The 2-column note taking is a learning strategy that many people use to write down information and get a clear understanding of used terms.
The learning strategy is easily combined with other strategies, for example S5.
The procedure is simple:
- Divide a sheet into two columns.
- Use the left column to write down a topic, statement, term or whatever you need to understand.
- Use the right column to write down relevant information; feel free to draw images if you need.
One possible approach is to first go through the text and to just write key terms in the first column. Afterwards you can fill in the right column, if you think it is still necessary. This will give you an idea of what you’ve learned already.
The 2-column overview goes well with e.g. a mind map: the mind map provides structure and context, and the two-column overview contains the definition or information about key concepts.