Note-taking promotes learning where it requires students to increase their focus on the ideas they record in their notes. It does so by increasing both the attention paid to the critical components of the key idea, and the amount of time students spend rehearsing the idea in working memory. When ideas are typed or handwritten, students are motivated to identify the critical components for recording.

HIGHLIGHTING
underlining,
placing a dot or arrow in front of a topic,
circling a topic word.

DE-HIGHLIGHTING
writing in smaller letters,
placing topic inside parentheses.

Highlighting and de-highlighting facilitate speedy location of specific items.