As the upcoming planning conferences for 2024 draw near at AWS, I’ve been reflecting extensively on my approach to note-taking. In a similar vein, the process of curating a Re:Invent keynote requires meticulous planning over several months, allowing me to collaborate with numerous intelligent individuals driving innovation and crafting remarkable products. At every assembly, I meticulously take detailed notes – many of them.
The earliest memories I have of taking notes date back to my main college years. I may copy word-for-word what the instructor would say or write on the board. Mathematical concepts I would then head home, conduct thorough research on the material I had copied, and subsequently verify my findings. Previously, I was engaged in learning how to process, disseminate, and retain information. Considering it in hindsight, similarities to Season 3 emerge.
While this was indeed memorization rather than true understanding?
As my instructional journey progressed and the subject matter became increasingly complex, I found myself compelled to reexamine my note-taking strategies. It was more about the art of active listening, absorbing every detail, and intuitively grasping the essence of the lesson being imparted. As a young learner, I may have memorized the next definition word-for-word: “The fundamental role of mitochondria is oxidative phosphorylation, which produces ATP by harnessing energy from the oxidation of the food we consume.” Yet, in my early days of learning, I might have stored this away without fully grasping how it functioned. That would have helped solidify the concept in my mind, like: “Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell.” The photosynthetic machinery generates considerable chemical energy to fuel the cell’s intricate biochemical reactions, with elaborate diagrams possibly illustrated in the margins to clarify the complex methodology. That is synthesis. This denotes understanding.
There is evidence to support this claim. Particularly, that .
Pen and paper
Today, I still take many of my notes by hand. Taking a few minutes each day to review and reflect on key information helps me maintain concentration and solidify important concepts within my mind. As people converse at an unprecedented pace, it’s challenging to capture the essence in writing; therefore, I’m compelled to prioritize recording my key takeaways or pose questions about concepts I struggle to grasp.
The Cornell Methodology
Over the past several months, I’ve dedicated a considerable amount of time to exploring various note-taking methods and refreshing my understanding of them. Creativity flows effortlessly through the entire process: outlining, thought mapping, and charting. What has laboriously worked well for me is the Cornell Method.
An effective approach involves dividing a notebook page into four sections: title, notes, key phrases or questions, and abstract. It’s not because I spent several years at Cornell, but rather because this approach fosters documenting thought processes (asking questions), synthesizing learned material in real-time (taking notes), and summarizing everything afterwards (writing a concise summary).
By employing this method, I am left with organized notes that are easy to comprehend, review, and revisit, owing to their capacity to facilitate inquiry, question, and assumption analysis beyond mere note-taking.
According to recent research by Kuniyoshi Sakai, findings have conclusively demonstrated that note-taking using pens and paper yields significantly higher retention and recall rates compared to digital alternatives such as keyboards or touchscreens with styluses? Notwithstanding widespread agreement, the notion that taking notes – regardless of form or format – fosters encoding, retention, and recall is widely accepted as a valuable learning strategy.
With reference to the accompanying image, I am a devout enthusiast of traditional handwritten note-taking methods. Analog tools help facilitate the processes of memorizing, synthesizing, and summarizing information for me. The moment I jot something down by hand, it simultaneously materializes in my thoughts – a phenomenon that doesn’t happen when using digital tools. When preparing for conferences, I employ the Cornell method to optimize note-taking; by condensing key points from the briefing document into a concise summary within my notebook, its significance becomes instantaneously more concrete. As the desire to engage with the written material surpasses mere comprehension, this process unfolds.
Utilizing ML and generative AI
Actively engaging with information by taking notes fosters a wealth of understanding and insight. In today’s world, we’re inundated with an unprecedented amount of information, far exceeding what we could reasonably sift through. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the role of machine learning (ML) and generative AI is poised to become increasingly crucial in this space? Several instances that spring to mind are:
- Using a transcription service that incorporates speaker identification to enhance your note-taking experience during meetings or gatherings.
- Using PC-based image processing and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, effortlessly convert handwritten notes into editable documents that can be easily shared or stored in a centralized location. Are you just not already utilizing something like Kindle Scribe?
- Close to-instant summarisation.
- Analyzing a comprehensive collection of notes through Large Language Models (LLMs) to identify prevailing themes, underlying trends, and influential figures across a multitude of conference proceedings, lectures, doctor’s opinions, site visits, and related documents.
As I pore over this terrain, I sense a connection between the act of studying and mapping out a path. For individuals who had spent 20 years honing their skills, the art of studying a map was a reasonably commonplace proficiency. Without consulting a map, you’d chart your course, jot down key details, and then endeavour to find your way. When you’ve taken a particular route on multiple occasions, you’d inevitably remember it? You’d remember a fountain’s soothing sound or the colour of a specific house alongside the most effective approach. When navigating unfamiliar areas, you’d intuitively sense when and where potential bottlenecks may arise, along with alternative paths to circumvent them. In recent times, we have increasingly relied on our mobile phones for communication. We adhere to precise directions, navigating from one street to another without exhausting mental resources.
It’s useful. It’s simple. It’s widely accepted that this statement isn’t open to discussion. Despite advancements in technology and visualization tools, studying a bodily map still proves to be an invaluable skill. When venturing off the grid, there will undoubtedly be instances where cell service is unavailable, whether due to losing your phone or the need to disconnect from technology; in such situations, having a grasp of your surroundings and knowing how to navigate to your destination becomes crucial. By writing things down by hand, you can filter out distractions and focus on the essential information.
As I ponder the trajectory of analysis over the next decade and beyond, I’m eager to discover how it will adapt to the ever-changing needs of digitally savvy individuals.
Take notes, numerous them
I’ll depart you with a quote from the author : “[…] one of many worst emotions I can consider, [is] to have had a beautiful second or perception or imaginative and prescient or phrase, to know you had it, then lose it.” My recommendation: take notes, numerous them.
Now, go construct!
