Writing To Learn And Why It Matters

THE LEARNING AGENCY LAB ’S  LEARNING CURVE COVERS THE FIELD OF EDUCATION AND THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING. READ ABOUT METACOGNITIVE THINKING OR DISCOVER HOW TO LEARN BETTER THROUGH OUR ARTICLES, MANY OF WHICH HAVE INSIGHTS FROM EXPERTS WHO STUDY LEARNING. 

So goes the age old wisdom. But this is also an idea now increasingly supported by science. Psychology research and learning experts suggest writing things down leads to better learning. Notes are helpful, sure – but the act of writing makes information stick in your memory.

Writing helps us monitor what we know, as well as causing us to engage in retrieval practice: a more active form of learning. When we write, a variety of mechanisms come into play: repetition, reinforcement and critical reflection on new material.

In other words, scribbling leads to learning. Call it the scrawling method of gaining expertise. The write-to-learn approach is useful for everyone from frazzled managers to school kids to overworked doctors. Simply put, writing things down turns out to be a major learning skill, useful in diverse professional fields. ​ ​

Leave a Comment