Taking notes is not commonly a favorite thing to do among students, especially when it comes to writing them on paper. Is it worth the work to write notes on paper or should everything move toward online notes? This is a commonly talked about subject and many people have different opinions, however, based on many studies, handwritten notes have been shown to be a more effective method for retaining the important information that one is aiming to learn.
The main and most revealing study done on this topic was by Audrey L. H. Van der Meer and company, who did this study at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Norway. This study showed that when students wrote by hand, there were more connections between brain nodes which are essential for memory and learning new information. When typing on a keyboard, those connections were not as frequent, meaning that typing is not as beneficial as handwritten notes are for learning and retaining information. Writing by hand activates a larger area of the brain than something such as typing. The hand movements allow the brain to synchronize with the activity being done, thus allowing the brain to continue making those connections.
On the other hand, typing notes online may be faster to do for many people. With the emergence of new technology that is widely accessible to students, taking notes online is what many flock to. For example, it is much easier for someone with a physical disability to access and write online notes than notes on paper.
At Mt. Vernon, every student is provided a Chromebook that is used during the day. Canvas is where information about classes and homework is made available, primarily through online sites. The study done on this note-taking subject by Van de Meer did prove that those brain connections were still being made when typing, but it required a lot more continuous and constant use and was still not as effective as having handwritten notes
While typed notes may be more convenient, handwritten notes are the best option for students as they allow the information to truly be soaked in. When that information is truly taken in, grades increase and understanding of the material comes to fruition.
