Pen Mightier Than Keyboard

[Wandering Man]

I think we've already discussed this, but here is the abstract from the 2014 research on taking notes, incase anyone wants to see the source:

 

The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard:

Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop

Note Taking

Pam A. Mueller1 and Daniel M. Oppenheimer2

1Princeton University and 2University of California, Los Angeles

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.

 

Psychological Science

2014, Vol. 25(6) 1159–

1168

© The Author(s) 2014

Reprints and permissions:

sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav

DOI: 10.1177/0956797614524581

pss.sagepub.com

 

 

For the article, shallower processing means the students are typing in their professors' words verbatim, rather than conceptualizing and summarizing, which students tend to do when taking notes with pen and paper. With out that extra bit of processing, the words come in through the ears and out through the fingers untouched by thought.

[Sasha Royale]

When I take notes, using a pen, I can add sketches and diagrams. Further, I can use my personal version of "shorthand". Certainly, it is a personal preference, but I find the digital monitor distracting.

 

Physiologically, the human eye evolved to see "reflected light", rather than "projected light" (sometimes called, "incident light".). It is the distinction between shining a bright flashlight at the wall, and shining a bright flashlight into your eyes. Incident light can be stressful.

[Dragonmaster Lou]

When I take notes, using a pen, I can add sketches and diagrams.

 

This is the main reason why I prefer taking notes using a pen. It was especially important when I was in college. Back then, laptops were just starting to become common and a few students did use them to take notes. However, I could never figure out how practical it was since in a lot of my engineering classes, we'd have to takes notes of equations, diagrams, etc., that couldn't be quickly or easily reproduced on a computer keyboard.

[NinthSphere]

I've never gotten the idea of taking notes on a laptop. Equations & diagrams are part of it, but also scribbling notes around various bits of of other notes without rearranging layout. I can only imagine that I would be so preoccupied trying to figure out how to get everything situated that by the time I did, the information I wanted to record would have passed me by. Plain text just doesn't cut it for me.

 

edit: And just imagine an unfortunately timed crash. Hold everything, folks, while I reboot.

Edited September 21, 2016 by NinthSphere

[ksm]

@NinthSphere:

Equations are not impossible. I used to write my papers in LaTeX, but two of my friends were able to take notes in LaTeX. One of them, he studied maths, used LaTeX to write his exams (he is so dysgraphic that professors allowed him to do it on non networked computer).

 

Crashes are not that dangerous. You create one file per lecture, save it before professor open notes and keep saving every minute or so. When crash starts switch to pen(cil) and paper, return to keyboard as soon as system is up, integrate notes in the evening.

Each day make a copy of new files to cloud or pendrive, in case of disk failure/ransomware atack.

Edited September 22, 2016 by ksm

[Dragonmaster Lou]

I'll concede that if you're good enough with LaTeX, you can use it to take notes with equations. I didn't discover LaTeX until relatively late in my college "career," so I didn't know about that option.

 

Diagrams are the bigger problem with only a keyboard. Maybe something like the Microsoft Surface or iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil might be the way to bridge the gap a bit, though.

[Randal6393]

I agree -- I always take notes with pen and paper, redo later for a "fair copy". Would like to point out, though, that the problem is not so much in media but in mind. The old saw went: What's a lecture? The quickest way to transmit information from professor to student without either party engaging the brain in the process. And that saw originated long before computers became the standard for note-taking.

 

Enjoy,

[cobalt]

Lecture starts. Heads go down and type like mad. Only listening and not looking. While the computer is useful, it is actually quite a linear environment and very hard to flip between documents, pages etc. as bookmarking functionality is poor.

 

When I taught at medical school, using problem-based learning, note-taking would have been impossible as no lectures! Of course the trick with a room of clacking keyboards is to set examination questions (assuming this method is used) that are meta-cognitive and cannot be answered through pure text recall.

 

If the students are taking verbatim notes, I'd be inclined to simply email them the lecture notes in advance, and run a seminar. No point wasting my time while they waste theirs.

 

This paper is a good read.

 

I've noticed in work meetings that colleagues who are typing while the meeting is progressing are generally disengaged from the meeting or discussion, are usually distracted when asked anything. Just anedotal, but if this paper says anything, these students are developing incredibly poor skills for the workplace, and at a time when employers complain that university graduates are ill-prepared for the workplace in the first place. I'd add that the research on artificial intelligence and professional work does suggest there will be hollowing out of the workplace with significant white-collar unemployment particularly in tasks that do not require high order cognitive skills.

