Week 2 - Day 1

SESSION 2 - Note-taking with top-level structures

Lesson Aims:

To identify top-level structures in academic texts
To use top-level structures as a framework for taking clear, brief notes from academic texts

Lectures will make up a large proportion of the instruction on your MSc course, and, similarly, reading economics research papers and textbooks will make up a large proportion of the self-directed study on your MSc course. Therefore, taking brief, clear notes from these texts is an important academic skill, not only because the process will help you concentrate, but also because brief, clear notes will aid you while revising for exams and planning academic essays. There are many strategies for taking effective lecture notes and it is important that you find one that works for you.

In the session, we will look at one strategy for taking brief, clear notes that uses top-level structures as an organisational framework. There are three main top-level structures that we will look at in this session: cause/ effect; compare/ contrast; and problem/ solution.

Top-level structures are extremely useful for taking notes because readers and listeners who are able to identify them are better positioned to:

Quickly navigate the text to locate main ideas and supporting information
Understand the different roles of sentences within and across paragraphs
Remember relevant information and detail
Sum up ideas from the text, or sections of the text
Explain what the text is about

Before the session, please watch the two videos and read the three links marked * ESSENTIAL. This material has been selected to better prepare you to complete the tasks during the session.

Watch

You should watch both of these videos before the session. *ESSENTIAL

The first video highlights the importance of taking brief, clear notes and offers some helpful tips. The second video aims to help you find a method that might work best for you.

Read

Take a look at some of these useful resources (click for link):

Homework - Questioning the Text *ESSENTIAL

In this session, you analysed an extract from a report titled, 'The United States vs. China - Which Economy Is Bigger, Which Is Better?' (click here for link). The source of this text is The Heritage Foundation.

Use the internet to research The Heritage Foundation.
What ideologies underpin the foundation?
How might these ideologies affect the text, 'The United States vs. China'?
Post your responses to these questions on the course forum.
Post your responses to your peers' comments on the forum.

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FOR MSc ECONOMICS

Week 2 - Day 1

SESSION 2 - Note-taking with top-level structures

In the session, we will look at one strategy for taking brief, clear notes that uses top-level structures as an organisational framework. There are three main top-level structures that we will look at in this session: cause/ effect; compare/ contrast; and problem/ solution.

Watch

You should watch both of these videos before the session. *ESSENTIAL

The first video highlights the importance of taking brief, clear notes and offers some helpful tips. The second video aims to help you find a method that might work best for you.

Week 2 - Day 1

SESSION 2 - Note-taking with top-level structures

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In the session, we will look at one strategy for taking brief, clear notes that uses top-level structures as an organisational framework. There are three main top-level structures that we will look at in this session: cause/ effect; compare/ contrast; and problem/ solution.

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Watch

You should watch both of these videos before the session. *ESSENTIAL

The first video highlights the importance of taking brief, clear notes and offers some helpful tips. The second video aims to help you find a method that might work best for you.