Do you like writing by hand or wit a keyboard?
A new brain research, led by researchers at Norwegian University of Science and Technology. shows that choosing handwriting instead of using a keyboard results in better learning and memory.
"When you write your shopping list or class notes by hand, you simply remember what you wrote better later, " said Audrey van der Meer, who did the study.
12 young grown-ups and 12 children took part in the study. This is the first time that children have taken part in such a study. Special machines were used to follow and record brain wave (电波) activity. Each person wore a special cap with over 250 electrodes (电极) on the head, and was asked to write by hand and use a keyboard. The sensors (传感器) in the electrodes picked up the activity that took place in the brain. Each examination took 45 minutes for each person.
The results showed that the brain in both young grown - ups and children is much more active when writing by hand than when using a keyboard. According to Van der Meer, plenty of senses become active by holding a pen and pushing it down on paper, seeing the letters written and hearing the sound made while writing.Thesebuild connection between different parts of the brain, opening the brain up for learning.
Van der Meer believes that the results call attention to the importance of children being asked to draw and write at an early age, especially at school. "Learning to write by hand is a bit slower course, but it's important for children to experience the tiring step of learning to write by hand," she said.
The hand movements used to form the shapes of letters are helpful in several ways. "If you use a keyboard, you use the same movement for each letter. Writing by hand requires control of your fine motor (精细动作) skills and senses. It's important to put the brain in a learning condition as often as possible," Van der Meer added. For example, you might use a keyboard to write an article, but you should take notes by hand during a class.
