Listening to Academic Lectures Online

Listen in "chunks" 

You may not be able to stay focused for a long time.  You may get tired after just a few minutes.

Therefore, you may wish to 

• Give yourself a time goal.  For example, give yourself 10 minutes to listen.  Then stop and evaluate what you’ve learned by looking at the self-assessment handout.   How much can you complete of the overview? details? vocabulary?
• Write down the time you stopped so you can go back to that point.  
• Ask yourself: Do I need to play this  material again?  What is the benefit of listening to this section again?  

Remember what you’ve learned about

• taking notes  (Remember to use one of the note-taking styles! -- The 5 styles  --   Sample of the Cornell method by Penn State Learning)
• typical signals used by lecturers

Keep in mind

• not all lectures or lecturers are alike.  They vary in style, purpose, clarity, ability to persuade, etc.

• On your notes, you may wish to write down the "run time" as you start and stop. 

• Introduction – This typically includes an overview/key points of the upcoming materials.
• Body – The main information – Listen for summaries of previous points and transitions into new ideas.
• Conclusion – A speaker usually concludes by reviewing the main points he/she has given.

As you listen,

• listen for both the overview and the specific details.  The self-assessment handout is designed to help you process what you’ve heard as you review your information with each time you listen.
• Each time you listen, fill in more information.

It’s recommended

• that you use a different color writing tool each time you write.  For example, if you use a pencil with the first listening, use a black pen the next time and a blue time the next.  This will all allow you to easily identify new information.