Handwritten Notes In Class Are Better Than Laptops

If you are a student, you’ve probably had to take notes. What’s the best way to take notes in class: handwritten notes or laptops?

In schools or universities, one of the methods we used to study is to create new notes in class is to write it manually. This trend is overshadowed by today’s digital transformation of classrooms – students use laptops to study, which sometimes also work as a distraction for them.

The handwriting process was long, tedious and sometimes took days; however, it was worth it because by the end of class the students already get to learn everything they needed to go for an exam and get good grades. This helps strengthen the brain synapses and learn better in class. The key to success in academics seems to be making the notes by hand.

For students of this generation, technology is much more available and accessible – they can take a laptop or tablet to class and take notes digitally. Sometimes, they don't even need to use a notebook and pencil. This is not bad, especially when it becomes so easy. However, this makes us confront an important scientific question: is replacing paper notes with digital notes more efficient when studying and learning?

What does science say?

Psychological Science presented the results, and these suggest that there is an advantage in taking notes with paper and pencil over digital devices – it helps us remember what we have heard better and prevents us from forgetting it easily. In the study, students met and separated into two groups in a class. The first group had to take notes in the conventional way, i.e. with pencil and paper. The second group had to take notes using a computer. In the end, everyone was given to the same exam and students who took manual notes scored better.

Taking notes on a computer is much simpler due to technology. However, when the purpose of taking notes is to learn in the process, the easiest method is not always the best.