Writing things down may help you remember information more than typing

Writing something down rather than typing it on a computer could help you retain the information better, after researchers found putting pen to paper boosts connectivity between different areas of the brain. Using a keyboard – whether on a computer, laptop or smartphone – is a relatively quick and easy way to write. Already standard in offices, some students are increasingly using computers and laptops at school. But these modes of writing are very different, says Audrey van der Meer at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. "When you type on the keyboard, you only make very simple finger movements towards the keys and they're exactly the same movements for every letter you want to write."