In today’s world, it is normal for high school and college students to use electronics to take notes in their classes. Students taking their notes on electronics is not only convenient but it is also the most efficient way of note taking and seems to be the overall easiest route to take when facing pages upon pages of notes. However, many people still prefer taking notes by hand rather than taking notes on their electronics for various reasons. Both methods of note taking have their advantages and their disadvantages, so the question stands, which method provides the most benefits to the person taking the notes?
“When writing is incorporated in learning and assessment, there is increased opportunity to produce the ideal situation for active, attentive learning because student’s value creative problem solving or creative production,” Neurologist Judy Willis, in an interview with Science ABC, said.
Multiple studies, like the one Judy Willis did, have shown results that prove people who write their notes by hand have a higher probability of retaining the information. The science behind handwritten notes is less complex than most people would think. This method of taking notes requires the person’s brain to process and rephrase information, which means the brain will summarize and comprehend the information it is given. Put into simpler words, this means handwriting notes makes the brain absorb the information while the person write, which aids in increasing the chance of a student remembering the information they need to remember. However, with these advantages there are also disadvantages that come with handwritten notes as well.
“The students who were taking longhand notes in our studies were forced to be more selective – because you can’t write as fast as you can type,” Princeton University scientist Pam Mueller, in an interview with NPR, said.
Handwritten notes help students retain more information with ease, but there are many drawbacks. Because handwriting notes is a lot slower than typing notes, it can cause a few students to not get done everything they need. It is also a lot harder to write notes neatly and keep them organized for studying. Another problem faced with when handwriting notes is the person’s hand getting tired or even getting sore after writing for a long time. Finally, writing notes by hand can make it easier to lose them in the future.
“The iPads are a super convenient tool for keeping all of my work and projects organized and accessible, and canvas works as a really smooth way for me to receive and turn in my assignments,” Deer Park student, Camren Holmes, said.
Typing up notes on devices seems to be the most convenient way to take notes nowadays. Using electronics like an iPad or a laptop to type up notes is faster than writing them by hand. Typing notes also makes it easier to keep them neat and organized so it will be easier to study in the future. Keeping notes on a device is also a better alternative to carrying around notebooks or binders for all of the classes students are required to take. Despite this being the most convenient method of taking notes, it is not the best method when it comes to helping students retain and learn the information they are needed to.
“When people type their notes, they have this tendency to try and take verbatim notes and write down as much of the lecture as they can,” Mueller said.
With this all being said, students all over the world have their own preferred way of taking notes. It should also be known that different people learn and retain information in different ways. Technology is growing every day and is slowly becoming part of our day to day lives. Despite studies showing that writing helps students with memorization, technology will continue to become part of educating kids and teens all over the world.
