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Education has evolved in many ways throughout the years, but one thing remains constant: note taking. With the increasing implementation of technology in the classroom, is it best for students to follow suit and adapt, using their laptops or tablets to take notes, or stick with the tried and true method of pen and paper?
Typing notes is faster than writing them, which allows students to easily keep up with the lecture. However, this comes at the expense of their understanding. “This robs them of the opportunity to process and grasp information in such a way that they can reframe it in their own words, unlike when writing notes on paper,” Bouchrika said
Bouchrika believes longhand note taking is superior, due to what is perceived at first glance as its drawback: the speed. Bouchrika said, “Longhand note-takers wrote significantly fewer words than those who typed on their laptop. It was also found that 14.6% of the laptop notes were verbatim, whereas the longhand notes only had 8.8% verbatim overlap.”
To make up for longhand note takings lack of efficiency, students are forced to slow down and consider the things they write, oftentimes drawing their own conclusions and reaching a deeper understanding of the material, rather than mindlessly duplicating what is being presented to them.
SFA’s own Dr. Michael Martin, co-sponsor of the Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society and coordinator of the English Secondary Education Program, shared his thoughts on note taking and why he believes longhand is best. “There’s something about writing. You see the words, as they’re appearing with the movement of your hand. There’s a connection there that’s important,” Dr. Martin said.
Although he is for forward-movement in classrooms, Dr. Martin has observed students using laptops and tablets getting distracted. “That’s where I’ve seen the danger of technology come in. I’ve seen students taking notes get a notification and get off task.”
With phones linked to laptops, it is easier than ever to discreetly surf social media and text while in class. Even if a student is diligent, notifications popping up on their screen only serve as a distraction—one that isn’t found when taking notes longhand.
An increase in students using technology in the classroom is inevitable, as courses adopt a more online-oriented curriculum, but technology is always evolving, forcing schools to quickly implement new technology to stay relevant and ensure high enrollment.
“I always look at it this way: I’m not about to give over to it, just because it’s the brand new thing. I think if universities were a little more attentive as to how and why they’re using it, that would be better,” Dr. Martin said.
With technology evolving everyday and people becoming more and more dependent on it, it is important to take a step back and evaluate its function.
“See how it evolves, slowly implement it and slowly use it,” Dr. Martin said.
In any case, technology should be used with caution, as it may not be the perfect solution it’s made out to be.
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