The properties of human memory have been investigated with several approaches, including clinical, psychological, and neuroimaging studies. It remains to be elucidated how brain activations during retrieval processes are modulated by different encoding procedures, because it has been reported that retrieval performances on paired words became worse when the categorically similar target words were simultaneously encoded, suggesting the importance of the context-dependent encoding. It is also possible that the manner with which specific information is encoded—e.g., whether by using a paper notebook, computer, or mobile device—may affect retrieval processes.
A recent behavioral study showed that students who took longhand notes performed better on conceptual questions than those who took notes on laptop computers (Mueller and Oppenheimer, 2014). A reasonable explanation for this interesting finding would be that the use of a paper notebook enables users to summarize and reframe information in their own words for encoding, while the use of a laptop tends to encourage them to write down information more passively (i.e., more nearly verbatim). The former processes thus naturally ensure deeper and more solid encoding via the active process of making notes. Moreover, it has been reported that longhand note-taking enhanced the performance of students on recognition of memorized words, even though typing on a computer keyboard allowed greater speed (Aragón-Mendizábal et al., 2016).
Another possible explanation for the superiority of longhand note-taking for conceptual understanding is related to the use of paper for writing/reading since a behavioral study reported the superiority of paper to computer screens in terms of reading comprehension (Wästlund et al., 2005; Mangen et al., 2013). These studies indicated the importance of visual and tactile cues for perceiving constant physical sizes and spatial locations, because “the material substrate of paper provides physical, tactile, spatiotemporally fixed cues to the length of the text” (Mangen et al., 2013). We hypothesized that the use of a paper notebook, together with longhand note-taking, would enhance both memory encoding and later retrieval processes that could then be investigated at the brain level. More specifically, the utilization of the paper likely enhances the processes of associating episodic (what) and spatial (where) information, especially in the hippocampus, given its well-established role in the integration of what/where/when information (Broadbent et al., 2004; Eichenbaum, 2004; Chadwick et al., 2010).
Takuya Ibaraki2, 
Takahiro Yamazaki2 and 
Kuniyoshi L. Sakai1*- 1Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- 2NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting, Inc., Tokyo, Japan
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.634158/full