Literature on the efficiency of student note taking from lectures and the extent to which students learn as a direct or indirect result of taking notes is reviewed. Attention is also given to the relevance of research in this area to modern lecturing practice and to the problems of such research. (Author/MSE)

Describes and promotes topic synthesis, an approach where students rather than instructors summarize the key points of the previous lecture at the beginning of the next class. Benefits include improved oral presentation skills and reinforcement of key concepts. The method also provides an accurate assessment tool. (MJP)