Writing on paper vs. ipad, does it make a difference?
/If there is one disturbing trend I noticed in 2020 and coming into 2021, it’s the giant increase in the use of tablets (e.g. ipads) at schools.
I even bought a new ipad for work, as travel and remote working meant I’ve had to attend more video conferences than ever before.
So I was wondering, does writing on a tablet (by typing or using a stylus) impact the brain differently than writing using pen and paper? And if so, how?
So it was interesting to come across this study, which was recently conducted by the University of Tokyo.
They took a group of students and recent graduates (18 to 29 years of age) and had them read a fictional passage about a conversation a group of people.
The subjects in the group were split into 3 groups:
Group 1: took notes using pen and paper.
Group 2: took notes using tablet and stylus.
Group 3: took note using their phone (typing).
After some time, the subjects were asked a series of questions about what they read, and they were monitored using and fMRI machine (tracks blood flow in the brain).
Results:
Group 1 subjects were able to take notes 25% faster than Groups 2 and 3.
Group 1 subjects were able to complete the questions in 11 minutes, vs. 14 min for tablet users and 16 min for phone users - that’s a significant difference.
fMRI results: Group 1 subjects showed “more brain activity in areas associated with language, imaginary visualization, and in the hippocampus—an area known to be important for memory and navigation.”
I’m certainly not anti-tech, and I do believe that it has its place in education and professional settings. I also do believe (based on research I’ve read) that certain apps actually help children develop certain cognitive and hand-eye coordination skills.
However, and as this study indicates, the pendulum shouldn’t swing completely in one direction and pen and paper still have significant advantages in multiple areas.
