Taking notes is an essential part of being a student. Here at Lambert, many classes require thorough note-taking. As considerable amounts of knowledge are covered in difficult classes, some students have found taking online notes to be much more effective through online note taking applications such as Google Docs.
With constant advancements and rising popularity in online note taking applications, as well as styli sold by companies such as Apple, it’s no surprise that students have conformed to a more accessible note taking approach.
However, there’s no question that digital notes have their downsides. According to a study done in 2014, it was found that students who resorted to handwritten notes had a higher conceptual understanding than students who chose to take online notes. Consequently, teachers often encourage students to write notes by hand rather than digital notes.
Digital notes will not be replacing handwritten notes any time soon, but they will still increase in popularity as access to technology also increases.
“I like the organization and cleanliness that digital notes provide,” Lambert junior Aditya Lagu explained. “It’s a lot better than carrying around big notebooks and folders when you can just store everything in applications.”
Students often use online notes for a more convenient approach to the note taking process. Being able to manipulate notes, formatting and colors with a single tap of a digital pen not only provides students with efficiency and convenience, but a greater creative learning process.
“It should be up to the student to use the most convenient method for them to take notes with,” Lagu commented.
Regardless of the method of note-taking, both handwritten notes and online notes have found their places in schools. Handwritten notes may provide students with better conceptual understanding and memorization, but online notes provide efficiency, convenience and a creative working space. Students can choose the method of note taking based on their preferences and needs.
