Technology is becoming more and more common in the classroom and, as a result, typed notes are becoming increasingly popular compared to handwritten ones. Up to 87% of students now use some form of technology during note-taking. Electronic note-taking has several appealing aspects to students; it allows for faster note-taking, gives students a digital copy of the lesson and is easier to share with classmates. But are typed notes actually helping students learn? And how does this compare to handwritten note-taking?
Read on to find out:
- The importance of note-taking
- What the latest research says
- What the best note-taking practices are for students
Why is note-taking important?
Note-taking is a key skill for students to foster, as it serves as a bridge between listening in class and actively engaging with the material. It allows students to capture the most important points of a lesson, facilitating better retention and understanding.
As note-taking is so crucial to the learning process, there is great interest in the most effective note-taking methods. Methods such as the Cornell note-taking method, outlining and mind mapping are frequently used by students as they allow them to summarise information and engage cognitively with the content.
However, when it comes to recording these notes, students generally choose between two main approaches: writing their notes by hand or typing them on a device. Each method has its unique advantages and challenges, and the debate over which is more effective has intensified with the growing use of technology in education. Recent research has examined these two methods and tried to identify which method truly enhances learning and memory retention.
What does the latest research say?
An interesting meta-analysis looked at 24 studies to see how note-taking methods affected the volume of notes taken and test performance.
Across all of the studies included in the meta-analysis, typed notes led to students taking a greater amount of notes. Specifically, electronic notes contained significantly more words and ideas from the lesson than handwritten notes. This is most likely due to the fact that writing by hand is much slower than typing. As a result, students hand writing notes often can’t keep up with the lesson and may end up summarising the content or even cutting parts out.
However, it was handwritten notes that actually led to better test outcomes. As previously stated, students can usually type faster than they write which makes it more likely that they will take down notes word-for-word. Conversely, handwritten notes are usually paraphrased and capture the personal style of the student. This may force them to directly engage with the material and only take down the most important points. As a result, connections are made between lesson content and students’ existing schemas, leading to deep learning.
What are the best note-taking practices for students?
We’ve seen that handwritten notes lead to better exam scores, but what other practices can students use in their note-taking to achieve the best test outcomes overall?
1. Don’t take down notes verbatim
Handwritten notes may lead to better outcomes because students are more likely to think carefully about what they hear and write it down in their own words. Discourage students from mindlessly copying down what you say. Instead, students should rephrase material where they can and also use note-taking methods that increase deeper learning.
2. Review notes before tests
Research also suggests that the benefits of pen and paper notes extend even further after a review. If students have an opportunity to look over their notes before an exam, they are likely to score higher. Try to educate your students on the importance of reviewing notes and encourage them to set an amount of time dedicated to looking over their notes before a test.
Final thoughts
The best learning methods often encourage students to engage directly with the material. Although typed notes allow students to produce a greater volume of notes, they make it more likely that students will remain passive and simply record the lesson verbatim. But, for better test outcomes, turn to handwritten notes. These can lead to deeper learning as they force students to absorb concepts and rephrase lesson content in a way that is tailored to them.
