Using the Cornell Note Taking Method for Instruction

Russell Jay Hendel

There are several popular note-taking methods, amongst which the Cornell note taking method is very well-known. The method consists of taking notes by dividing the page into three parts: the main notetaking part; the part summarizing themes, key-, and cue- words; and a part summarizing, in a few lines, contents. This article explores using the Cornell method, originally designed for students, as a means of pedagogy delivery for instructors. Hendel’s four pedagogic pillars, rooting pedagogic excellence in fundamental psycho-neurological processes, explain the success of the Cornell method as attributed to its encouraging executive function and optimal goal-setting techniques. The paper also examines the contrastive practices of some textbooks and confirms critiques of these approaches as employing lower levels of the Bloom- Anderson hierarchy.

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