As students prepare to move away to college or university, we look at the benefits of learning from printed text books.
Right now, parents up and down the country will be scouring the aisles of IKEA, picking out the ideal cutlery set or perfect pillow for their child as they prepare to move away to college or university. Family cars will be heaving with half a home’s worth of possessions and clothes, ready for a life of new friends, all-night parties and constant Deliveroo orders. Oh, and some studying.
Once the initial excitement of their new life calms down, students will need to consider how they organise their education – how they take notes in lectures or classes, how they arrange those notes, and ultimately, how they revise for their exams. Many will listen to the lecturer in front of a laptop, fingers poised over the keyboard, while others will have a simple A4 pad of paper and a Biro.
Students will each have their personal preference and there are a number of environmental benefits to using paper, but which method is actually better for learning?
A Stimulating Experience
A paper by two psychology researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology released earlier this year firmly came down on the side of paper. The researchers instructed 36 students to write down a variety of words chosen at random from the game Pictionary while wearing a complex set of sensors on their heads.
The researchers wanted to determine whether writing by hand or by keyboard involved more connectivity between the two sides of the brain – something that correlates with learning and memory. What they found was that “whenever handwriting movements are included as a learning strategy, more of the brain gets stimulated, resulting in the formation of more complex neural network connectivity.”
This scientific proof of the educational value of paper-based learning joins a number of other research reports that make a positive link between reading in print and improved comprehension, reading ability and memory retention. For the student, there is also the significant advantage of less distractions when reading or note-taking, as well as paper providing a much-needed break from the digital arena.
Lifelong Learning On Paper
Of course, all the advantages of using paper over screens aren’t just limited to students. Many companies are starting to realise the benefits of paper-only meetings, increasing the amount of engagement and attention the lack of screens delivers. But it’s in education that the greatest difference can be made by providing students with paper to write on and learn from, whatever their age.
“We urge that children from an early age must be exposed to handwriting activities in school to establish the neuronal connectivity patterns that provide the brain with optimal conditions for learning,” the Norwegian paper concluded. “Although it is vital to maintain handwriting practice at school, it is also important to keep up with continuously developing technological advances. Therefore, both teachers and students should be aware of which practice has the best learning effect in what context, for example when taking lecture notes or writing an essay.”
So along with the new frying pan, kettle and packet of paracetamol, you should add a steady supply of paper to the student list.
To read the Norwegian University of Science and Technology paper, go to: frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945/full
