Last month's question was "What do you think of the findings in this weeks article: Is giving students a complete set of notes a good idea?"

A whopping 92% said NO, that giving students a complete set of notes is not necessarily a good idea. Most respondents tended to agree with the article, with one stating that "If a student actively participates in the learning experience, he or she will have a better understanding of the subject matter and not have to rely on pure memorization. Also, I think students will attend class more."

Several respondents commented that they felt the act of note taking encourages students to develop critical thinking skills; "Making them write the materials forces them to use multiple senses (sight, hearing, and touch) to acquire the notes and requires them to focus on the material. Full sets of notes let them skim quickly and does not require the focus that taking their own notes requires." and "If students are to achieve one of the fundamentals of being 'educated'...the ability to critically think, apply information in diverse situations, etc...then giving them concrete materials from class robs them of the opportunity to develop for real world work situations."

Another popular viewpoint was regarding the use of partial notes; "I've noticed that some students focus more on class participation because they realize that they'll get the notes anyway. Providing partial notes strikes the balance between worrying about recording all important information and the need to sort out the information that's given."

This month's question is "What do you think should be offered to students to help "give them the best chance at healthy and rewarding academic lives?"

Click here to take the poll!