Collaborative note taking template

Information in notes has a 34% chance of being remembered (vs. 5% if you don’t write it down). The collaborative online note taking template is a space to take notes collaboratively with your classmates and friends, designed to run parallel to a lecture, but adaptable to a variety of settings. It’s an interactive space with enough structure to guide you, and enough freedom for you to make it your own.

This template is a powerful tool that enables multiple users to simultaneously contribute, organize, and edit notes in real-time, fostering teamwork and enhancing information sharing. With Mural on your side, you can be sure that all updates are saved instantly and are accessible to everyone involved, making them an invaluable resource for dynamic, group-driven note-taking.

A note taking template helps you:

• Stay organized: This template provides a structured format, helping you capture key information in an orderly manner.

• Improve your efficiency: Note taking templates offer a clear framework, ensuring you don’t miss important points during lectures, meetings, or projects.

• Tailor for specific needs: This can be designed for different purposes, like lecture notes, study guides, or research projects, making note-taking more efficient.

• Encourage active engagement: Pre-defined sections for key concepts, summaries, and follow-up questions help you interact with the material, improving retention.

How to use the collaborative note taking template

Step 1: Set up the template

Create a new document, including sections like title/date, main topics, subtopics/details, questions/discussion points, and summary/conclusion to organize the content.

Step 2: Distribute roles and sections

Assign specific sections or topics to each participant (like one person handles the introduction, another focuses on key points, etc.). Then, tag collaborators in relevant sections to clarify responsibilities or ask questions.

Step 3: Collaborate in real time

As the session progresses, contribute to the document by adding notes under the appropriate headings. Use comments or tags to ask questions, suggest clarifications, or highlight important details.

Step 4: Use formatting tools

Utilize bullet points, bold text, highlighting, and color coding to organize key points and make the notes easy to read. Embed additional media like images, links, or videos to enrich the content.

Tips for using the collaborative note taking template

• Establish clear roles beforehand: Assign specific sections or topics to each participant to ensure everyone contributes and there’s no overlap. 

• Set guidelines: Agree on consistent formatting rules, like using bullet points for main ideas, bold text for important terms, or color coding for different categories.

• Use real-time collaboration features: A lot of knowledge workers want to collaborate better. Take advantage of real-time editing to keep the notes dynamic and up-to-date as the session progresses. Encourage everyone to contribute during the meeting or lecture to ensure the notes are comprehensive.