Fundamentally, reading is not the only part of studying, which requires additional active learning processes, such as listening and seeing. Similarly, an active learning process involves not merely highlighting, underlining, re-reading, and rote memorization but also the extraction of knowledge from information and derivation of opinions and conclusions based on reading. Active learning also involves questioning and answering. Creating pertinent contextual examples, and teaching are the integral parts of active learning. Active note-taking, particularly from memory, and summarizing are parts of active learning. Review of notes at regular intervals accelerates the learning process, and revisiting the topics assists in consolidation of the learned lessons. Multiple short and intense sessions are more effective than a single long-term session.
How reading should be planned?
First, readers should read the content or only the abstract, if provided, thoroughly to understand the learning objectives of the topic. Afterwards, the main content must be annotated and highlighted. Any glaring doubts or cardinal points must be noted. Finally, the topic must be summarized in a comprehensible manner. Highlighting may be one of the preferred strategies, and few learners prefer to reread only the highlighted content. This strategy has two major benefits; first, it increases the readers' efficiency for subsequent readings, and second, it enhances readers' familiarity with the topic. However, focusing on merely the highlighted portions may be counterproductive because it may not directly help in achieving high-order thinking for application, analysis, and evaluation of the acquired information. However, an efficient reading of the highlighted content may help in better comprehension of the contents. Highlighting is not entirely disadvantageous. In fact, this motor activity during reading stimulates the thinking process among readers.
How should highlighting be done while reading?
The first rule is to highlight sparingly. After reading a paragraph, readers should highlight, preferably, only a few sentences, phrases, or keywords that capture the essence of that paragraph. Color coding also helps in the review and analysis of topics; use of various color codes may be helpful in comparing or sorting the contrasting points in the text. It may also be useful in highlighting the areas of further research identified during reading or the points upon which the reader disagrees or strongly agrees to the author. Finally, the readers should summarize the topic in own words based on the highlighted contents and annotations.
Why should readers take notes while reading?
Taking notes efficiently eases the process of revision and review, which are essential for in-depth comprehension of the topic. How does taking notes help readers? It allows readers to record the read topics and refer to it in future. It also helps readers to organize ideas and information acquired after reading, which ultimately helps them better memorize those information. Moreover, well-prepared notes guide readers to critically review the content. Additionally, summaries that are prepared by readers in their own style and words may form the basis of their future work related to that topic.
No single method of preparing notes is perfect, and readers may choose any combination of strategies that work effectively for them. Copying of the entire text to prepare notes may not be an ideal strategy. Extensive highlighting may also not work on most occasions. Therefore, readers should choose to record salient points of the read content and reconstruct the gist on the basis of those points in their own words, phrases, formats, and style, by giving different weightage to the discussed issues. Readers may have several versions of notes, which I call ‘notes of notes of notes’ (multiple derivations), for various contexts and purposes as per their requirements. However, the notes that attract the note-maker to review and revisit are considered the 'best'. Note preparation is the first step toward acing in examinations, research papers, projects, business or marketing plans, book writing, and product launches!
To conclude, the processes of reading, listening, and seeing are essential for learning. Underlining may help readers to read more efficiently. Active note-taking is crucial for active learning, and critical appraisal, application, and teaching are different forms of high-order active learning.