Why writing with our hands is still important
A lot of my peers are surprised that I take notes with a cheap pen and a MUJI notebook instead of on my iPad. I think better on paper.
Turns out, there’s some science behind it…
A few years back, there were a bunch of stories in the press about the science of writing things by hand. As it turns out, our brains work differently when we form letters with a hand-held implement - and we learn more effectively than when we type. This makes total sense. I've long noticed that when I'm writing in a paper journal, it mentally feels different than when I'm typing out my thoughts on a computer. I thought it had something to do with the more focused nature of paper vs. connected devices. As it turns out, there's more to it than that. Source: ReadWrite
Now technically, you can write with your hands on an iPad. But the apps that do that still aren’t a good replacement for paper and pen. The fidelity isn’t good enough, and the screen is too constraining. And I feel like something is lost without the tactile response you get from physical objects.
As I think about mobile and virtual learning, this is something I often keep in mind as well. There are certain activities that are just better done offline.