A Recent Study Involving University Students Revealed That Writing By Hand Boosts Learning And Memory Much Better Than Typing On A Keyboard
Research and study methods have undergone tremendous change over the past few decades. After relying on resources like hard-copy encyclopedias and tools like notebooks, pencils, and typewriters, the advent of computers and the internet completely changed how students learn and work.
But, despite classrooms now being equipped with Smart Boards and most students learning to type in grade school, a recent study revealed that older learning methods actually have a larger impact on memory.
More specifically, a research team in Norway found that writing by hand instead of typing on a keyboard can actually boost both learning and memory.
The study involved 36 university students who were tasked with either handwriting or typing words shown on a screen. Then, the researchers used 256 sensors to monitor brain activity and found that handwriting notably improved the connections between various brain regions, a phenomenon not observed during typing.
“We show that when writing by hand, brain connectivity patterns are far more elaborate than when typewriting on a keyboard,” said Audrey van der Meer, a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
“Such widespread brain connectivity is known to be crucial for memory formation and for encoding new information and, therefore, is beneficial for learning.”
In the study, participants wrote in cursive on a touchscreen using a digital pen and typed using a single finger on a keyboard. The research team employed a high-density EEG, a specialized cap fitted with 256 sensors, to track the brain’s electrical activity.
This cap was worn by the participants, who had their brain activity recorded for five-second intervals each time they were instructed to write or type.
The researchers suggest that the process of meticulously crafting letters by hand offers more cognitive stimulation than the repetitive action of pressing keys with the same finger. Additionally, they pointed out that although digital pens were used for writing in the study, the outcomes would likely be comparable if the participants had used an ink pen and paper.
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“We have shown that the differences in brain activity are related to the careful forming of the letters when writing by hand while making more use of the senses. Since it is the movement of the fingers carried out when forming letters that promote brain connectivity, writing in print is also expected to have similar benefits for learning as cursive writing,” Professor van der Meer explained.
“This also explains why children who have learned to write and read on a tablet can have difficulty differentiating between letters that are mirror images of each other, such as ‘b’ and ‘d.’ They literally haven’t felt with their bodies what it feels like to produce those letters.”
So, while typing may be quicker and easier, the study indicates a decline in the use of handwritten note-taking in educational environments, and the researchers are arguing for increased opportunities to engage in handwriting at school.
According to the study’s results, taking handwritten notes can boost learning and memory retention more effectively than notes taken by typing.
“There is some evidence that students learn more and remember better when taking handwritten lecture notes, while using a computer with a keyboard may be more practical when writing a long text or essay,” Professor van der Meer concluded.
To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in Frontiers in Psychology, visit the link here.
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