Recently youth, age 16-19 in upper secondary schools in Norway, were asked what were their preferred medium was for taking notes and for reading. They surprised us. The majority answered that they preferred paper and pencil for notes and paper books for reading. What medium do the students at your university prefer for taking notes and reading?
Despite which media they choose, the important point is to keep the information. This is because "The bane of knowledge is forgetfulness".
Personally, I prefer pens, pencils, and paper. I feel that there is a memory in our hands.
I am at a technical university in Austria, so one would think students are more drawn towards technology here.
However, that is only partially true. The majority of our students also still prefer paper and pencil for taking notes, although more and more students use tablets nowadays. When it comes to reading, my observation is that approx. 50% are already using e-books, mostly from repositories like springer-link. Depending on how good the university-access to such respositories is.
Furthermore, my observation is that it also seems to depend on the type of class and what the lecturer does, i.e., which methods are used. For example in my classes are all blended and I see that distinctly more students are using tablets or laptops for taking notes in my classes than in parallel classes that do not use blended approaches. I guess students who sympathize more with technology are also drawn to lecturers using that technology. When it comes to courses done with specific software, e.g., finite element programs heavier use of laptops is obvious anyway.
Markus Orthaber It is very interesting that you are experiencing similar things with your students. I also prefer paper and pencil/pen when working. I feel it gives me a more flexible work strategy in many cases. I must also admit that the paper book is an effective way of working with text - specially with books. Some of my books are extra valuable for me with their pencil comments in the margin. Thank you for your input.
Kjartan Skogly Kversøy I have to admit I am also a lover of paper-books, especially old ones. :)
However, at work I am working virtually paperless for several years now. Doing everything on a 1st gen iPad Pro with pen. Taking notes, reading and organizing papers, textbooks, using the iPad as an electronic whiteboard etc.
Works great for me and I always have everything with me just carrying the iPad around. Good for someone like me going to work using bike and train. :)
Markus Orthaber The iPad is a great toolbox. I work with people with intellectual disabilities that cannot write, read or use voice assisted technology. The iPad has a wonderful user-friendly interface even for this group. We trying to rethink the iPad and are experimenting to develop skills for this group that can be used in their everyday life. We see good things emerging from this work. The iPad is also part of my own everyday toolkit. For writing I prefer and am passionate about quality pencils, good paper and a proper fountain pen.
In my classrooms, the majority of postgraduates use pens and papers to take notes. Very few students use their mobiles and tablets to take notes. Concerning reading, the majority read digital sourced due to lack of pertinent printed sources about English as a Foreign Language in Algeria.
In our universities, majority of the students use pen and papers for taking notes. The use the language of instruction for taking notes. For better understanding, they sometimes use the synonyms of their preferred languages as references. Regarding reading, they uses both printed as well as digital sources.
For notes - small format paper and pen
For reading - mobile phone or tablets
In our case...Mostly pen n ppr... digital tools in case of need...
For reading further kindly refer...
https://medium.goodnotes.com/the-best-note-taking-methods-for-college-students-451f412e264e
D A Gayan Nayanajith Thank you for your suggested link. I will take a look at it as soon as possible.
Priya Dharshana Thank you for your unput. I also think and work best with pen and paper
Hermann Gruenwald Thanks for sharing. My students take a lot of photos. I am not sure it is making them smarter.
Hermann Gruenwald As a student, my handwritten notes with my own reflections were the ones I remembered.
Students at lectures increasingly began to use a tape recorder, a video camera, which their smartphones are equipped with.
It seems to me that many of my (Norwegian) students take notes electronically (though I am not sure whether it is the majority or what they do when they are at home). I wonder whether something changes between school and university or do the like the opprtunity to do other things (search for references, write an e-mail) on their computer during the lecture?
Monika Abels Thank you for your input and reflections. I often take a discussion with my students to challenge them to put away their laptops. I promote handwriting and handwriting tools and it seems to engage the students to use both pencils and fountain pens. Preserving handwriting and handwriting tools is not just for sentimental reasons, but I actually believe it can improve learning. New research seems to support this notion. https://forskning.no/barn-og-ungdom-hjernen-ntnu/derfor-blir-barn-smartere-av-a-skrive-for-hand/1742792 Also the laptop often is more a distraction than a learning tool and often it stands in the way of interaction between the students. Here is a link to my blog about handwriting and handwriting tools that I try to engage my students with: https://fyllepenna.no/kjartaniske-vers-das-boot-hva-slags-blyanter-hadde-de-pa-u-96-og-u-612/ This week it has references to the ongoing TV-series "Das Boot"
Kjartan Skogly Kversøy I was aware of the new research on handwriting. Thanks for mentioning your blog. I will look into it.
Monika Abels I work with vocational pedagogy, so many of our students are interested in the relationship between the hand and the head. Even topics like the craft connected to for instance sharpening pencils seems to engage. Also my primary school teacher students find this interesting. I have frequent dialogue with young people about handwriting. Tools like the fountain pen engages. Many young people actually know about the Japanese Manga drawing tradition were modern dipping pens are used. I often use my nerdy interest to this make paths to the topic at hand.
https://fyllepenna.no/kjartaniske-vers-onsker-du-deg-spisskompetanse/
https://fyllepenna.no/kjartaniske-vers-duften-av-kvalitetsgummi/
Paper and pencil are the best! iPad and laptops have been used widely as well especially nowadays with the remote learning.
Hassan Izzeddin Sarsak Thank you for sharing. I prefer pencils and paper myself.
Kjartan Skogly Kversøy I on the other hand just changed the content of a moral development task my students use with kindergarten/elementary school children from filling/playing with a fountain pen to charging/playing with a mobile phone because my own children were somewhat puzzled by the concept of filling ink into a pen. :-D
Monika Abels Fountain pens are a wonderful mystery from ancient times ;)
My students in Sambalpur University Odisha, India use hand written mode take notes. However a few of them use laptop and mobile phones for making short notes. I also strongly believe that use of electronic mode is good to some extend but students should be encouraged to write notes with pen.
I strongly encourage my students to go for running notes physically with pen and note books inside the class room when I am teaching .
Personally I prefer use of black/ white board while discussing and teaching
apart from these, physical notes are preferred by students though we encourage then to find out notes personally surfing internet
Amidst all I constantly and continuously suggest them to read the prescribed books for best results
Ali A. Al-Homaidan Itishree Padhi Thank you for sharing your experiences with this.
Despite which media they choose, the important point is to keep the information. This is because "The bane of knowledge is forgetfulness".
Personally, I prefer pens, pencils, and paper. I feel that there is a memory in our hands.
Nidhal Kamel Taha El-Omari Thank you for sharing. I also prefer pen and paper.
They use audio recording devices and are provided with session materials. During the enforced period of distance learning this has included slides with a commentary,
Now they have access to all kids of online material like clinical key , Uptodate etc and their presentations are using digital platforms so now I find less and less students inclined to actually use paper pen to chart out what they learnt
I will agree with Manisha madam as the students have all kind of sources to gather knowledge from. But the younger generation of students who have just recently joined into a course are very much into taking notes and or asking for powerpoint presentations of the topics being taught.
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