Longhand Note Taking

Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer argue in a paper in Psychological Science that taking notes by hand is more productive than laptop note taking.

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.