Grading guidelines: Reading notes

This course includes up to 39 readings. Notes for required readings are due by the start of class. Please have your notes accessible during class.

Undergraduates

Undergraduate students will be assigned a total of 26 readings, but notes are only required for 24 of them. Each reading notes submission is worth 1.25 points each (maximum 30 points; 30% of the final grade). Students can choose for themselves which of the readings they would like to submit notes for.

Graduates

Graduate students will be assigned a total of 39 readings, but notes are only required for 30 of them. Each reading notes submission is worth 1 point each (maximum 30 points; 30% of the final grade). Students can choose for themselves which of the readings they would like to submit notes for.

Why?

Don’t notes seem a little… basic? Note taking is a fundamental scholarly skill—one that I’m sure many of you have already practiced for years. Here are some reasons why we focus on note-taking as part of this course:

  • Research on note-taking strongly suggests that it supports deep (and efficient!) learning.
  • Good note-taking skills are essential for many careers, not just academic ones.
  • As with most things, your ability to efficiently take high quality notes in a style that works for you can only be acquired through lots of practice.
  • For remote classrooms, note-taking assignments are also a useful tool for supporting self-directed teaching and review.
  • Your notes give me an opportunity to assess how well you’re digesting the readings and other course content.

How will notes be evaluated?

For full credit the notes for each reading must:

  1. Have a clear title with bibliographic information and date
  2. Fill at least one half page
  3. Contain sketches/simplified re-drawings of at least one key figure/finding/idea
  4. Be spatially separated into at least three sections: e.g., detailed notes, overall summary, comments/questions
  5. Have few direct quotes or close paraphrasings; you should reformulate thoughts in your own words
  6. Mention at least one link to another paper covered in class or your own research interests
  • Notes can be made in the language of your choice, but please make sure I can use Google Translate or similar to assess points 4–6 above
  • Notes can be written in a text editor, by hand (submitted as a high-resolution image), or a blend of the two.
  • If you already have a technique for making notes, please contact me to discuss!

Late reading notes?

Late notes can be submitted within one week of the original due date with a 0.5 point penalty.