<story><title>The benefits of note-taking by hand</title><url>https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200910-the-benefits-of-note-taking-by-hand</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>amadeuspagel</author><text>&amp;gt; Researchers have found that note-taking associated with keyboarding involves taking notes verbatim in a way that does not involve processing information, and so have called this “non-generative” note-taking.&lt;p&gt;From the linked paper:&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; 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.&lt;p&gt;The mechanism here is probably that people are able to type faster, so typing lets them write down every word, whereas handwriting forces them to choose what to write down. The superior way of note taking by this logic is clearly typing on your phone.&lt;p&gt;But this has irrelevant for note taking as people on HN are likely to understand it: Writing down your ideas.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>hrktb</author><text>As for a lot of studies, what sticks to me is they were all done on students.&lt;p&gt;In a sense, they take notes all day long so  they are an interesting subject. On the other hand they are taking notes related to an external source, and not of stuff they are thinking by themselves or content anchored in a process other than passing a test.&lt;p&gt;I took notes by hand at school and take only digital notes now that I am working. While I respect the research done, I can’t help but feel that there’s something missing.&lt;p&gt;Intuitively, I can’t imagine that content that comes from my own brain that I am formatting into notes has a completely different retention rate depending on wether I type it or write it. Especially as I have no time pressure to think about what I’ll write.&lt;p&gt;Basically, would I remember this comment better if I wrote it on a post’it ? Id really like a study on this, and not students at school.</text></comment>
<story><title>The benefits of note-taking by hand</title><url>https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200910-the-benefits-of-note-taking-by-hand</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>amadeuspagel</author><text>&amp;gt; Researchers have found that note-taking associated with keyboarding involves taking notes verbatim in a way that does not involve processing information, and so have called this “non-generative” note-taking.&lt;p&gt;From the linked paper:&lt;p&gt;&amp;gt; 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.&lt;p&gt;The mechanism here is probably that people are able to type faster, so typing lets them write down every word, whereas handwriting forces them to choose what to write down. The superior way of note taking by this logic is clearly typing on your phone.&lt;p&gt;But this has irrelevant for note taking as people on HN are likely to understand it: Writing down your ideas.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>Meandering</author><text>There a couple aspects of other than time-taken that I think has a major impact on the ROI ratio. Note taking on a laptop is inherently restrictive in the sense that you are limited by the capability of your tools. So, there&amp;#x27;s less thought on what to note and how to note it. For example, I will reorganize sections of notes in a way that is more conducive to my though process. That, in and of itself, has added value to understanding and comprehension. I&amp;#x27;ve created an abstracted experience which includes doubling down on the concepts I&amp;#x27;m learning and creates more intimacy with the actual notes I&amp;#x27;m taking. In addition, memories are stored in extremely complex ways that are dependent on our senses. The tactile experience on the formation of memory shouldn&amp;#x27;t be ignored. Personally, I take notes by and transfer to latex. This allows me to double down on considering the information and &amp;#x27;revising&amp;#x27; my resources.</text></comment>