Note Taking: Physical or Digital?
With the introduction of Personal Learning Devices in most schools, hybrid learning has also led to a shift in how we take notes and do our assignments. Which then, is more effective?
Digital note taking comes in many forms - online mind maps, typed documents or written (using a stylus), and it has the following benefits:
Higher efficiency - students who take digital notes are able to take down information faster and reduce the chance of missing out on content.
Access to more platforms - it is more convenient to use multiple online platforms to facilitate learning, and clarify information more easily.
Communication and collaboration - especially for group work, online note taking makes note-sharing more efficient.
However, studies have shown that laptop note-takers perform worse on conceptual exam questions compared to longhand note-takers (Mueller & Oppenheimer, 2014). This is because students tend to transcribe and take down facts from the lesson, without drawing conclusions by summarising the content on their own. This hinders the student’s ability to absorb and digest information, as compared to physically taking down important concepts.
There are also more distractions when taking notes digitally, which affect a student’s concentration in class. Screen time is also a rising concern, accentuated by the increase in online lessons and learning platforms.
How can we mitigate such concerns, as digitalisation inevitably changes how we learn? Students can adopt the following strategies to optimise online note-taking:
Using a touchscreen device and handheld stylus - mimicking the process of physical notetaking, this strategy marries the benefits of digital and longhand note taking.
Creating diagrams - a strategy that can be used for both online and physical note taking. It helps one to process information and digest it more easily.
Minimising distractions - if distractions are a concern for online note taking, you can restrict the sites or time you spend on sites that are unrelated to your learning.
Resources:
https://research.com/education/digital-notes-vs-paper-notes
By: Shana Lam