Digital Notes: An Essential Study Technique
Throughout this article, we will address the purpose of taking notes and their role in the learning process, and some tips to do it well. That being so, it is time to start.
What are digital notes, and what are they for?
Before giving any definition, it is essential to know that note-taking is one of the most used study techniques and also one of the simplest.
Now, digital notes are the notes that are written on an electronic device and that correspond to the information obtained in class. These can be taken on a computer, tablet, or cell phone and, generally, through specific applications.
Both these notes and manual notes have specific functions within the learning process, whether this is specific to virtual or face-to-face learning:
This study technique allows to organize of significant amounts of information. This can be done through categories, and mental or conceptual maps, among others.
Strengthens memory. It has been proven that 80% of students forget what they see in class if they only listen to it. The notes focus attention on the knowledge being acquired and favor long-term retention.
They allow students to identify relevant information and supplement it, even after taking the class.
Digital notes allow future comparisons with other messages or topics of study. This way, relationships between knowledge areas are established.
They are ideal if you learn both in the classroom and on homeschooling or virtual learning platforms.
How to make digital notes effectively?
Before thinking about taking notes, you should make sure you have the necessary tools:
- Select the electronic device that most facilitates the activity. It can be your cell phone, tablet, or computer.
- Make sure you have an application that works for it. Word or other specialized applications will be perfect.
- Download the visual support tools you think you need. Stickers, images, color palettes or stroke types will give life and dynamism to your notes.
Here are some points on how to make digital notes efficiently:
Make it structured. Do not forget always to use paragraphs, dashes, and underlines to identify the most relevant information.
Use keywords that you can associate with more complex or more developed ideas. It will be easier for you to study this way.
Leave some blank spaces when you consider it necessary to complement the information. It will allow you to maintain structure and organization.
Include different colors and styles. This way, you will distinguish the necessary information and hierarchize it. It will also make it easier for you to restrict associations with previous knowledge and favor comprehensive learning.
Digital notes can be supported with recordings. It will prevent you from omitting vital information and reinforce your study processes.
The best applications to make digital notes:
Evernote
In addition to being one of the most popular note-taking applications, it is also one of the most complete. Evernote allows collaboration between users and the synchronization of documents in the cloud. It is free, although it also has a paid version. Evernote is also an excellent tool if you are a student. It helps you structure your writings. You also can use it to write essays if needed. But talking about college writing, we’d advise hiring an essay writer cheap to help you with that and save your time.
Simplenote
If you have a bit of melancholy for the traditional, this app can help you. Simplenote imitates the page of a notebook. You can also divide your notes into categories with labels or colors. It is available for all operating systems.
Onenote
With this application, you can not only write down your ideas. It also allows you to save clippings, and images, draw on the notes, and create to-do lists. In addition, all the information will be synchronized.
Rapid Notes
An application for digital notes designed for mobile devices. Although its interface is simple, you will be able to create and edit messages very quickly and share them via email or social networks.
Conclusion:
You will realize that digital notes are a great option to keep your information as organized and straightforward. The challenge is to find the tools that best suit your needs and try all their functions to get the most out of them.
Remember that attention and concentration will be the basis for this and any other study technique to work correctly.
