By hand, there are fewer, but there better – The World

“The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Laptop Over longhand note-taking” study published in Psychological Science in April, the same authors write: “Using computers in the classroom should be considered with a healthy dose of caution. Despite their growing popularity in these places, computers could do more harm than good. “

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THREE STORIES

The Studies have already shown the pernicious effect of computers on the concentration of students in classes, others have pointed his superior performance in terms of the amount of information entered. But nothing in comparison making manual / electronic notes. This is what M ^me Mueller and Mr. Oppenheimer discussed, leading three experiments. In the first, they asked students to take notes, some with a notebook and a pen, others with an unconnected laptop, listening to a lecture. Then they checked, half an hour later, they had chosen. In the second, they reproduced the same model by asking students not to do word for word. In the third, the assessment of what was withheld was made a week later, and after re-read the notes

Conclusion. Using a computer, students transcribe more but, as they do verbatim “indiscriminate and so stupid ” researchers write, they retain less. . And tell them to pay attention to what they do not change

Finally, having stored more information through the computer gives no advantage in the long term even after one week, the students who used the cursive have better results.

For the authors, the functionality of a keyboard can transcribe a speech word for word. With a pen, it is impossible: the student is forced to “process information and to reformulate in his own words” , a process that induces a more effective learning

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B. F.