Making notes with KWL
KWL stands for: know, want to know and learned.
It is a note-making technique that helps you to reflect on what you already know, plan what you need to research and record what you have learned during your revision.
It’s helps you to identify strengths, and weaknesses in your knowledge, identifying any gaps. This makes it a very useful strategy to keep your revision strategic and focused.
How do I make KWL notes?
The document on the left is split into three columns: Know, Want To Know, and Learned.
1. In the Know column, write down everything you already know about a topic.
2. In the Want to Know column, write down everything you want to know or need to know about the topic of your upcoming exam. To help with this, think about what areas your lecturer has emphasised throughout the module or areas that you know you need to brush up on.
3. In the Learned column, record everything that you have learned about the topic when researching the questions or things you wanted to know in the Want to Know column.
Next Steps
Start the KWL process again after the first round to build on your revision. This will show your progress by highlighting all the new things you have learned and watching your Know section grow each time can be a great motivator!
Revision Combos!
KWL can be made even more useful by combining it with other revision techniques. Use the information you record in the Want to Know section to set yourself SMART targets, which you can then use to create a revision schedule.
