It feels like every semester, fewer students have physical notebooks. Taking notes by hand has always felt more effective to me, and it’s not uncommon for me to be the only person taking pen and paper notes. In an age where most of my peers take notes on laptops or tablets, there are some who are choosing an alternate method.
These students are outsourcing their notetaking to an AI; however, this method of taking notes has no place in the classroom, and it does more harm than good.
Ever since its initial boom back in 2022, AI has managed to worm its way into every aspect of academia. All of a sudden, students had access to software that could do their homework, help them study, and even take notes for them.
AI notetaking software uses a device’s microphone to turn a lecture into notes or generates study materials from an existing video or article. Mindgrasp AI advertises itself as being different from regular AI tools. Its most recent post opens by saying that frequent AI usage shrinks your prefrontal cortex, unless you’re using theirs, of course.
Studies have shown that taking notes by hand is the most effective way to retain information. Writing by hand forces the brain to use more fine motor function than typing does, which leads to better retention of the information. While writing is best, using your computer isn’t inherently harmful.
Taking notes manually, whether by hand or by typing, also helps students improve their active listening abilities. When you have to keep up with the speed of the lecturer, you have to be able to quickly discern what information needs to get written down. When students outsource to an AI software, the AI is the one determining which parts of the lecture are important. Even though it may feel like the end result is the same, a critical skill is being lost.
Another skill that’s being lost is reading. Recently there has been a concern about a decline in reading skills amongst college students. Students are showing up to college unable to read and critically engage with longform texts, opting instead for AI summaries. With the recent decline in attention spans, outsourcing all of our reading to an AI is dangerous. Summaries of reading materials only contribute to the problem.
Using AI to take your notes encourages a total disconnect from the lecture. There are many professors that already ban technology from their classrooms, as it often becomes a distraction from the course materials. At least with students who type their notes, there’s still an incentive to stay focused. If you have AI taking all of your notes for you, you’re going to feel more tempted to just play games or browse social media for the entirety of the lecture.
Many of these AI softwares market themselves as being beneficial to students with ADHD or physical disabilities, like reduced mobility in their wrists. From an accessibility standpoint, it’s easy to understand why some students may opt for these AI options. Still, there’s a difference between assistive technology meant to level the playing field and AI shortcuts that encourage disengagement.
If you’re a student that needs some help studying, AI isn’t your only option. Most textbooks used through Access Granted come with chapter summaries, review questions and flash cards for key terminology.
At its core, education is not about simply memorizing information. Education is about learning to think critically, staying focused, and making connections. AI tools may be convenient, but they strip away the skills that students need the most. So instead of outsourcing your notes, consider springing for a notebook and some colorful pens this semester. Your brain will thank you.
