Reflecitive Writing 2: Handwriting over Digital Writing, or Otherwise?

The second meeting of the Academic Writing course applied the independent study method. Mr. Udi provided us with the material via the WhatsApp group. The material includes a video link and a research paper. Mr. Udi required us to watch and read the material given and start to make a reflective writing from it.

As we know, writing is one of the skills that must be mastered by every student. Writing consists of two methods, includes handwriting and digital writing. Handwriting is a method of writing that uses the writer’s hand. Digital writing is a method of writing that uses technology assistance such as computers, smartphones, etc. Both methods have their respective pros and cons. To understand it further, please take a look at the breakdown of the pros and cons of handwriting and digital writing below.

Handwriting

Pros of handwriting:

• Helps students to memorize the material better because they will focus on making high-yield notes, with only the most important information,
• Improves the good handwritten notes skill because students will practice in condensing the information down and pick out the key information from the material,
• Helps students to focus on the material that they are writing down.

Cons of handwriting:

• Takes more process and time to write the material,
• Makes students work more individually in silence.

 

Digital writing

Pros of digital writing:

• Helps students to find the material that they want to read easily and quickly because of the search-ability features,
• Helps students to organize the file of notes and makes them easily accessible,
• Helps students to edit the notes because they will be easy to edit when it comes to digital writing.

Cons of digital writing:

• Impairs the student’s memory,
• Makes the material become meaningless depreciation.

After reading and watching the material, I gained more knowledge about handwriting and digital writing. It opened up my insight and perspective even more about these two methods of writing. I also got a deep understanding of their pros and cons. 

For me, I am more on the digital writing side. I feel that digital writing is more efficient than handwriting. My statement does not claim that handwriting is bad. I’ve experienced some of the pros and cons that have been mentioned above, either in handwriting or digital writing. I choose digital writing because it helps me better to study. Everyone has their own choice and preference about which writing method that is more efficient for them. If you prefer handwriting over digital writing, that’s good. If you prefer digital writing over handwriting, that’s good either. Just pick the one that helps you better to study so you will get benefits if you feel comfortable in doing it.

References

Dahlstrom, H., Bostrom, L. (2017). Pros and cons: Handwriting versus digital writing. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 12(4). DOI: 10.18261/ISSN.1891-943X-2017-04-04

Youtube video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ict0-SCMpqw