We may return to handwriting! It makes learning easier

The findings of a new study contribute to the growing body of evidence regarding the benefits of handwriting.

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We may return to handwriting! It makes learning easier

In a new study, psychologists Audrey van der Meer and Ruud van der Weel from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim recruited university students and attached electrodes to their heads. The researchers asked the students to write a word appearing on a computer screen using a digital pen or to type it. Sensors in the headgear recorded electrical brain activity as the participants performed each task.

Since educational curricula have changed, many students prefer taking notes by typing rather than handwriting. However, a new study shows that repeatedly writing the same word by hand can increase connectivity between brain regions involved in learning and memory.

IF WE WANT TO LEARN SOMETHING, HANDWRITING IS STILL THE BEST METHOD

According to the study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, when university students were asked to write words by hand, more connectivity was observed in their brains, particularly in brain waves associated with memory formation, compared to when they typed those words.

This result adds to the growing body of evidence regarding the benefits of handwriting. It could lead to an increase in laws implementing handwriting curricula. Ramesh Balasubramaniam, a neuroscientist at the University of California who was not involved in the study, says regarding the findings, "There is a fundamental difference in brain activity between handwriting and typing."

Numerous previous studies have shown that handwriting improves spelling accuracy, memory recall, and conceptual understanding. Scientists believe that this slower process of forming letters and words gives individuals more time to process and learn information.

In the new study, psychologists Audrey van der Meer and Ruud van der Weel from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology conducted their research on university students. Here, the selected students had electrodes attached and data was monitored from a computer. The researchers asked the students to write a word appearing on a computer screen using a digital pen or to type it. Sensors in the headgear recorded electrical brain activity as the participants performed each task.

Seeking consistency for both groups, the scientists observed increased activity not only in the motor skills side expected with handwriting in low-frequency bands but also in other areas associated with learning.

According to the researchers, writing by hand while taking notes helps in learning information better.

News Source: 12punto