My father was a lecturer at SOAS and if anybody started furiously taking notes during his lectures, he would simply change the language he was lecturing in

I used to tell students to stop making notes as it was all in textbooks. No end of stressful for them.

If someone said that to me now, I’d walk out. It’s a totally unsupportive attitude to neurodiverse students.

Why? I’m heavily neurodiverse and apart from mathematics, I have never taken notes during lectures. I can’t, it stops me absorbing what the speaker is saying.

Because different people have different learning styles. And different neurodiverse people have different needs. Taking notes may have stopped you and your father from absorbing what the speaker is saying, BUT it helps people with ADHD focus on the words, and prevents our mind drifting.

*neurodivergent

Also *some* neurodivergent students.

Absolutely. Stopping people from taking notes obviously wouldn’t have affected ALL neurodivergent students, but it definitely would’ve affected some.

I did find taking notes useful. Still do, although you can't get everything down.

I wanted them to listen and think about the topic so that they might understand. It’s easier in a small group or tutorial. I know everyone has different learning styles (and teaching styles), so there is no perfect way.

Taking notes enables me to focus on what I’m listening to. I would absolutely hate it if someone told me to stop taking notes.

"I wanted them to listen and think about the topic…" That was my father's argument

I’m sorry, but your father had no understanding / appreciation of neurodiversity and what some people need to do to be able to focus on the spoken word. I come from a family of academics. They’re by no means perfect, but I’ve never heard of any of them adopt this unsupportive attitude.

My father was neurodiverse, as am I. I can’t concentrate on a lecture if I try to take notes. Stop trying to speak for all neurodiverse people

I've never said that I'm trying to speak for ALL neurodivergent people. My original reply didn’t say that.

So we’re different. You and your father aren’t representative of all neurodiverse people. Those of us with ADHD tendencies need to write to be able to focus on what we’re hearing. Preventing people from writing *to help them listen* would likely have had the opposite effect on many.

Wrong again with your generalisations. My father and I are both textbook cases of high level AD(H)D

Ok. I should’ve said some / many of us with ADHD. Look, I’m sorry for upsetting you. But as I say, I really don’t think your father’s attitude discouraging students from taking notes would have been helpful to a number of his students.

*neurodivergent

Thank you 🙃

Sorry am too autistic not to point it out lol

Taking notes massively helps me listen and think. I *have* to do something with the active part of my brain in order to let my thinking part work. I took *copious* notes at uni, most of which I never looked at again. It was the process, not the outcome, that helped me grasp the lecture content.

Same. It was the note-taking that helped me to process what was being said. Without that I struggle to take it in.

If i don't take notes, my mind drifts, and I fall asleep.

Yeah, they help me focus too.

physically writing it helps me remember better even if I don't study the notes

👏👏👏