Only Three Fingers Write, but the Whole Brain Works†: A High-Density EEG Study Showing Advantages of Drawing Over Typing for Learning

Abstract

Are different parts of the brain active when we type on a keyboard as opposed to when we draw visual images on a tablet? Electroencephalogram (EEG) was used in young adults to study brain electrical activity as they were typing or describing in words visually presented PictionaryTM words using a keyboard, or as they were drawing pictures of the same words on a tablet using a stylus. Analyses of temporal spectral evolution (time-dependent amplitude changes) were performed on EEG data recorded with a 256-channel sensor array. We found that when drawing, brain areas in the parietal and occipital regions showed event related desynchronization activity in the theta/alpha range. Existing literature suggests that such oscillatory neuronal activity provides the brain with optimal conditions for learning. When describing the words using the keyboard, upper alpha/beta/gamma range activity in the central and frontal brain regions were observed, especially during the ideation phase. However, since this activity was highly synchronized, its relation to learning remains unclear. We concluded that because of the benefits for sensory-motor integration and learning, traditional handwritten notes are preferably combined with visualizations (e.g., small drawings, shapes, arrows, symbols) to facilitate and optimize learning.

The Importance of Cursive Handwriting Over Typewriting for Learning in the Classroom: A High-Density EEG Study of 12-Year-Old Children and Young Adults

“…Digital devices are increasingly replacing traditional writing by hand ( Longcamp et al, 2006 ; Kiefer et al, 2015 ), and as both reading and writing are becoming more and more digitized at all levels of education, it is crucial to examine the long-term implications of this practice that are still largely unknown ( Mangen and Balsvik, 2016 ; Patterson and Patterson, 2017 ). Despite several studies supporting the benefits for learning when taking notes by hand compared to laptop note-taking (e.g., Longcamp et al, 2005 ; Smoker et al, 2009 ; James and Engelhardt, 2012 ; Mueller and Oppenheimer, 2014 ; Van der Meer and Van der Weel, 2017 ), it is still unclear how computer use impacts student productivity and learning ( Patterson and Patterson, 2017 ). Due to contradictory results, it has been hard to achieve an explicit agreement, whether the technology serves to help or hinder student performance.…”

Respons: en kasusstudie av digitalisering av ungdomsskolen

“…bindelse med deltakende observasjon i klasserommet gjennom prosjektperioden ble det etablert relasjoner med varierende grad og ulike former for samarbeid mellom forsker og laerer. Seminarrekken ble designet i samarbeid med skoleledere og skolesjefens kontor, i sammenheng med rammeverket for skolebasert kompetanseutvikling (Utdanningsdirektoratet, 2015 Innholdet var tematisk gjennomtenkt som en progresjon gjennom ulike aspekter av fenomenet respons: fra relasjonen tekst -leser via relasjonen forfatter -kommentator til relasjonen mellom skrivere i åpne digitale rom for skriftlig kommunikasjon. Poenget i seminarene var imidlertid ikke å formidle denne grovstrukturen i tre hovedbolker som kunnskapsstoff.…”

“…Skaftun & Brønnick 201880. Gee 2013The New London Group 1996;Wegerif 2007;Major et al 201881. Kennedy et al 2016Warschauer 2009 et al;2011 Forskjellen i ståsted innenfor eller utenfor fulldigitaliserte skoler berører også statusen til kasuset vårt.…”

Observations and Reflections on Teaching Electrical and Computer Engineering Courses

“…An advantage of this is that it encourages the students to be active and to take down the notes themselves simultaneously, since the students know they have ample time to write down whatever is being written on the blackboard. If the students also take notes by hand, which they commonly do in engineering courses since the material often covers mathematics and diagrams, the act of handwriting will trigger the brain to be more receptive to learning than from passive listening or writing on a computer [32].…”