[originaltext] Many college students have given up taking class notes by han

Many college students have given up taking class notes by hand. Instead, they type on laptop or tablet computers. But scientists from Princeton University and the University of California say that method is less effective.
    If you need to remember something, write it. Writing notes by hand is much better for long-term memory of ideas, or conceptual information. That is the finding of a study published in the journal Psychological Science.
    So, turn off your computer if you want to remember something. Computers can take your attention away from your work. They can be distracting. Computers provide the chance to send a quick message to a friend, check a sport’s score, shop or watch a funny cat video. [23] But scientists say computers may hurt performance in school, called academic performance. Here is what the research showed. Students who type notes on a keyboard often transcribe, or write down what the professor says word-for-word. They may write without really thinking about what they are writing. These electronic notes contained more words. But scientists say it leads to "mindless transcription." Transcription means to record something exactly as you hear it.
    However, students taking notes long-hand, or by writing them, need to first process the information they hear. Then they record just the main points, or summarize. They use fewer words. This is because people usually write slower than they type. [24] This process of summarizing information leads to a deeper understanding, say the researchers.
    In the study, students listened to a teacher and then took a test. Some took notes by typing on a computer. The others took notes by writing them down.
    Both groups performed about the same in remembering facts. But students who typed their notes did much worse on conceptual questions. These questions required them to understand an idea.
    Those who typed also could not stop transcribing even after they were told to try to avoid it. So even if you want to stop typing what you hear word-for-word, you might not be able to.
    Also, researchers found that those who wrote their notes remembered conceptual information better a week later. [24] Researchers believe that the students who wrote notes long-hand had a deeper understanding of ideas and concepts.
    Scientists know that students probably will still use their laptops and tablets in class. [25] But they suggest using some of the available technologies for writing notes by hand on computer screens. They say this might be a good compromise between old school and new school.
    This research was contained in a classroom. But the findings may be valuable for anyone wanting to remember more of what they read, hear or see.
    23. For students, what may be affected by computers according to scientists?
    24. What do we learn about taking notes by hand in comparison with typing on computers?
    25. What is scientists’ suggestion for taking notes on computers?