In 3/6 of my classes at Penn State, computers are not allowed. Interestingly, I have higher grades in the classes without computers. Is that just a coincidence? Or is it actually better to take notes in a notebook than on a computer?
Taking notes on laptops is increasingly more common because it allows students to do more:
-access information from the Internet
-collaborate on projects online
-take more notes.
However, researchers have conducted studies that suggest that taking notes on computers less effective for learning in comparison to taking handwritten notes.
Two researchers, Mueller and Opennheimer, “conducted three different studies, each addressing the question: Is laptop note taking detrimental to overall conceptual understanding and retention of new information?” In the studies, Mueller had students take notes in a classroom and then tested the students on their memory for factual details, their understanding of the concepts, and their ability to generalize the information. One half of the students took the notes on a laptop and the other half of the students took notes in a notebook. Although the students who used the laptops were able to take more notes, Mueller found that students who used laptops to take notes performed worse on the conceptual questions.
Mueller also noticed that students who write notes on paper process the information and then write down just the important details. “They listen, digest, and summarize so they can succinctly capture the essence of the information.” On the other side, students who use a computer takes notes verbatim, meaning they write down every word. Thus, the student’s who use laptops have impaired learning because it is lower level of processing.
In another study by Mueller, she looked at the content of notes. After studying hundreds of students notes from Princeton and UCLA that ranged in topics, it was found that “high verbatim note content was associated with lower retention of the lecture material.”
Taking notes by hand not only improves comprehension of the material, but it also improves test scores. In a study in 2003, researchers from Cornell had half the students in a class use laptops and half of the students not use laptops during a lecture. After the lecture was over, the student who did not use their laptops during the lecture performed better on a the quiz.
According to the data from the different studies, students should try to take notes by hand instead of using their laptops.
http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/04/22/0956797614524581.abstract
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-learning-secret-don-t-take-notes-with-a-laptop/
https://hbr.org/2015/07/what-you-miss-when-you-take-notes-on-your-laptop
I 100% agree with this blog and that taking notes by hand leads to better performance in the class. I use my laptop in almost all my classes and I find myself drifting off on some other website and being very distracted by the technology. Another study that I found clarifies this theory. Pam Mueller, from Princeton, and Daniel Oppenheimer, a psychology teacher at UCLA conducted a study and had different students take notes on a laptop with no internet and others on a notepad. As a result, the notepad note takers performed better on the test than the ones who took notes on the laptop, even with no internet. So even with no internet, the students still perform better physically writing the information down.
Here is a website that thoroughly explains why using a computer in class is very ineffective. http://blog.crew.co/why-you-should-stop-taking-notes-on-your-computer/
I completely agree with this post. Even if I am allowed to use my computer in class, I choose not too because I know it would distract me. Like you stated, the computer can be used for taking notes, accessing information quickly, and can use it to collaborate with teammates. However, the computer also comes with many distractions. Facebook, Twitter, online shopping, talking with friends, email, video chat, etc. This list can go on forever. All of those things are considered huge distractions and only slow down one’s working ability. I found this website interesting. It provides a list of the pros and cons of using a computer in a classroom.
http://www.useoftechnology.com/pros-cons-computers-classrooms-2/
I definitely agree with you. Not only do laptops create potential distractions from class, I also feel like there is a disconnect between you and the teacher. Scientific American has a good article talking about this exact topic. They noticed that when students used laptops they spend 40% of class time using applications unrelated to coursework, are more likely to fall off task, and are less satisfied with their education. All of these things would lead to a disconnect from learning that writing your notes wouldn’t allow.