Psychological Science· 2014Q1
The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard
- 1,031citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2014year
Short summary
Taking notes by hand, not on a laptop, improves learning and conceptual understanding, even when laptops are used solely for note-taking.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Laptop note-taking, even without distractions, leads to shallower information processing compared to longhand note-taking.
- Students using laptops for notes performed worse on conceptual questions than those taking notes by hand.
- The tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim on laptops, rather than processing and reframing information, is detrimental to learning.
- Taking more notes can be beneficial, but the *method* of note-taking (verbatim vs. reframed) is key to learning outcomes.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Taking notes on laptops rather than in longhand is increasingly common. Many researchers have suggested that laptop note taking is less effective than longhand note taking for learning. Prior studies have primarily focused on students' capacity for multitasking and distraction when using laptops. The present research suggests that even when laptops are used solely to take notes, they may still be impairing learning because their use results in shallower processing. In three studies, we found that students who took notes on laptops performed worse on conceptual questions than students who took notes longhand. We show that whereas taking more notes can be beneficial, laptop note takers' tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim rather than processing information and reframing it in their own words is detrimental to learning.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Psychological Science, 2014 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Experimental and Cognitive PsychologyPsychology