Don't throw away your old notebooks just yet. According to experts, sticking with a pen and paper has a some serious benefits (and it has nothing to do going nuts in the newsagent stationery aisle).
Advertisement
In fact, writing by hand appears to improve our ability to remember things, meaning even in today's tech-obsessed society, the pen just might be mightier than Word.
"When we write by hand, we have to coordinate verbal and fine movement systems," Dr Helen Macpherson of the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN) at Deakin University told The Huffington Post Australia. "And when we learn new information, for example at school or in a university lecture, we don’t write verbatim, which means we have to create our own summaries and concepts.
"Basically, because we can keep pace typing but we can’t keep pace with handwriting, it means we have different ways of encoding the information, which in turn leads to richer memory."
For this reason, some universities are encouraging students to ditch their laptops in lectures and take notes by hand.
Advertisement
"Because you can’t possibly write everything [the lecturer is saying], you have write in a style that allows you to get maximum information from minimum output," Jared Hovarth, from University of Melbourne’s Science of Learning Research Center told HuffPost Australia.
"You can't write 50 words, you can only write five. So you pick the five key words that will help you remember the point. This means you process that information on a deeper level, because you've deciphered what the content is, how it links together, and then picked the five key words that best summarise that content.
"I see this with students all the time in their note taking. Those on laptops will write hundreds more words, but if I ask them, 'what did we just talk about?' the answer will be something like, 'mmmm, I'm not 100 percent sure, I was going to take a look at that later.' The idea being, while they were typing, they weren't really connecting to or processing the information, but were more focused on getting everything down.
"However, you can process it while you are writing by hand, and that can make a big difference."
The fact writing by hand takes us longer isn't the only aspect contributing to richer memory. It also has to do with the very skills it takes to write something in the first place.
"There is a real linearity to a computer," Hovarth said. "When you are typing, you are always going straight, whereas with handwriting, you are circling, you're going up and down, you are drawing lines backwards -- it's very different.
Advertisement
"The very nature of handwriting means you have to write and organise as you are thinking, and that kind of organisation affects how you are interpreting the information.
"It's the way the hand writing forces you to organise your thoughts that leads to deeper processing."
Of course, that's not to say technology in the classroom isn't the way of the future.
"The computer allows us speed and handwriting allows us deep processing. It's a matter of figuring out how we pool the two," Hovarth said.
"As with anything that changes, you are going to lose some things and gain some things. Say if we completely stopped handwriting everywhere, it doesn't mean we are going to lose the ability to process information.
"We are just going to figure out a way that technology can better suit the way we typically learn.
"I would imagine it would mean that linearity there is with a computer would be scrapped. Note taking would be more more interactive. People would find ways to make up for handwriting if we were to lose it.
Advertisement
"I have no doubt we will find ways to make digital work for us and make it suit our purposes."
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.