记笔记功能的认知心理研究——中国学生听英语讲座时记笔记的编码功能和外储存功能

A Cognitive Psycholinguistic Approach to the Functions of Note-taking

本研究对我国某外语院校英语专业三年级学生的记笔记行为进行了一项定量型研究。我们检验了记笔记的功能(编码功能和外储存功能)以及测试时间(即时测试和延迟测试)对总体信息(文章大意)和具体信息(文章细节)的记忆有什么影响。实验结果表明在两次测试中,复习与不复习笔记(记笔记的外储存功能)在回忆具体信息层面上有显著差别而在回忆总体信息层面上没有。至于记不记笔记(记笔记的编码功能),在两次测试中的两个记忆表现层面上都没有区别。

This paper reports a cognitive research on the functions of note-taking in a context of Chinese EFL learners. It evaluates the effect of the functions of note-taking (encoding and external storage function) and the time of testing (immediate and delayed testing) on post-lecture recognition of general and specific information. Ninety-two advanced Chinese EFL learners were randomly divided into three parallel groups and were required to listen to a 19-minute taped lecture. Group 1 listened to the lecture without taking notes; group 2 listened, took notes, but was precluded from reviewing the notes; group 3 listened, did note-taking and was allowed to review the notes afterwards. All groups were tested on their immediate and delayed memory performance of a 30-item multiple-choice test based on general (15 items) and specific (15 items) information respectively. The subjects' test scores were subjected to quantitative analysis. Specifically both multivariate and univariate analysis of variance under the repeated measure statistical package were used to analyze the data. The results show that the effect of reviewing the notes taken (the external storage function of note-taking) is significant on recognition of specific information in both times of testing, which is in contrast with its insignificant effect on recognition of general information in both tests. As regards the effect of the very act of taking notes (the encoding function of note-taking), no significant effect has been found in any condition in either test. The results indicate that a) the very act of taking notes (encoding function) alone may not be useful for remembering process, b) the benefit of note-taking may accrue from having the opportunity of reviewing the notes taken (external storage function), and c) the effect of reviewing, if there is any, is only reflected on recognition of specific information other than that of general information. The findings of the present study are enlightening in guiding both L1 and L2 educators and learners as to when to take notes, how to use notes and what should be noted down. Furthermore, they also lay a theoretical foundation for the development of note-taking courses and shed a light upon research on underlying principles of advanced meta-cognitive skills.