What parents need to know
Across 24 studies, college students who took handwritten notes were 58% more likely to get A’s than those who typed. Students who typed notes were 75% more likely to fail the course. As Adam Grant says: “The pen is mightier than the keyboard.”
Full Citation
Flanagan, A.E., Wheeler, J., Colliot, T., Lu, J., & Kiewra, K.A. (2024). Typed versus Handwritten Lecture Notes and College Student Achievement: A Meta-Analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 36, Article 69.
Publication Type
Meta-analysis published in Educational Psychology Review, synthesizing results from 24 experimental and quasi-experimental studies
What They Studied
Researchers conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis examining whether college students who take handwritten notes during lectures achieve better academic outcomes than students who type notes on laptops. The analysis included 24 studies with diverse methodologies, controlling for various factors that might influence performance. The researchers examined both immediate comprehension and longer-term achievement as measured by course grades.
Key Findings
- “Taking and reviewing handwritten notes leads to higher achievement”
- Across 24 studies, college students who took handwritten notes were 58% more likely to get A’s in their courses than those who typed notes on laptops
- Students who typed notes were 75% more likely to fail the course than those who wrote them by hand
- The effect held true even when controlling for prior academic ability and other potential confounding factors
- Jean Twenge referenced this study in The New York Times: “Across 24 studies, college students who took handwritten notes were 58% more likely to get A’s in their courses than those who typed notes on laptops. In contrast, students who typed notes were 75% more likely to fail the course than those who wrote them by hand”
- Adam Grant commented: “It’s time to remove laptops from classrooms. 24 experiments: students learn more and get better grades after taking notes by hand than typing. It’s not just because they’re less distracted – writing enables deeper processing and more images. The pen is mightier than the keyboard”
- The advantage of handwriting persists across different academic subjects and lecture styles
- The magnitude of the effect (58% more A’s, 75% more failures with typing) is educationally enormous
- These are college students – adults who chose their courses and are motivated to succeed – yet they still cannot overcome the laptop disadvantage
