As you prepare for the coming term, you might consider adding some notebooks and writing implements to your list. There has been considerable research to indicate that the human brain processes information differently depending on whether we type it or write (or print) it by hand:
Taking notes on laptops rather than in longhand is increasingly common. 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. In three studies, we found that students who took notes on laptops performed worse on conceptual questions than students who took notes longhand. We show that whereas taking more notes can be beneficial, laptop note takers’ tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim rather than processing information and reframing it in their own words is detrimental to learning.
Abstract, Pam A. Mueller and Daniel M. Oppenheimer, “The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking,” Psychological Science(April 23, 2014) [sign-in required]
See also:
- Drake Baer, “Here’s Why Highlighting Doesn’t Actually Help You Remember Anything,” Business Insider(Nov. 4, 2014).
- Drake Baer, “Here’s why writing things out by hand makes you smarter,” Business Insider(Dec. 16, 2014).
- Nancy Darling, “Step Away From The Keyboard: How Our Hands Affect Our Brains,” Psychology Today(July 04, 2014).
- Maria Konnikova, “What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades,” The New York Times(June 2, 2014).
Dwarfing the gravities 