Flow-Based Method
The flow-based method was developed by Scott H. Young who successfully completed the MIT Challenge. Flow is the mental state of complete engagement. Young calls his method holistic learning.
With flow-based note taking, your goal isn’t transcription it’s learning while in class. The simplest form of flow-based notes is just to write down all the information, except instead of recording it into a bulleted list, you organize it spatially with arrows connecting ideas. It looks more like a hand drawn mind-map with arrows than anything else.
Three principles used in Flow-Based note taking:
- Simplify. Write the information in your own words. Use the Feynman Technique.
- Visualize. Use diagrams and images to represent new ideas.
- Make Connections. Connect ideas backwards, between topics, and externally with what you already know.
Best Use: The best use could be in a review lecture. Presumably, you already know the material. You can engage your creative (right) brain by drawing the flow-based notes and begin to make connections that lead to learning.
