Handwriting Improves Study Effectiveness More Than Keyboard Typing... "Enhances Brain Connectivity"

Norwegian Research Team: "Brain Connections Much More Sophisticated"
"Why Minimal Note-Taking Education Is Necessary in Schools"

A study has revealed that writing by hand increases brain connectivity more than typing on a keyboard, drawing attention. The research team argues that students should be given more opportunities to use pens rather than typing during class.

Professor Audri Vander Meir's team at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) published these findings on the 27th in the scientific journal Frontiers in Psychology.

The research team measured the electrical activity of the brain while 36 university students either wrote words by hand or typed them on a keyboard as the words appeared on a screen. Participants wore a measurement device made of 256 EEG sensors on their heads and wrote directly on a touchscreen with a digital pen. When typing, they used one finger to press keyboard keys.

[Image source=Pixabay]

Analysis of brain connectivity based on the measured EEG data showed that the brain connectivity patterns were much more sophisticated when writing by hand compared to typing on a keyboard.

The research team stated, “When writing by hand, a widespread theta/alpha wave connectivity pattern was consistently observed between the parietal lobe, the top part of the cerebrum related to perception, cognition, and judgment, and the neural network hubs located in the center of the brain.”

Professor Vander Meir said, “This shows that brain connectivity patterns are much more refined when writing by hand than when typing. The visual and motor information gained from precisely controlling the hand while using a pen seems to contribute to brain connectivity patterns that promote learning.”

She added, “Although participants used a digital pen, we expect the results to be the same when writing with a pen on actual paper. Because finger movements during writing promote brain connectivity, the effect should be similar whether writing in print or cursive.”

Professor Vander Meir also stated, “This proves that establishing guidelines to ensure students receive at least minimal handwriting education could be an appropriate measure.”

College students measuring brainwaves while writing by hand and typing
[Image source=Provided by NTNU]

She further emphasized, “While it is important to continue handwriting practice in schools, it is also crucial to keep up with technological advancements. Both teachers and students need to understand which methods are more effective for learning in different situations.”

Research on how replacing handwriting with digital devices affects the human brain has been ongoing for some time. In 2011, researchers from Norway and France reported that when studying with a pen and book is replaced by a computer screen and keyboard, a significant portion of the learned content is not consolidated in the brain and is lost.

The professors involved in that study explained, “Hand movements made while writing leave traces in a part of the brain called the sensorimotor area, and this process helps the brain read and understand characters. However, typing letters on a keyboard does not leave such traces in the brain, so it does not have advantages as a study method.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.