If you have been giving the notes to the student a page at a time, ask for them back at the end to tidy them up;
  3. If there are several students in the class who need the notes you have made, you will need to make copies of the notes asap to ensure all students who need copies have them.
  4. Hand over handwritten notes directly after the lecture in a manner agreed to by the student; if notes are to be typed up or photocopied, these must be done in a timescale agreed by the student (usually 48 hours)
  5. If you are transcribing lecture notes i.e. on to disk, hardcopy or enlarged copy formats it is reasonable for the student to expect these within 2 - 3 days after the final lecture of the week on a weekly basis.
  6. If you both have email you can send them as file attachments. Usually students will appreciate the notes as soon as possible.
  7. When you are providing hard copies always give them directly to the student if you can because post and pigeonholes can be unreliable. When you do hand them to the student it is advisable to do this outside the lecture room so as to minimise unwarranted attention from other students.
Feedback from the student
  1. Your style may require modifying. Have a meeting with your student to find out how they like their notes. The student may prefer different styles in different lectures. For example, your student may not want certain abbreviations or may want you to write with a wide right margin. If they have an interpreter in one class, but not in the next, then your position in the room in relation to the student will change as well as your style of notetaking.
  2. Always encourage such meetings to ensure that the student continues to receive good notes. This continuous feedback is essential in your professional relationship.
Supporting a student with increasing needs
  1. A student you support may have a deteriorating condition, alternatively, the student may be physically active and mobile at first but a relapse may necessitate changes in their needs.
  2. ]It is important that the student knows your role as notetaker and that you are not expected to assist them to the toilet or transport them to the lecture.
  3. Social Services deal with the everyday support needs as opposed to the support relating directly to the student's education.
  4. There are a number of notetaker/helpers who are paid by the DSA for educational support and Social Services for 'care' support.
  5. If a student's needs do increase then they should arrange a meeting with the University's Disability Adviser in order for the Disability Adviser to negotiate more support from the LEA or funding body.
  6. If you are concerned you should make it known to the student and advise them to make an appointment to see the Disability Adviser. It may be a difficult sensitive situation and particularly stressful for the student - but you should not liaise on that student's behalf. Students can be reluctant to seek further support when necessary. Your encouragement may be enough.
Some student comments about notes and notetakers
  1. My notetaker was brilliant – I had to lipread at school so I missed most of the information and had to catch up by reading.
  2. I want the notetaker next to me, but I don’t want to sit at the front and I don’t want any fuss made about getting to the seat. For that reason it’s important I meet my notetaker before class and we go in together.
  3. I found that the notetaker hadn’t got enough subject knowledge so that many of the names and specialist terms were misspelt. I would prefer a notetaker who had done my course before.
  4. The notes arrived several weeks after the class, so they were almost useless. Ideally I would have liked them emailed the same day.
  5. The last notetaker I had didn’t write down any student contributions, and couldn't keep up in discussions. She was deciding what was important, not leaving it to me.
  6. I would prefer electronic notetaking because I find it difficult to read handwriting.
  7. I have the notes from lectures taped so far this term, but I’ve just got piles of tapes everywhere. I don’t know what any of them are.

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