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This is a summary from the article “The pen is mightier than the keyboard: advantages of longhand over laptop note taking” Pam A. Mueller and Daniel M. Oppenheimer, Princeton University, LA, 2014:

The article investigates how the method of note-taking — longhand vs. laptop — affects student learning and retention. Across three controlled experiments, the key findings are:

• Laptop note takers performed worse on conceptual questions than students taking notes by hand. This was true even when laptops were used strictly for note-taking and not for internet browsing or multitasking.
• The impairment is attributed to shallower cognitive processing—laptop users tend to transcribe information verbatim, while longhand note-takers summarize and synthesize.
• Even when laptop users were warned not to take notes verbatim, they still did so—and performed no better.
• Longhand note-takers wrote fewer words but processed and retained information more deeply, improving conceptual understanding and long-term retention.

Only when students had the opportunity to review notes a week later did performance between methods converge slightly—but longhand note takers still had an edge, especially on conceptual and transfer-type questions.

How longhand note-taking improves learning compared to laptops:

Longhand note-taking improves learning over laptop note-taking because it engages the brain in deeper, more meaningful processing of information. Here’s why that matters:

1. Cognitive encoding: When you write by hand, you’re forced to be selective—summarizing, paraphrasing, and actively engaging with ideas. This generative process strengthens memory encoding. In contrast, typing allows for faster input, which often leads to verbatim transcription. That kind of shallow processing is less effective for understanding and recall.
2. Reduced verbatim overlap: Mueller and Oppenheimer’s studies found that longhand notes had significantly less verbatim overlap with lecture content than typed notes. The less verbatim the notes, the better students performed, especially on conceptual and applied questions.
3. Improved conceptual understanding: Across multiple experiments, students who took longhand notes consistently outperformed laptop users on questions requiring analysis and synthesis—not just fact recall. This suggests that longhand note-takers internalize and integrate knowledge better.
4. Even with review, longhand wins: One might assume typed notes would be better for later study, thanks to their completeness. But even after a week’s delay and note review, longhand note-takers still performed better on both factual and conceptual tests, pointing to the enduring value of quality over quantity.

This research touches on the classic encoding vs. external storage debate in note-taking theory—longhand seems to optimize both when done actively. If you’re designing a study strategy or advising students, encouraging analog note-taking (especially for complex material) could lead to more profound understanding and better retention.

Conclusion: Longhand note-taking enhances learning by engaging deeper mental processing. While laptops allow more complete transcription, this comes at the cost of understanding—making handwritten notes the superior choice for academic performance.