Taking notes in class
Should students type or handwrite notes?
While I would advise every student to type their homework, when it comes to taking class notes sometimes it is better to write them by hand.
Which option is best for any student depends on multiple factors and the answer might not be simple. It is possible that for certain subjects it is better for the student to type notes, while for others they prefer to write.
Keep the goal of notetaking in mind
The goal of attending any lesson is to learn. Taking notes is a way of helping students stay engaged and remember what was taught afterwards.
Each student needs to figure out what works best for them.
Which option improves student engagement & understanding?
The only way to find out is to try taking notes both ways and compare the results.
Personal experience
My brain engages better with the content taught when I write by hand.
I type up the handwritten notes shortly after the lesson. This helps reinforce understanding, identify gaps in my knowledge, and it gives me a legible record that can be automatically backed up.
In an ideal world, I would advise students to do the same, but this is far from an ideal education system.
How can parents help students decide which is best?
Before students return to school, I would suggest families experiment to see which is best.
Helpful research experiment
This task will help students ascertain which note-taking method is most effective.
Parents find a video for their child to watch.
This could be an Achieve Now video that the parent has identified as relevant for the students.
Alternatively, find any video on a topic the student is interested in. A YouTube search might help.
The video should be short and contain some information that is new to the student.
2. The student should take notes with the goal of teaching the content to the parent.
First writing the notes,
Then type them.
For both types of note-taking ensure students know:They can pause and restart the video at any time
How to summarise information in their own words in bullet point format.
3. The students should read their notes and then use them to teach the content to their parent.
4. Explore with the student
Which notes were easier to take?
Which notes were easier to read/understand?