When we’re in a classroom, at a conference, watching a video, or listening to a podcast, and we want to increase the likelihood of remembering its content in the future, the best strategy we can follow is note-taking. Organizing and taking notes is key to improving comprehension, attention , and long-term learning . Some people just listen or doodle, either out of boredom or because they fall into the so-called learning illusion, which leads them to believe they’ll easily remember the content. However, listening to a lecture without taking notes is like trying to catch water with your hands: you’ll retain some of it in the moment, but most of it will slip away before you can use it. In both cases, the lack of active processing leads to greater mental distraction and poorer information retention.

The great effects of note-taking

There are two main effects of note taking:

• Encoding effect: Note-takers actively process information, which promotes deeper processing and improves information retention.
• External storage effect: Notes serve as a review resource, facilitating the consolidation of learning.

Understanding and recording information at the same time is a cognitively demanding task . During this process, we need to understand the content and identify key points. We must also connect the new information to our prior knowledge, reword it in our own words, and capture it in written or visual notes. Several factors affect the quality of notes and cognitive overload. These include the structure of the content, the format in which it is presented (video, in-person lecture, etc.), the density and speed of information, as well as the method and medium used for note-taking. If cognitive load is excessive, memory can be negatively affected. Individual differences also play a key role in content retention. For example, those who write faster can record more information and focus their attention on the lecture more quickly. Prior knowledge also plays a role: people with less knowledge tend to benefit more from note-taking. Furthermore, skills such as the ability to structure information or working memory can determine the effectiveness of this process.

Strategies to improve learning

There are several strategies for taking notes :

• Words only: Notes in the form of single words, phrases, or unorganized paragraphs.
• List: Information organized in sequence with bullets or numbering.
• Hierarchical structure: vertical and horizontal structure with main ideas and secondary details.
• Concept map: graphic representation with shapes, lines and connections between concepts.
• Drawing: illustrations, diagrams or schemes.

When to use each strategy? It depends on the context. For example, if we’re taking notes at a technical conference with a lot of detailed information, a hierarchical outline will help us structure key concepts. However, if the conference is more conceptual, a mind map may be more useful for visualizing the connections between ideas. Some studies suggest that concept maps and drawings enhance understanding and retention of complex information. Similarly, another study found that handwriting, combined with diagrams or drawings, optimizes information retention by stimulating multiple brain regions.

Paper or digital?

For years , it has been argued that taking notes by hand facilitates deeper information processing and improves long-term retention. However, more recent studies challenge this idea, pointing out that, with the right strategies, tablets and computers can be just as effective. Furthermore, current technology allows us to take notes “by hand” using electronic pens. Traditional studies compared typing on a computer with writing on paper, but today digital options have evolved, allowing us to combine the best of both worlds. Digital knowledge managers , like Obsidian , allow us to access our notes from anywhere in a matter of seconds. They also facilitate the connection between different notes, which enhances the integration of new information with what we already have stored.

Integrate artificial intelligence

For its part, artificial intelligence can be integrated into these managers to go a step further: it not only generates content, but also suggests relationships between our notes, helping us discover connections that might go unnoticed. For example, tools like Obsidian can analyze our notes and suggest connections between concepts we hadn’t considered. If we’ve taken notes on neuroscience and, at another time, on learning techniques, artificial intelligence can show us how the two topics relate, helping us better integrate knowledge. Although we don’t currently have studies that thoroughly analyze the impact of artificial intelligence on note-taking, this intersection is on the rise and could transform the way we organize our learning.

Beyond where, what matters is how

Taking notes is an excellent learning strategy, but the key to optimizing its use lies not in the medium we use, but in how we work with them afterward. Underlining or writing down information without processing it doesn’t improve immediate understanding , while active review and organization improve long-term memory. The intersection of digital note-taking tools and artificial intelligence is a field that warrants further study. Beyond technological advances, selecting the best strategy for the context will remain critical. Taking notes is just the first step: the secret isn’t in the tool, but in how we transform them into useful and lasting knowledge . Author Bio: José Luis Serrano is Professor of Educational Technology at the University of Murcia