This year, many Castilleja students have noticed a subtle but impactful change in the classrooms: laptops are disappearing from desks and are being replaced with notebooks, loose-leaf paper and iPads. In some classes, typed notes are no longer allowed, with teachers requiring handwritten notes.

For students who have long relied on typing everything from class notes to essays, the shift has raised the question of whether handwriting actually improves learning or if they are missing out by being denied the ability to type.

Teachers cite different reasons for the change, but a common theme comes up: engagement. History teacher Carly Fox said her decision to move away from typed notes came after a few years of seeing how easily laptops distracted students and made them less engaged in class. After sitting behind students during a classroom observation session, she saw how often screens with notes turned into other distracting tabs.

Even when students appeared to be typing notes, Fox said it was difficult to tell whether they were truly engaged. “I just felt not as connected to the students, because there was a screen in between us,” she said. Small reactions during the lecture would distract her: “I was like, ‘I don’t think I said anything funny right now, are they paying attention? Or are they messaging someone? Are they looking at something else?’”

Fox, along with many other teachers at Casti, supports students by posting lecture slides that highlight key information. “From the way I deliver the lecture, [it’s] hopefully obvious to students the main areas where they want to be writing down key themes, pieces of context [and] guiding questions,” said Fox. She also frequently assigns note outlines, which “force [students] to go back and look through the notes and really make sure they understand [them], then take what’s important from [them] and synthesize them into answers on a graphic organizer.”

Research also supports the idea that handwriting can lead to stronger retention and processing. A meta-analysis of 24 studies found that college students who took handwritten notes were 58 percent more likely to earn higher grades than those who typed notes on laptops, while laptop note takers were 75 percent more likely to fail the course than those who wrote by hand.

While some teachers now require handwritten notes, others prefer flexibility. Biology and climate change teacher Jaimie Wang does not enforce a specific note-taking method and emphasizes that students learn differently. “I don’t want to limit what students may have access to or are able to do in the time frame,” she said. Her class is “pretty fast paced in the amount of content that’s covered, so students that prefer typing might be able to type faster and then add in diagrams later.”

During class, Wang uses an iPad to annotate the slides, helping students see key concepts visually while hearing them explained. “I personally like to use the iPad as a way to model a different way to take notes,” she said. “It’s helpful for me rather than just speaking because I know some students need to hear and read information in multiple modalities.”

Among students, note-taking preferences vary, but many have gravitated towards handwritten notes on iPads, which combine the physical benefits of handwriting with the convenience of digital organization and web access.

Ellie Kang ’27, who writes by hand on her iPad, said that because handwriting can make it harder to keep up in fast-paced classes and to write down all the necessary information, posting slides is a huge help. “I like how my teachers will attach their slide shows in advance, so if they move on to the [next] slide, I can still look at my own slides at my own pace, which is nice.”

Similarly, Claire Chien ’27 prefers taking notes on iPads, especially in science and math classes, due to the digital organization possibilities. “I like to have all of my papers with me, and it made my backpack get very heavy,” Chien said. “With the iPad, you can have all of your files, and it’s still just the iPad.” She added that being able to paste in diagrams in STEM classes is especially helpful, along with the ability to rearrange notes. “If I decide to move some of my notes to a different section, I can just circle it and then drag and drop it to a different section.”

Of course, traditional paper notes remain a popular choice. Belle Chen ’27 said she prefers notebooks because “[she] need[s] to be writing down equations and things.” In previous years, she typed history notes but struggled to remember dates and details later, so she plans to continue taking paper notes in history classes to help the information stick.

However, handwriting also comes with tradeoffs. Chen noted that in fast-paced classes or discussions, it can be easy to miss details that typing would usually capture. When things like that happen, she typically asks a classmate or teacher, but wouldn’t “try to go back to the class material and relearn it because that’s just too much for just one point.”

Learning Specialist Andy Lichtblau explained that the most important factor is how students engage with the content, rather than the medium of notes.

“The most powerful note-taking style is going to be hearing and putting [it] in your own words,” Lichtblau said, noting that writing verbatim can hinder comprehension. “If you’re putting it in your own words and synthesizing it, that type of thinking is comprehending, and that leads to better outcomes.”

Handwriting often encourages this kind of synthesis because it makes it easier for students to draw symbols, sketch diagrams and make connections alongside their notes. “When we think about a concept, we’re not going into our brain and reading sentences – we’re thinking in imagery and maybe in movies,” Lichtblau said. “When you handwrite, you can get more into the imagery.”

Lichtblau also highlighted how iPads can serve as a middle ground, allowing for better organization and visual learning without as many distractions as laptops. Still, he acknowledged concerns regarding equity and access to iPads.

Another challenge arises for students with typing accommodations, as being the only student typing in a handwritten classroom can feel uncomfortable.

Lichtblau stressed the importance of communicating with teachers to find other ways to help students get the notes. “Can we look at getting a transcript of the class, if the teacher’s using a recording device? Can we partner the student with another student to get a backup set of notes so that they do the best they can?” He added that it heavily depends “student by student” and requires “trying to get as creative as possible.”

Math teacher Rachel Tucker, who has a ‘no notes on computers’ policy but allows iPads, said her policy aims to mitigate distractions. “I would love [for students] to self-regulate [temptations to check emails and texts], but I know that [they’re] also in high school…so I think it’s just easier to remove that temptation.”

Tucker said accommodations can be challenging to navigate, as some students don’t feel comfortable being the only ones using a laptop. To reduce stress, Tucker provides slideshow notes for her classes, so “people can go back and take notes in whatever their preferred way is.”

Similar to Lichtblau, Tucker encourages students to “not copy” everything they hear or see directly on the slides. Instead, she urges them to focus on the “big idea,” and then identify “the little pieces” that support it. She said to consider, “What is the idea I need to take away here and write down?”

As note-taking policies continue to evolve at Castilleja, it is clear that there isn’t a universal best method. Whether on paper, a tablet or a laptop, the question comes down to engagement, synthesis and understanding.