Mere nostalgia or a genuine teaching revolution? The question is being asked today in several French universities. Institutions such as Rennes and Angers have decided to ban computers from some lectures in order to improve students’ attention and memorisation. This decision draws in particular on work in cognitive psychology and neuroscience that questions the impact of digital tools on learning.
Before drawing conclusions too hastily, however, two questions deserve to be asked. The first concerns the interpretation of certain neuroscience work. The research of Stanislas Dehaene, often called upon in this debate, deals mainly with the learning of reading and writing in children, in particular the formation of letters and the neural circuits involved. If handwriting promotes certain cognitive processes in children, nothing clearly shows that the same effects exist in adults. The neuroscientific argument therefore deserves to be discussed with caution.
The second question concerns mastery of typing. The 2014 study by Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer, often cited in this debate, shows that students who take notes by hand retain information better than those who use a computer. The researchers explain in particular that handwritten note-taking encourages rephrasing and synthesis, whereas the computer can encourage more literal transcription.
However, part of the problem could also come from imperfect mastery of the keyboard. Many students still type with two fingers, having taught themselves to use the computer. This method is slow and uses up a cognitive load that can divert attention from what is essential: understanding and synthesising information. In this context, notes taken with a pencil may seem more concise, without the computer necessarily being to blame. By analogy, if students were required to write with a quill and an inkwell while avoiding ink blots, their notes would probably also be less rich and less effective.
Another argument often put forward concerns distraction. Several studies show that using a computer can encourage multitasking and divert attention. Some students admit, moreover, to using their computer for other activities during lectures. When it is not allowed, distraction seems to decrease.
This decision is not without controversy, however. Some students feel they lose time without a computer and consider that it lets them take fuller and faster notes. Others point out that they will need typing skills in their future careers.
There is therefore probably no single solution. Taking notes by hand has advantages in terms of understanding, analysis and memorisation, whereas the computer offers speed and ease of revision. A balanced approach, combining the two methods according to the situation, could be the most appropriate.
In any case, training students in effective note-taking remains essential, whether handwritten or digital. Teachers can play an important role by passing on suitable methods and strategies.
Finally, new technologies, including artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT, can be useful tools for finding and synthesising information. They replace neither critical thinking nor the ability to formulate one’s own ideas, however. Their use must therefore be accompanied by teaching supervision and by awareness of the issues, notably the environmental ones, of digital technology.
The return of the pen to the lecture theatres may not be a simple nostalgic gesture, but an invitation to rethink the use of tools in class. The challenge is to find a balance between digital technologies and traditional methods in order to foster attention, understanding and memorisation, while preparing students for the demands of their future working lives.
Flore Guattari-Michaux
References:
- Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The pen is mightier than the keyboard: Advantages of longhand over laptop note taking. Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159-1168.
- Sana, F., Weston, T., & Cepeda, N. J. (2013). Laptop multitasking hinders classroom learning for both users and nearby peers. Computers & Education, 62, 24-31.
- Artz, B., & Johnson, M. J. (2019). Learning with technology: Evidence that self-directed use improves college students’ grades while lessening the digital divide. Educational Researcher, 48(2), 121-139.
