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I think it depends on the way your brain is remembering. Like there are types of memories specific to the sensory modality. For people who have visual memory mo

by veunes 3y ago

I think it depends on the way your brain is remembering. Like there are types of memories specific to the sensory modality. For people who have visual memory more developed, I think, writing by hand is better way for remembering.

palata 3y ago
> Like there are types of memories specific to the sensory modality. My understanding was that this was a myth... what's important is to actively pay attention, which seems to be the point here: "It’s very tempting to type down everything that the lecturer is saying, [...] but you don’t process the incoming information. [...] But when taking notes by hand, it’s often impossible to write everything down; students have to actively pay attention to the incoming information and process it [...]". So it's not directly the fact of writing with a pen on a piece of paper, but rather the fact that it makes people "actively pay attention".
- lupire 3y ago
  Worrying about how to compress the data in real time doesn't seem like a good way to pay attention. Maybe jotting down reactions helps maintain attention. Actually paying attention, and writing down things you want to follow up on later so you don't have to hold them in memory seems better than both superficially stenographozing on a computer or trying to compress for handwritten notes. I suspect that writing helps by letting you forget, not helping you remember.
  - vladms 3y ago
    I think what could make the difference is the process of selection "what is important to me to compress". If you know something already you can skip writing it. If you heard an interesting idea you should write it in a way you would understand it the easiest later. For me, not all notes taken by people on exactly the same course were as understandable, because everybody did some "reinterpretation/selection" - which for me could be a proof of some intricate processing. If you want to follow up later, well, I think that's a different use-case - not related to focusing on the topic (also important but in other circumstances)
  - palata 3y ago
    > Worrying about how to compress the data in real time doesn't seem like a good way to pay attention. Well the whole point is that you should only do it if it actually helps you pay attention. If it is a distraction, then of course you should not do it. I guess typewriting tends to generally be more of a distraction. But again, if it turns out that typewriting is the best way for you to learn, feel free to do it!

by veunes 3y ago

palata 3y ago

> Like there are types of memories specific to the sensory modality. My understanding was that this was a myth... what's important is to actively pay attention, which seems to be the point here: "It’s very tempting to type down everything that the lecturer is saying, [...] but you don’t process the incoming information. [...] But when taking notes by hand, it’s often impossible to write everything down; students have to actively pay attention to the incoming information and process it [...]". So it's not directly the fact of writing with a pen on a piece of paper, but rather the fact that it makes people "actively pay attention".

lupire 3y ago
Worrying about how to compress the data in real time doesn't seem like a good way to pay attention. Maybe jotting down reactions helps maintain attention. Actually paying attention, and writing down things you want to follow up on later so you don't have to hold them in memory seems better than both superficially stenographozing on a computer or trying to compress for handwritten notes. I suspect that writing helps by letting you forget, not helping you remember.
- vladms 3y ago
  I think what could make the difference is the process of selection "what is important to me to compress". If you know something already you can skip writing it. If you heard an interesting idea you should write it in a way you would understand it the easiest later. For me, not all notes taken by people on exactly the same course were as understandable, because everybody did some "reinterpretation/selection" - which for me could be a proof of some intricate processing. If you want to follow up later, well, I think that's a different use-case - not related to focusing on the topic (also important but in other circumstances)
- palata 3y ago
  > Worrying about how to compress the data in real time doesn't seem like a good way to pay attention. Well the whole point is that you should only do it if it actually helps you pay attention. If it is a distraction, then of course you should not do it. I guess typewriting tends to generally be more of a distraction. But again, if it turns out that typewriting is the best way for you to learn, feel free to do it!