Digital Note Taking, Traditional Handwritten Notes, and Academic Performance Among University Students

This quantitative study examined the effects of digital and handwritten note-taking on students’ academic performance at Indiana Aerospace University from May to June 2025. A structured questionnaire using a four-point Likert scale was administered to 100 students selected through stratified random sampling. The instrument assessed perceptions of digital and handwritten note-taking in terms of comprehension, retention, focus, organization, and academic impact, as well as challenges encountered. Results indicated that digital note-taking was highly valued for convenience, accessibility, organization, and multimedia integration. Conversely, handwritten note-taking was perceived to better support memory retention, concentration, and deeper cognitive processing. Both methods were associated with improved academic performance when aligned with students’ learning preferences. However, students reported challenges such as technical distractions in digital note-taking and cognitive strain during manual writing. The findings suggest that no single method is universally superior; rather, effectiveness depends on learning context and individual differences. The study recommends that institutions and educators promote flexible note-taking strategies and provide training to help students optimize both digital and traditional methods.