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In today’s information-dense world, academic success often relies on processing a large quantity of knowledge quickly. With 90 percent of new online data being generated in the past two years alone, it is more important than ever to filter through content and determine its significance. As another year of school begins, students should reflect on their prior note-taking skills and adapt to their new classes.
Although digital note-taking is rising in popularity amongst students, handwritten notes remain the best technique. An effective note will summarize the material and emphasize key terms in a short amount of time. While handwriting is not as fast as typing, writing notes by hand encourages students to highlight key concepts rather than recording an entire lecture. Diagramming, a way to visualize how the different parts of a sentence fit together, is significantly easier with a notebook and is as effective as rephrasing content. With a large number of lectures transitioning online, many students utilize their devices to record information. The efficiency and ability to multitask offered by computers are often a distraction for students.
Additionally, new concepts are best understood when one can concisely summarize ideas. Handwritten notes help students remember significant concepts for a longer period. A research article by Princeton Professor Pam Mueller analyzing verbatim percentages showed that 14.6 percent of laptop users’ notes were identical to lecture content, while only 8.8 percent of handwritten notes were the same. The word-for-word replication of lectures denies students the opportunity to rephrase lecture notes. Rephrasing requires people to record information in a manner that is understandable to each individual. The manipulation and organization of a lesson increases the time a student spends with their material, deepening their understanding of the material.
Furthermore, without an expensive tablet and stylus, drawing online is challenging and often counterproductive. This presents a problem, as diagramming is useful in numerous courses. One can purchase a smart notebook for as little as $10 and as much as $450, but the majority of digital drawing tools can be significantly more pricey for students to afford. Many families also do not view it as an academic necessity, nor are they willing to purchase one.
Next, handwritten notes help students with long-term content retention. A research project conducted by the linguistics department at UCLA examined the difference in memory test scores between laptop users and handwritten note-takers which demonstrates this correlation. This project revealed that when students watched a TED talk and waited for a significant amount of time, the handwritten note-taking group performed better on conceptual questions in terms of comprehension and performance on the tested subjects. Strictly memorizing facts, which is associated with laptop note-taking, is only a sufficient short-term solution. For important tests such as AP exams which cover a year’s worth of content, it is impossible to memorize all of the information in a cram session the week before. To perform optimally on exams, students need to remember concepts thoroughly. Therefore, it is crucial that students use handwritten notes and chronologically memorize content so that only a short review is needed before exams.
Although some argue laptop note-taking is more efficient because it allows for multitasking, this often proves to be a distraction and hinders students’ ability to focus, as one can quickly switch between note-taking apps, web browsing and other digital tools. In reality, students frequently fail at multitasking while studying without even recognizing it. Completing multiple assignments during a lecture might prove to be efficient, but students who choose to do this will miss out on valuable teaching. When students multitask, they are not equally focusing on two activities at once. Instead, their attention shifts back and forth between their tasks. Thus, multitasking coupled with digital note-taking decreases engagement and makes learning intricate concepts challenging.
In conclusion, considering the evidence at hand, the adoption of handwritten notes emerges as a means to emphasize memorization over efficiency, offering lasting advantages. While not the only way to academic improvement, handwritten notes certainly provide more benefits than concerns. The choice between embracing this traditional practice or relying solely on digital alternatives remains a personal decision. However, in an era dominated by technological advancements, it’s worth pondering the enduring value of deliberate engagement with knowledge, irrespective of the chosen medium.
