THE 2014 STUDY
Handwriting looked better
In Princeton studies, laptop note-takers did as well on facts but worse on conceptual questions. Their notes held more words copied word for word.
See the numbersWHAT THE STUDIES FOUND
Pen or keyboard?
It depends on the notes.
Typing is faster, so typed notes hold more words.
FEWER TABS more learning
11 points Test score gap, multitaskers vs not
- Own words over transcripts
- Review what you wrote
- Close the other tabs
- Habits matter more than the tool
A famous 2014 study said handwriting still won. Later replications found the gap smaller than the headlines suggested, and found something else that matters more: what else is open on the screen.
THE SHORT ANSWER
No clear winner,
but clear habits.
The tool matters less than people think.
How you use it matters more.
THE REPLICATION
The gap shrank
A 2021 direct replication at Tufts found no reliable difference on facts or concepts when students were quizzed without reviewing their notes.
Check your notes
DISTRACTION
Other tabs cost more
In a 2013 study, students who multitasked on a laptop scored lower, and so did students who could see their screen.
What to doA QUICK NOTES CHECK
How will you
use your notes?
Pick a situation to see what the studies say about it. The bar shows how much the research suggests your choice of habit matters there.
Based on Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014), Urry and colleagues (2021), Flanigan and colleagues (2024) and Sana, Weston and Cepeda (2013).
FOUR HABITS TO TRY
Better notes,
on either tool.
None of these needs a new device. They are about how you use whichever tool you already have.
Write in your own words
Summarise instead of transcribing. The 2014 study linked word-for-word notes with weaker answers on ideas.
Review before the test
In the 2014 one-week follow-up, students reviewed their notes first, and the 2024 meta-analysis looked at taking and reviewing notes.
Go offline while you listen
The 2014 laptops were disconnected from the internet. Closing other tabs removes the distraction the 2013 study measured.
Mind the people behind you
A busy screen can distract the people who can see it, not only the person using it.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
The screen next door
matters too.
Two results from one 2013 experiment
in a simulated lecture.
11 points
Test score gap, multitaskers vs not
Students who multitasked on a laptop during the lecture scored 55% on the test. Those who did not multitask scored 66%.
MULTITASKING · 2013
17 points
Test score gap, in view of a multitasker vs not
Students who could see a multitasking peer's laptop scored 56%. Students who could not see one scored 73%.
IN VIEW · 2013
Sana, Weston and Cepeda, Computers & Education (2013). Each experiment was small, with 40 and 38 participants in a simulated lecture, so treat the exact gaps with care.
WHY STUDIES DISAGREE
Lab talks are not
a term of lectures.
The best-known studies used short TED talks and a quiz soon afterwards. The 2021 replication team said TED talks differ from typical lectures and that real learning gaps are longer than a 30-minute delay.
They also noted that word count and copying might stand in for motivation or interest. Their advice was that future studies should better represent real-world settings.
Questions
Questions people ask
Is handwriting better than typing for notes?
The evidence is mixed. A 2014 study found handwritten notes did better on conceptual questions, a 2021 direct replication found no reliable difference, and a 2024 meta-analysis linked taking and reviewing handwritten notes with modestly higher achievement.
Why do typed notes contain more words?
Typing is faster than writing by hand. In the 2014 and 2021 studies, typed notes held more words and more phrases copied word for word from the talk.
Does it help to tell yourself not to copy word for word?
In the 2014 studies, students told explicitly to avoid verbatim notes on a laptop showed similar results to those who were not told.
Do laptops in class distract other people?
In a 2013 experiment, students in direct view of a peer multitasking on a laptop scored 56% on a test, compared with 73% for students who could not see one.
What about a tablet and stylus?
One of the 2014 authors suggested a stylus might give an electronic record while still making you process information as it comes in. That was a suggestion, not a tested finding.
Where the facts come from
Updated
- APS: Take notes by hand for better long-term comprehension (2014)
- APS: Don't ditch the laptop just yet, replication finds no immediate advantage to writing notes by hand (2021)
- BPS Research Digest: Taking lecture notes on a laptop might not be so bad after all
- Flanigan et al. (2024): Typed versus handwritten lecture notes and college student achievement, a meta-analysis
- Sana, Weston and Cepeda (2013): Laptop multitasking hinders classroom learning for both users and nearby peers