[akustyk]

I bet this also depends on the subject taught. My computer science students take notes with pencil and paper. Other subjects, mostly on laptops. I do agree that good notes are essential.

 

I'd be more concerned with lecture delivery methods. We have become dependent on the PowerPoint format way too much, I believe. And if we get lazy with our lecture prep, so will our students with note taking.

[bobje]

With journalism undergraduates, I no longer allow the use of electronic devices in the classroom, smartphone or laptop. They're too distracting for everyone, and studies like the one from Mueller/Oppenheimer indicate that they have a negative effect on the learning process. This study is cited on my syllabi.

[akustyk]

With journalism undergraduates, I no longer allow the use of electronic devices in the classroom, smartphone or laptop. They're too distracting for everyone, and studies like the one from Mueller/Oppenheimer indicate that they have a negative effect on the learning process. This study is cited on my syllabi.

 

That's very interesting. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Devices can be distracting, very true.

[cobalt]

Bobje: I thought journalism students learnt shorthand?

[zuerincolour]

As a student, during my undergrad, I noticed around 50/50 pen to laptops. Now that I'm in postgrad, almost everyone around me writes. It's so nice to actually see that. And it's also kind of hard to type in the field.

[DaveBj]

As a student, during my undergrad, I noticed around 50/50 pen to laptops. Now that I'm in postgrad, almost everyone around me writes. It's so nice to actually see that. And it's also kind of hard to type in the field.

 

That is a very good point!

[Suwa194]

I don't want to be bias, but I think the study confirms some of my experience.

I like to write out my notes, but it's mostly because I can't type nearly as fast as I can write.

There are times where I stop and think "hmm. wait. there's a better way to phrase this."

However, I imagine that there should be someone who can rephrase the professor's words while typing. It's doable after all. It's much like starting a paper and writing/typing a stream of consciousness.

If I can rephrase my notes as I'm listening to the professor, I believe that another can do so while typing.

Edited October 5, 2016 by Suwa194

[cellmatrix]

The impact factor of psychological science is a decent 4.9, which implies that it was given a good peer review and it regarded as a good journal in psychological circles. Obviously this article is preaching to the FPN choir. So its not surprising that the conclusions resonate with all of us.

 

As far as convenience, Palmer or business writing requires a table, upon which to rest one's forearm. So for us cursive business writing folks, if we don't have a table, and only a chair, typing in a laptop seems the best option.

[GJMekenkamp]

I'm studying Biology, the road I've taking is Neuroscience and Behavior.

 

In my first year almost everybody used a laptop. In my second year 50% used laptop. In my third year everybody just took notes with a pen.

 

This indeed confirms what some other people say: on the long run writing with a pen wins

[DaveBj]

The impact factor of psychological science is a decent 4.9, which implies that it was given a good peer review and it regarded as a good journal in psychological circles. Obviously this article is preaching to the FPN choir. So its not surprising that the conclusions resonate with all of us.

 

As far as convenience, Palmer or business writing requires a table, upon which to rest one's forearm. So for us cursive business writing folks, if we don't have a table, and only a chair, typing in a laptop seems the best option.

 

 

I do most of my writing on a 14" clipboard held on my lap. I don't know about Palmer or business writing, but this works for me, in the absence of a desk/table surface.

[Dickkooty2]

A note from my school days, so long ago I was using a wax tablet and a stylus.

 

If you didn't translate the profs words into your own version, you were lost on an essay test, a 'tear and compare', or the dreaded "identify date style artist" slide sets. While different topics took different exact styles of testing, if you couldn't write an answer given 50 minutes to the question, you were not going to do well in the liberal arts. This was parttcularly true in the Art History major where the words were of no use if you hadn't taken the time to internalize your feelings for the work.

[cellmatrix]

 

 

I do most of my writing on a 14" clipboard held on my lap. I don't know about Palmer or business writing, but this works for me, in the absence of a desk/table surface.

 

Business writing is the typical kind of cursive your parents or grandparents were probably taught years ago. One popular variant is the Palmer method, but I prefer the method by E.C Mills. This kind of writing is a lot of fun but its not designed to be written using your fingers alone. It requires you to put your shoulder into it, and for that you need a table.