A Quora question: Should I take notes on a laptop?
I’ve contributed a number of answers to Quora, some of them around being an effective college student.
by Paul Bush · November 5, 2019
If you include learning as a skill then you need to look at this 2014 scientificamerican.com article: A Learning Secret: Don’t Take Notes with a Laptop
Typing these days means doing it electronically, and I think it’s imperative to consider the impact the device will have. Over a series of studies, researchers have found that you retain more and will keep it longer if you handwrite your class notes.
The article has a lot of good information, including another reason not to rely on your laptop or phone:
“(E)vidence suggests that when college students use laptops, they spend 40% of class time using applications unrelated to coursework, are more likely to fall off task, and are less satisfied with their education.”
Paul Bush
An associate professor at Franklin Pierce University, teaching journalism in all its forms today.
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