Laptop versus longhand note-taking effects are mixed: typing benefited memory in some studies but longhand benefited conceptual questions in others¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2017 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Schoen (2012) and Bui et al. (2013, study 1) found computer note-taking led to better memory performance than longhand, while Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014) found the opposite pattern for conceptual questions. → Jansen 2017

Evidence¶

Jansen 2017¶

Jansen, R. S., Lakens, D., & IJsselsteijn, W. (2017). An integrative review of the cognitive costs and benefits of note-taking. Educational Research Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2017.10.001

q2 · i? · review · r3

Narrative review of Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014), two experiments (n = 65 and n = 149) with TEDx talks, contrasting with Schoen (2012) and Bui et al. (2013) where computer note-taking outperformed longhand. The review reports the divergent patterns without effect sizes.

"In both experiments, participants’ performance on the conceptual questions was better in the longhand notes condition compared to the computer notes condition. Performance on the factual questions showed a trend towards better performance with longhand note-taking."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Laptop note-takers transcribed more verbatim and did worse on conceptual questions than longhand note-takers in one set of experiments, but a direct replication found no consistent difference in test performance — related
• Taking and reviewing handwritten notes yields slightly higher achievement than typing notes among college students, by one meta-analysis reported second-hand — related
• Transcribed versus organised note-taking effects depend on lecture format: transcription won with audio lectures, summarising won with text — related
• Test format and timing moderate note-taking effects: congruent note-taking and testing modalities improved performance, and transcribed notes won only at immediate test — related