NATHAN VILLASEÑOR / DAILY NEXUS

If you were to glance around a lecture hall today, you will most likely notice a glowing screen balanced precariously on the tiny fold-out desk in front of each student, whether they are typing into a Google Doc or annotating slides on a tablet. It will probably require a good look around before you spot a student sporting the tried-and-true paper and pencil method of note-taking. Yet as busy college students, we know that time is precious. So after a day spent cramming material for a class you know you went to but cannot seem to recall anything from, you may be left wondering: are electronic forms of note-taking really the most effective way to retain and comprehend information? 

While, for many students, typing notes may appear to be a faster and more organized way of recording content, the act of handwriting is actually much more effective. One study conducted on college students found that brain electroencephalogram (EEG) maps taken by those who were handwriting produced far more complex brain patterns in comparison to their typing counterparts. When participants conducted the more intricate and varied motions associated with handwriting, it resulted in increased activity recorded on EEG maps. The areas stimulated when handwriting corresponded to parts of the brain known to be linked to memory and retention of novel information. These signals were much less prominent with the repetitive, relatively singular motion of hitting a key on a computer. Therefore, handwriting and typing are cognitively unique processes, as each activates different parts of the brain. 

The increased benefits of handwriting was seen as early as in kindergarten students just learning to read and write. Children who were taught letters by copying through handwriting rather than typing showed a greater affinity for letter recognition and reading. This is hypothesized to be due to the intentional linkage of observation and action in recognizing and copying by hand, in comparison to those who simply pressed a key. 

But what about writing on an electronic tablet or equivalent device? Is that as effective? 

Most likely, yes. Research has found that it is the action of handwriting that is what is important, not the material or tool it is performed with. However, this equal efficacy only holds true if you are familiar with the device and software being used. Being unfamiliar with the technology adds a learning curve that hurts performance.  

Despite tablet note-taking being relatively comparable in benefits, there may be additional benefits to reverting back to pen and paper. There is no denying that computers have become a daily necessity in the lives of college students. Yet, with more frequent technology use, distractions have also become a common problem. As you may have noticed, this is especially true during lectures. When your device is already open in front of you, it is highly tempting to check notifications quickly in the middle of lecture, which often causes you to miss important content. While secondary school students are often monitored in their electronic use, there are rarely external controls in a college setting. Postdoctoral students, who volunteered to put away their laptops and take notes by hand, found that when they could no longer become distracted and switch to another web page, the quality of their notes improved. 

Additionally, the excessive amount of time we spend staring at a screen is proven to be unhealthy. Prolonged screen time without breaks has been shown to increase the likelihood for a myriad of health problems, including increased anxiety and depression, an overall toll on mental health, disturbances in sleep patterns and increased risk for obesity and cardiovascular disease. The simple change to a nondigital note-taking format may offer a much needed break from screen time and help to improve overall wellbeing. 

So, while adding a notebook and pencil to your backpack may seem like an antiquated practice to some, it may be worth considering in the future. And who knows, maybe one day you will walk out of a lecture with legible notes and realize that you actually remember the material, instead of patting yourself on the back for showing up and alternating between dozing off and online shopping for the entirety of the lecture. 

A version of this article appeared on p.10 of the Nov. 14, 2024 edition of the Daily Nexus.