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A Learning Secret: Don't Take Notes with a Laptop (2014)

scientificamerican.com

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Re: A Learning Secret: Don't Take Notes with a Laptop (2014)

#51

Post by Double_a_92 »

bayesian_horse wrote: post #34

In lectures, note-taking at all should be avoided, most of the time. Most lectures cover material that is presented very clearly in accompanying materials, books or the internet. The idea I could do a better job than those authors while listening to the stuff for the first time is ludicrous. And at least for me it doesn't help recollection or focus to write notes while listening, and many students report they can tak…

> The idea I could do a better job than those authors while listening to the stuff for the first time is ludicrous.

Agree. I remember that I had one course that the prof couldn't really explain nicely and it seemed really hard. Then while preparing for the exam I actually read the book, and everything made sense and was quite easy.

Re: A Learning Secret: Don't Take Notes with a Laptop (2014)

#52

Post by iliketosleep »

rcthompson wrote: post #32

Sounds like the actual learning secret is "don't take verbatim notes", and the only relevance of the laptop is that it makes it much easier to take verbatim notes. I've pretty much only ever taken notes with a laptop, but I always take notes in the "digest and summarize" style, never recording the speaker's words verbatim, and it's worked great for me. (It wasn't a conscious decision; it's just how I take notes.)

> Sounds like the actual learning secret is "don't take verbatim notes", and the only relevance of the laptop is that it makes it much easier to take verbatim notes.

Yes, that's pretty much what it explains. The title "don't take notes with a laptop" is rather misleading. It's a well known fact that summarizing requires the learner's brain to actively process the information, as opposed to passively receiving information and copying. It wouldn't surprise me if summarizing on a laptop leads to better outcomes than using handwriting, as more cognitive resources would be available to process the information (rather than frantically writing).

Re: A Learning Secret: Don't Take Notes with a Laptop (2014)

#53

Post by leksak »

bayesian_horse wrote: post #34

In lectures, note-taking at all should be avoided, most of the time. Most lectures cover material that is presented very clearly in accompanying materials, books or the internet. The idea I could do a better job than those authors while listening to the stuff for the first time is ludicrous. And at least for me it doesn't help recollection or focus to write notes while listening, and many students report they can tak…

I wish lectures weren't really a thing in their current format. Why just reiterate what is already available in text and video? Have students consume the theoretical material beforehand and schedule Q&A's or practical application sessions or anything else where the interaction between lecturer and student may become something more dynamic.

Re: A Learning Secret: Don't Take Notes with a Laptop (2014)

#54

Post by kstenerud »

So, the actual issue is that transcription doesn't correlate with retention, and people who type tend to fall into the trap of transcription more easily.

There's nothing wrong or inferior about taking notes with a computer vs a notepad so long as you're not transcribing.

But, "Don't take notes with a laptop" is punchier.

Re: A Learning Secret: Don't Take Notes with a Laptop (2014)

#56

Post by pjmlp »

I usually take notes on paper as well.

Then I either scan them directly to PDF or take to effort to re-write them, if the information is to be better structured or shared with others.

Besides all the benefits mentioned by others, it is also a good way to rest my wrists from just typing.

Re: A Learning Secret: Don't Take Notes with a Laptop (2014)

#57

Post by leksak »

LoudogUno wrote: post #45

Going against what seems to be the prevailing thought in this thread. Here's why and how I take notes primarily on a laptop. When the lecture, presentation or meeting starts a have a macro that creates a new Evernote note prepended with the date and starts recording into QuickTime. Throughout the exchange, I am typing up quick and dirty first draft notes using a macro to screenshot the portion of the QuickTime window…

Nice workflow, and goes back to this comment somewhat: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20271383 However, I'm not sure about the legality of recording audio without informing everyone in the room. In my country that would be illegal as some people have protected identities.

Re: A Learning Secret: Don't Take Notes with a Laptop (2014)

#60

Post by diffeomorphism »

acconrad wrote: post #3

What if I want to take notes but not contribute to deforestation and issues with the environmental impact of using paper in 2019?

Where are you buying your paper? For example European paper is made from local wood, (re)planted in a sustainable way; also recyling. If you rely on extra cheap paper made from Brazilian wood that might be an argument. The stronger argument is that paper production is fairly energy and water-intensive.

That said, I would be highly skeptical that an ipad + pencil is more eco-friendly to produce than however much paper you use during its lifetime.

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