by Chloe Tomasetta
Chloe is a communications major who lives in Braintree, Massachusetts. Chloe wrote this essay in her Composition II course because she “genuinely wanted to explore the typed versus handwritten notes debate.” She said that researching this essay “gave me clarity in my preferred note-taking method,” and she adds: “I hope this essay can be helpful for students who struggle to take notes or choose a note-taking method.” Chloe loves spending time outside, as it “allows me to hear my own thoughts, which can provide clarity in my otherwise chaotic life.”
The way humans record information has changed consistently over the years due to new technology. First, there were cave walls that humans carved symbols into, then clay tablets. With many advancements in between, humans primarily came to rely on pen and paper to communicate or solidify information. Eventually, the typewriter came along which many years later advanced into a computer or laptop, many college students primary note-taking technology. Some individuals today argue that the popularity of typing information leads to lesser retention and typing notes is, therefore, worse than handwriting. When one considers typing as a new advancement in note-taking technology, are handwritten notes really better?
Students initially learn to write using a pencil and a piece of paper. Handwriting is vital when an individual learns to write for the first time or when they learn a new language with different characters such as Arabic. This has to do with the “kinesthetic process of handwriting” which is the motions that occur when one writes each individual letter (Smoker et al. 1744). One’s hand movement when writing is unique for each letter. The opposite is true for typing, each letter a student types requires the exact same motion of pressing down on a key. Although typing does require some hand movement due to each key being in a different location, the kinesthetic process is stronger for handwriting simply because each letter has a distinct shape that activates the kinesthetic process (Smoker et al. 1744). Furthermore, the movement associated with handwriting uses certain sensory organs, which allows for better memory retention compared to typing (Smoker et al. 1745). One’s sensory organs are triggered due to the kinesthetic process associated with handwriting. When one looks at the link between one’s sensory organs and the kinesthetic process, it is clear that the fluidity of handwriting notes results in better retention of the information. So why do students still rely on typing as their primary note-taking method?
When it comes to typing, students take notes faster. Therefore, typing notes allows students to copy down all of the information from a class. This is known as transcribing notes (Bui et al. 300). Wray Herbert analyzed a study done on students’ note-taking methods. When students who typed their notes were explicitly asked by researchers not to transcribe their notes, the students were unable to refrain from taking verbatim notes. Herbert concluded that there is a link between typing and transcribed notes. Since it takes students longer to handwrite notes, it is unrealistic to think that students can copy down all of the information using pen and paper. Conversely, individuals who cannot transcribe all of the information typically rely on “organized notes” which are notes that summarize key points (Bui et al. 301). It is important to note that typing is not exclusively linked to transcribed notes and that students who type can use other methods, but through my research, I found the majority of students who relied on typing their notes ended up transcribing the lecture word for word. Students tend to choose typing over handwriting their notes because typed notes saves students time and students do not miss out on any information due to the nature of their notes being verbatim. Typing notes saves students time and energy inside the classroom but what about when it comes to remembering the information outside of the classroom?
With handwriting, a student has to make choices about what is important to include in their notes. A study based on comparing organized and transcribed notes during a lecture concluded that organized notes allow the writer to conceptualize ideas and therefore possess a deeper processing level (Bui et al. 305). This is because organized notes allow the student to put the information into their own words and actively make choices in their writing. This lead me to believe that there is something about typing that is related to mindless processing whereas handwriting allows the students to reframe information into their own words by making decisions about their notes. For example, when I transitioned from high school to college, my note-taking method changed drastically. I knew that typing was faster and more organized so I decided to take all of my class notes on a laptop. On the first day of my Communication class, focused on the New Media Society, my professor blatantly recommended to my classmates and I that we should not type our notes because we will not do as well in the class. I heard this from teachers before, but I decided I should give typing a try anyway because I wanted to save time and see the results for myself. I noticed that I did take verbatim notes when typing, but my test scores did not suffer in any sense. The key was my awareness. Since I was aware that my typed notes may not be as in depth, I spent more time after class reviewing key concepts, handwriting a study guide, and creating flashcards before exams. When one looks at time spent outside the classroom, those who type their notes will need to put in more time to conceptualize ideas whereas those who handwrite their notes will conceptualize the ideas in class. This occurs because those who type can take notes at a quicker speed and therefore have time to copy down the notes word for word and those who handwrite are constrained by time. Technically, handwriting is not a time constraint because it saves time in the future whereas students who type will need to dedicate more time outside of the classroom. So far I have been discussing note-taking methods as they relate to students in general, but does considering a student’s cognitive ability change whether or not handwritten notes are better?
Cognitive abilities vary from person to person. In more simple terms, people do not think the same. Each student has a unique way of thinking about information and then processing the information in order to gain a better understanding. Although more research is needed to test student’s individual differences paired with their preferred note-taking strategy, Bui assumes that “what constitutes the most effective note-taking strategies may vary across students who differ in cognitive ability” (Bui 308). This is important when thinking about whether a student takes organized or transcribed notes. There is no ‘better’ option because not all students have the same thought processes. For example, students who take organized notes might find it easier to summarize the notes as they go along and only write down the most important ideas. On the other hand, students who transcribe their notes might enjoy knowing that they have all of the information and can refer to the facts at any given time. I argue that one’s cognitive ability is linked to their personal preference. Since a student chooses their note-taking method based off of their brains’ ability to comprehend, the student will grow to personally prefer the method that they understand the best. On the other hand, in a class focused on formulas and numbers, organization and meaning are minimal so handwritten notes are favorable (Hertogs). Additionally, in a formula based class such as math or science, students use characters and symbols that are often not easily accessible on a keyboard which results in the prevalence of handwritten notes in less word-intensive classes. A student should account for the context of their notes when determining which method produces better results. This is important because it demonstrates that there is no single note-taking strategy that will lead to success; note-taking is not universally applicable and therefore no note-taking method can be placed on a pedestal. So how do students know which note-taking method will serve them best?
Although students can choose which note-taking method they prefer for the given context paired with their cognitive abilities, it is important that students are aware of how their notes will differ in content. If a student prefers to use transcribed notes, they should be aware that simply copying notes word for word does not result in the same in-depth level of retention as organized notes. With this knowledge, an individual who transcribes notes will most likely have to put in more time when it comes to conceptualizing the material for exams or assignments. This means that the student will need to review their notes for key concepts or rewrite their notes in a more summarized manner, much like I did for my Communication class. Meanwhile, a student who prefers organized notes should be aware of how to effectively engage with the content of the lecture in order to pick up the main ideas and put the concepts into their own words. Overall, no single note-taking strategy leads to success; in each note-taking situation, students must consider their individual abilities paired with the context of the notes in order to determine which method will be most effective.
Works Cited
Bui, Dung, Joel Myerson, and Sandra Hale. “Note-Taking With Computers: Exploring Alternative Strategies for Improved Recall.” Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. 105, No. 2, 2013, pp. 299-309.
Herbert, Wray. “Ink on Paper: Some Notes on Note-Taking.” HuffPost, 28 Jan. 2014.
Hertogs, Mathew. “Typing vs. Handwriting Notes: An Evaluation of the Effect of Transcription Method on Student Learning.” XChanges: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Technical Communication, Rhetoric, and Writing Across the Curriculum, Vol. 8, No. 2, 2019.
Smoker, Timothy, Carrie E. Murphy, and Alison K. Rockwell. “Comparing Memory for Handwriting versus Typing.” Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Vol. 53, No. 22, 2009, pp. 1744-1747.