38th Annual Student Research Conference
Studying the Effects of Typed Notes vs. Handwritten Notes on Information Processing
Nyssia J. Crandall* and Emily C. Kaysinger
Dr. Karen Vittengl, Faculty Mentor
Previous research has shown that for taking notes during class, handwriting notes are often more effective. Relative to typed notes, they require the processing of the information more deeply. This study aimed to see if this finding extended to notes that could be used during an exam. 32 students taking a class that allowed use of specific notes during exams agreed to participate for extra credit. Their notes were coded for being handwritten, typed, or both. They also rated how helpful the notes were. Overall, few differences were found between types of notes, suggesting that any effects are not large. However, there was a trend toward handwritten notes being associated with higher grades, and typed notes took significantly longer to prepare. With the combination of those two factors, we recommend that students should lean toward handwritten notes, but that faculty should allow students to choose.
Keywords: Note-Taking, Technology, Memory, Education, Test-Taking, Processing, Comprehension, Handwriting
Topic(s):Psychology
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA