Who this is for
Self-learners taking online courses who want to retain what they watch by explaining it back, not just consuming it.
The moment this saves you
I binge an online course feeling productive, but a week later I've retained almost nothing, because watching isn't learning and I never paused to put any of it in my own words.
See it work
Messy spoken thought in. A clean, structured artifact out.
Just finished the module on SQL joins. Main thing I learned, there are different types of joins and the difference is which rows you keep. Inner join only keeps rows that match in both tables, that's the default and most common. Left join keeps all rows from the left table even if there's no match, and you get nulls for the missing stuff. The aha moment for me was realizing left join is how you find things that don't have a match, like customers with no orders, that's a really practical use. The thing I'm still fuzzy on is the difference between a full outer join and a cross join, need to revisit that.
Course notes: SQL joins, June 5, 2026
Main idea: The type of join determines which rows you keep.
Key points
- Inner join: keeps only rows that match in both tables (the default, most common).
- Left join: keeps all rows from the left table even without a match; missing values come back as nulls.
Aha moment: A left join is how you find things with no match, e.g. customers with no orders. Very practical.
Still fuzzy on: Full outer join vs cross join, revisit.
The workflow
Record a voice note
Hit the hotkey and talk, no formatting, no typing.
Tag it with this context
Contextli shapes your words into the structured output above.
Find it later
Everything's searchable and organised by context.
Pull it into Claude or ChatGPT
Bring your contexts straight into your AI tools with the Contextli MCP.
Your raw recording and transcription stay on your device, so you can always go back to the original.
The prompt behind this context
I'm going to recap an online lesson or course module in my own words. Turn it into structured study notes: a bold "Course notes: [topic], [today's date]" heading, a **Main idea** line, a **Key points** list (the supporting concepts and examples, in italics for any term I name), an **Aha moment** line for any insight I had, and a **Still fuzzy on** line for what I want to revisit. Keep my own explanations, they show what I understood. Don't add facts or terms I didn't mention. Output only the notes.
Make it your own. This is a starting point. Once it's in Contextli, tweak the instructions so the output comes out exactly how you like it.
Use this context
One click copies it and shows you exactly how to drop it into Contextli.
Next, open Contextli, go to the Contexts page, click Import, choose From JSON, paste, then Import Context. It is ready to use.
Make it your own. This is a starting point. Once it's in Contextli, tweak the instructions so the output comes out exactly how you like it.
Your raw recording and transcription stay on your device, so you can always go back to the original.
Related contexts
Lecture to Notes
Walking out of class, the lecture still makes sense in your head, then it leaks away by the time you sit down. Explain it back in your own words now, and get structured notes with key terms you can actually study from at exam time.
Book Takeaways
You finish a great book and two weeks later can't name a single idea from it. Right after the last page, say what actually stuck and how you'd use it. You build a personal library of takeaways you'll genuinely return to, instead of a shelf of forgotten covers.
Reading & Research Note
You highlighted half the article and saved it to a graveyard you'll never revisit. Instead, say what the source actually claimed and why it matters to your project. The takeaway, the relevance, and the caveat all get kept.
Questions people ask
Questions students ask about Course Notes
How do I take course notes without losing the thread of what I am learning?
The most effective approach is to take it in fully first, then speak a summary immediately after the course ends while it is still fresh. The Course Notes context structures your spoken summary into a study note with key points, questions, and takeaways. You retain more because you summarized in your own words instead of transcribing.
What is the best way to capture takeaways from a course so I remember them later?
Speak a structured summary using the Course Notes context immediately after the course ends. The context formats your spoken words into a study note with the main ideas, anything worth keeping verbatim, and open questions. Speaking a summary in your own words is one of the most effective recall techniques, and Contextli handles the formatting so the result is readable later.
How do I take course notes by voice without typing?
Add the Course Notes context to Contextli, then speak your summary. The context produces a study note in plain text you can paste into your notes system. The recording stays on your device.
What should a course note include to be useful later?
A course note is most useful when it covers the source and date, the main argument or thesis, three to five key points or insights, anything worth quoting, and your own reactions or questions. The Course Notes context structures your spoken debrief to capture all of these, so you do not have to remember the template while speaking.
How do I add this context to Contextli?
Copy the context on this page, then open Contextli and go to the Contexts page. Click Import, choose From JSON, paste it into the Import from Clipboard window, and click Import Context. It is ready to use in under 30 seconds. If you do not have Contextli yet, you can download it for free first.
Is my voice recording private? Does Contextli send it anywhere?
Your voice recording and the transcription are stored on your device only. Contextli processes your audio locally and does not send your recordings or transcription text to any server. The structured output it produces is text you control, and you decide where it goes.
Can I change what the output looks like?
Yes. Every context in Contextli is a starting point you can edit. Open the context in the app, change the instructions to adjust the structure, tone, or fields, and save. The next time you use it, the output reflects your changes. You are not locked into the default format.
Do I need to install an app to use this context?
Yes. Contextli is a free app. Download it, then copy this context and paste it into the Import from Clipboard window on the Contexts page. The whole process takes about 30 seconds.