Examining Longhand vs. Laptop Debate: Evidence from a Replication

There is a considerable controversy regarding technology in the classroom, with some studies arguing the benefits of technology in the classroom and others suggesting that a technology free environment is superior. In an effort to address this controversy, Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014) conducted three different experiments to determine whether typing notes on a laptop or handwriting notes in a notebook impacted academic performance. This research replicated the first of these experiments in a classroom environment as opposed to a lab environment. The original study found that students who did not use laptops for note-taking in class performed better on conceptual application questions, which was not significantly confirmed in our study. However, our findings did support the original study when looking at the content analysis of student notes. Our updated findings suggest there is more work to do to understand the longhand versus laptop debate