Note-Taking Practices, Challenges, and Strategies in the University Context

Abstract

This scientific article offers a detailed analysis of the methods, challenges and note-taking strategies adopted by third-year French degree students. Based on a survey conducted among 71 participants, this study uses a mixed methodological approach, combining quantitative and qualitative elements, in order to explore writing habits, obstacles encountered and cognitive mechanisms deployed to improve the understanding and memorization of information. The study also examines the influence of methodological training and the integration of digital tools, particularly those related to artificial intelligence, on the development of metacognitive skills associated with this practice. Data analysis is based on cognitive load theory (Sweller, 1988) and active learning models (Bonwell & Eison, 1991), considering note taking as a complex cognitive activity that contributes to knowledge construction. The results obtained highlight the fact that this skill, crucial in the academic field, remains largely implicit and little understood in pedagogical terms. Students report several major challenges: cognitive overload, rapid lectures, and a lack of mastery of information synthesis and organization techniques. To overcome this problem, they implement various compensatory strategies, such as sharing notes among peers, using digital tools, and the thoughtful use of artificial intelligence to clarify and reformulate content. The results of this study highlight the importance of modernized university pedagogy, which includes effective training in note-taking and critical use of new technologies.