Handwriting vs. Typing

WE LOVE THIS BECAUSE

• it confronts the misconception about “more is better”. That is, students who use laptops during a lecture tend to take more notes than those who write out their notes by hand – thus more information!! Well, wait a sec. Typing faster and writing down every single word spoken by the professor does not equal better memory/ retention.

• it emphasizes the importance of engaging in some “desirable difficulty“- taking notes by hand – which fosters comprehension and retention by carefully listening, digesting, and explaining in your own words on paper the essence of the lecture

• it uses good examples to explain why writing by hand may be better for learning than taking notes on a laptop

• as you watch, write down what you find surprising about what is discussed

• think about how you can apply these ideas in your own life

• after listening or viewing the video, take a break and then jot down the key points presented in the video

• tell a friend what the video is about and what you learned about learning

For more information on this topic here is the article to the video: Can Handwriting Make You Smarter?

and more here.. A Learning Secret: Don’t Take Notes with a Laptop