Bring back the notebook

Imagine waking up to find that every college in the United States had banned all kinds of technology from all classes. I certainly would not mind.​

Spending four years at a high school in Turkey where any kind of technological device except a flip phone was banned taught me that I didn’t need an iPad or a laptop to learn, do my homework or have fun during a break.​

Now that I am in the United States, I can see that things work differently here, which was a bit of a culture shock for me. I am used to doing my academic work by hand, so it’s more difficult to do homework, write papers or study with an e-book on my laptop or iPad.

Technological advancements in classrooms have significantly expanded since the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, students are always just one click away from their coursework. We do homework online, take notes and write papers online — We even communicate with our peers online, eliminating in-person collaboration. 

Some argue that the difference between typing and handwriting is insignificant. But this is when the concept of “connection” comes into play. When we study with something physical like a notebook, we put more effort into it because we see and actually feel the work that we are doing.

And the research backs this up.

A 2024 meta analysis published in the Educational Psychology Review analyzed the results of 24 separate studies involving more than 3,000 college students. The researchers found that students who took and reviewed handwritten notes tended to score higher on tests and earn better grades than students who typed their notes on a laptop. While students who typed tended to write down more, that extra volume did not lead to better results. 

To demonstrate what the difference would look like in a real class, the researchers used a hypothetical course with a 75% class average. In that example, about 9.5% of handwriters would be expected to earn an A, compared to 6% of students who typed. Just 4% of handwriters would be expected to fail compared to 7% of those who typed.

We cannot marginalize the vital cognitive benefits of studying with traditional resources in the age of digital learning. They help us form intellectually deep connections that we just can’t foster with electronic devices. 

Universities do not need to ban technology to act on this. They just need to encourage students to put the laptop away and pick up a pen and some paper.