ERIC Number: EJ1302515
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-May
Pages: N/A
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1784
EISSN: N/A
The Duel between the Pen and Keyboard Continues
Haring, Dana; Kelner, Tom
Educational Leadership, v78 n8 May 2021
In this article, Dana Haring and Tom Kelner describe how an NPR article motivated them to look at the issue of computer-based note-taking more closely. This topic piqued their interest because of work they were doing with the 7th graders in their English and social studies classes. One collaborative project their classes work on together throughout the school year involves significant computer-based note-taking from online research. Part of their ongoing frustration with this project, however, is that many of their 7th graders simply copy and paste whole chunks of text into their research organizers. Rather than scanning for keywords and then closely reading the text for understanding, they quickly pass over the text and, thinking it might be important, copy big portions of what they have merely skimmed. The NPR article reported one study's findings showed that students taking longhand notes performed better on tests of the material. Haring and Kelner's goal was to determine whether taking notes on a laptop or longhand was more effective for "their" students. This article describes how they answered this question through an action research project with their students and the study's surprising results.
Descriptors: Action Research, Computer Uses in Education, Notetaking, Middle School Students, Grade 7, Laptop Computers
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Elementary Education; Grade 7
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A