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Paper vs. devices: Brain activation differences during memory retrieval (2021)

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Re: Paper vs. devices: Brain activation differences during memory retrieval (2021)

#31

Post by criddell »

apienx wrote: post #26

I tend to write with more intent when using paper because I know that editing is not really possible. Accessibility is also much more limited on paper. However, I think of my devices and PKM software as a second brain where I just offload information knowing it can be accessed anywhere and anytime. P.S. From TokyoU’s Department of Basic Science (in an allegedly predatory journal).

What personal knowledge management software do you use?

I’ve never noticed memory differences based on how I made a note. I have, however, noticed that the act of making notes helps me understand something (which isn’t necessarily the same as recall) and writing on paper works best for me.

Re: Paper vs. devices: Brain activation differences during memory retrieval (2021)

#32

Post by tgv »

amelius wrote: post #11
wesleychen wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except in this study they were comparing writing on a paper to writing on a tablet so it seems that somehow the fact that the writing happened to a piece of paper makes our memory better and its not just the act of writing itself.

Maybe because mistakes are less expensive on a tablet.

That's testable, but if it turns out to have a benefit, you'll have to implement that effect on all tablets and phones, and make corrections more difficult (???).

However, I don't think it has a benefit: people don't correct themselves on tablet/phone, so I think the cost of a mistake is the same as on paper, namely 0, unless people are really more careful when writing.

Re: Paper vs. devices: Brain activation differences during memory retrieval (2021)

#33

Post by AngaraliTurk »

keiferski wrote: post #12

This study appears to focus on short term memory, but for my money, long-term memory is much more significant. As such, it would have been useful to add a third option: using a SRS system like Anki. I imagine it would significantly outcompete both hand-written notes and digital tablet notes. A bit like the famous Steve Jobs example comparing a human, a condor, and a human with a bicycle. The condor (hand-writing) may…

Just a very small nitpick, but "system" is redundant when you say SRS, as it would be like saying Spaced Repetition System system.

Re: Paper vs. devices: Brain activation differences during memory retrieval (2021)

#34

Post by maksimur »

apienx wrote: post #26

I tend to write with more intent when using paper because I know that editing is not really possible. Accessibility is also much more limited on paper. However, I think of my devices and PKM software as a second brain where I just offload information knowing it can be accessed anywhere and anytime. P.S. From TokyoU’s Department of Basic Science (in an allegedly predatory journal).

I wish it was like that for me too. I waste a lot of paper because I have to strike or rewrite my notes over and over for mistakes and changes of mind, even though I do my best not to make them. I still didn't find a way to fix that, but maybe it's just how my brain works.

Re: Paper vs. devices: Brain activation differences during memory retrieval (2021)

#35

Post by [deleted] »

AngaraliTurk wrote: post #33
keiferski wrote: post #12

This study appears to focus on short term memory, but for my money, long-term memory is much more significant. As such, it would have been useful to add a third option: using a SRS system like Anki. I imagine it would significantly outcompete both hand-written notes and digital tablet notes. A bit like the famous Steve Jobs example comparing a human, a condor, and a human with a bicycle. The condor (hand-writing) may…

Just a very small nitpick, but "system" is redundant when you say SRS, as it would be like saying Spaced Repetition System system.

[deleted]

Re: Paper vs. devices: Brain activation differences during memory retrieval (2021)

#36

Post by keiferski »

AngaraliTurk wrote: post #33
keiferski wrote: post #12

This study appears to focus on short term memory, but for my money, long-term memory is much more significant. As such, it would have been useful to add a third option: using a SRS system like Anki. I imagine it would significantly outcompete both hand-written notes and digital tablet notes. A bit like the famous Steve Jobs example comparing a human, a condor, and a human with a bicycle. The condor (hand-writing) may…

Just a very small nitpick, but "system" is redundant when you say SRS, as it would be like saying Spaced Repetition System system.

SRS = spaced repetition software.

Re: Paper vs. devices: Brain activation differences during memory retrieval (2021)

#37

Post by AngaraliTurk »

keiferski wrote: post #36
AngaraliTurk wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just a very small nitpick, but "system" is redundant when you say SRS, as it would be like saying Spaced Repetition System system.

SRS = spaced repetition software.

Spaced repetition software system? That's not the usual meaning of SRS, but good to know some people use it like that.

Re: Paper vs. devices: Brain activation differences during memory retrieval (2021)

#38

Post by pbhjpbhj »

wodenokoto wrote: post #16
ngrilly wrote: post #7

Anyone here did see an improvement in memory retrieval after switching from taking notes by typing on their computer to taking notes on something like Remarkable?

I think the kind of notes you can take with pen and paper beats what you can reasonably do with a keyboard. And I think some of the diagrams and annotated equations you can easily write on paper creates a much better learning experience. But computer notes are much easier to search. So for things like meeting minutes, and daily todos etc, write it in a .txt file. But when following along a deep learning course, write…

I use OneNote and do some scribbled handwriting and quite a lot of typing; mostly 'printed' in text from PDFs. I'm always amazed at how it can interpret my handwriting, a lot of people struggle with it (including me). It's not perfect, but it surprises me sometimes.

Re: Paper vs. devices: Brain activation differences during memory retrieval (2021)

#39

Post by GuB-42 »

Buttons840 wrote: post #22
BaculumMeumEst wrote: post #15

I think it would be interesting to see a study on memory retrieval for completing software projects with a dumb text editor with nothing enabled, an IDE, and an IDE with copilot enabled.

I learned to program using Python with Geany, no autocomplete, every single letter typed by my fingers; no auto-format either. I was doing some consulting (I got a cheap consulting gig as my first job) and wrote a daemon in Python, which ran for about a year, then hit an edge case where I had misspelled a variable. -_- After that it ran for several years, 24/7, no problem. Now to my point: I learned Python far better…

Or maybe because it is Python. I find Python to be a beginner friendly, easy to learn language that steers you in the "right" direction. I think it is the biggest factor that explains its popularity. It is not a perfect language, in fact, I don't like it that much, but you have to give credit when credit is due.

With C++, you can have decades of experience and be considered an expert, and yet, feel like a noob (my case). Perl, a language that shares many similarities with Python is also much harder to learn well. The "there is more than one way to do it" philosophy has value, but not for learning.

Re: Paper vs. devices: Brain activation differences during memory retrieval (2021)

#40

Post by halayli »

I am not sure I agree with their participants sampling approach. Memory and particularly short term memory is highly impacted with people that have adhd/depression/bipolar. I am surprised they went with random participants without assessing their mental states and taking that into consideration.
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