Computer vs. Pen and Paper

Taking notes is a vital task for every high school student, while many teachers advise taking notes by hand, most students prefer to spend their time typing notes. 

Brianna Patterson, an Upper School biology teacher at the Emery/Weiner School, stresses the importance of taking notes in the traditional pen and paper style rather than relying on a computer or an iPad. Patterson claims, “our brains are bombarded with information non-stop, and need to decide what information is important enough to remember and what is not.” She continues, “By writing something down repetitively by hand, our brain can decipher that information as important and store it in our short-term and long-term memory.” Patterson believes that by taking notes by hand, your brain can take in the information more than simply typing it on a computer. Furthermore, she states that “technology is advancing faster than our brains, so you can highlight all you want on a computer screen but our brains have not been wired to use that technology for remembering information.” 

In observing her biology students, specifically,, she has seen slight differences in performance between students who take notes by hand versus those who take notes digitally. She mentions, “Performance wise, people who have taken the time to take the notes have a better understanding of what they read and what they saw, and can apply it on a higher level.” However, she is not saying people who take notes via computer can not reach that higher level of thinking, just that they are disadvantaged in recalling vital information. 

 Charlotte Goldstein, an Emery/Weiner School junior, advocates for hand-written notes. She believes that taking notes by hand makes her more organized and helps her succeed more in school. Stating, “It is easier for me to keep it [her notes] all organized in a binder as opposed to Google Drive.” Ultimately, taking notes by hand seems more effective in retaining information and being more organized; however, it lacks in accommodating different learning disabilities and is very cumbersome. 

Conversely, Junior Evelyn Burt believes that taking notes online is easier and faster than taking notes via pen and paper. Burt says, “Taking notes by hand is too time-consuming,” and overall, an excruciating process. She believes that when she takes notes by hand, she is “focusing on the act of taking notes rather than the information,” while on a computer, she can focus more on the content. 

Similarly, a student here at Emery, who would prefer to remain anonymous, with learning differences believes that taking notes by hand allows them to ensure they are typing everything down, rather than only certain concepts or phrases. They remark, “Doing assignments online helps me get my ideas out as fast as I am coming up with them, I used to not be able to keep up with my own thoughts and would forget the way I wanted to phrase things because I was too busy trying to write them down, and that mindset is epically amplified while taking a test so now that I can type I am a lot more sure of the work I am producing.” 

Ultimately, the student body is very torn on whether taking notes by hand or on a computer is more effective, rather every student should have the option to choose which learning style helps them succeed.