Measuring the importance of information in student notes: An initial venture

Abstract With the growth of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in many contexts around the world, instructors of English for academic purposes (EAP) are tasked with preparing their learners to succeed in English-speaking academic environments. As the lecture continues to be a core component of academic learning, effective notetaking is critical to success. Although there is a growing body of research regarding notetaking skills in second language (L2) contexts, little of this research focuses on note quality. This situation is problematic for teachers, as there is no consensus on what constitutes “good” notes, making evaluation difficult. The purpose of the current study is to take a first step towards exploring this problem by examining the feasibility of using information units (IUs) as a measurement of note quality. Five teacher-researchers (TRs) rated IUs in two TED Talk transcripts using a three-point scale, based on perceived importance of information. The ratings were compared, and the TRs’ accounts of how they approached and completed the task were compiled. The results revealed a number of issues, in particular the lack of consistency in ratings among the TRs. Potential reasons for these inconsistencies are examined, and possible avenues for future research are outlined.