Writing by hand engages the brain much more extensively than typing

I'd like to share this article with you, which is based on research conducted at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The researchers studied 36 college students who wrote words using a digital pen and a keyboard, while recording their brain activity with a system of 256 electrodes.

What did they find?

Greater brain connectivity: Handwriting generated 16 significant connections between brain regions. Typing: none comparable.

Theta and alpha waves: These frequencies—linked to working memory, learning, and memory formation—were activated only during handwriting.

Movement matters: Shaping each letter integrates vision, motor control, and proprioception. Pressing a key does not activate this circuit.

Educational implications: The authors recommend maintaining handwriting in schools and combining it with technology depending on the context.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN PRACTICE?

Handwriting

• Better for learning new concepts

• Improves memory and retention

• Ideal for taking notes in class

• Activates broader neural networks

Keyboard

• Faster for long texts

• Suitable for writing essays

• Useful when the focus is on written expression

• Does not replace the benefits of handwriting.

Takeaway: Use handwriting for learning, and the keyboard for producing.

This is a well-established approach in the world of education; it's simply a matter of reviving an "old" concept in a new world of technology and AI.

As they said in *El Eternauta*: "The old ways work."

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945/full