Mulholland 1

Christopher Mulholland
WR 13300
Erin McLaughlin
24 November 2015
Handwriting is Failing to Forget
Technology changes the way humans live their lives. With each new invention, some
menial job is eliminated, some inconvenience hurdled, or some task which had always seemed
impossible becomes a possibility. One of the biggest and most significant technological
advancements in the last fifty years was the Internet. The vast network of information and
communication has transformed human lives more than anything before it. One cannot count the
advantages of this new technology, from advertisement to security to research and beyond.
However, the new technology may have other, less anticipated effects. There is a new culture that
revolves around digital communication. In 2011, the National Common Core Education
standards for the year were released, and for the first time ever they did not require a cursive
handwriting class. It was instead left to be decided on a state by state or local school district level
whether or not to teach handwriting. Several states decided to replace the handwriting class with
keyboarding, a much more useful skill in the modern era. The shift from handwriting to
keyboarding may seem like a smart one. The latest generation has been born into and will learn
and work in a digital age (Kysilko 1). Chances are the average student today will do much more
typing in his or her life than any other generation has before. It may even be getting to the point
where a student will spend more time typing than writing by hand throughout his or her life.
Thus, it is easy to believe that the shift from handwriting to keyboarding instruction is beneficial.
Typing is faster, neater, and easier to replicate or share. Students need not carry around many

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notebooks, pencils and paper when all they need is a laptop computer. The internets vast range
of data is made possible by those who type it up and share it. Indeed, it may seem, and so some
school boards are convinced, that handwriting is a thing of the past. However, psychology tells a
different story. There is a growing body of research from the last 10 to 15 years that points to
the educational benefits of learning to write by handbenefits that go well beyond just the
ability to write and read cursive (Kysilko 2). These include development of cognitive and motor
skills, the brain, literacy, and especially, memory. Our memory is perhaps the most important
treasure we hold. It is a complex feature of the brain allowing us to learn from our surroundings
and our experiences. Through it we recognize the familiar face, picture, process, or street. In
many ways, our memory is what makes us human. Memory is also vital to the function of the
Justice system. The accuracy of witness testimony can be key to convicting the right criminal. It
has been found that there is a significant rate of false convictions, with inaccurate or otherwise
misremembered testimonies being major factor. It is the responsibility, therefore, of parents and
educators to aid in the development of students memories to the best of their abilities. If failing
to practice proper handwriting is diminishing the capabilities of young people, something must
be changed. This paper questions the decisions of the board of education standards, as well as
observing the effects that all technology has on the development of memory. The psychological
processes behind handwriting and keyboarding greatly differ, affecting the short and long-term
memory capacities of developing minds. By exploring the processes of synthesis, storage, and
retrieval, the answer to the handwriting debate may not be far away.
The brain has several ways of storing information. Short-term, or working
memory is always being used to take note of ones surroundings. Psychologists Douglas Bors
and Colin MacLeod write in a handbook on memory, working memory can be seen as [a

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mental] scratch pad, a sort of librarian of the mental system (Bjork 421). This memory is readily
available for retrieval and is continually processed. Studies have linked the capacity of working
memory in individuals to problem solving, abstract reasoning, procedural skills, and reading
comprehension. While working memory is the librarian, long-term memory is the library. It is
much more complicated, organized into many different sections and storing information in
different ways, ranging from conceptual data to images and visual-spatial representation. The
long term memory can be difficult to draw from, and relies on the working memory to efficiently
encode, store and retrieve information. The retrieval process in particular is governed by cues
that will bring memories to light. Much of this process was not studied until the last fifty years.
Psychologists have focused on repeated testing of retrieval (with little interruptions), presentation
of cues, judgments made at retrieval, and comparisons of different instruction in order to
discover more about the retrieval of long-term memory (Bjork 199). In a 1932 article,
psychologist McGeoch defined two conditions that increased forgetting: retroactive interference,
which refers to the impaired ability to remember an item when it is similar to other items stored
in memory, (Bjork 237) and a difference in stimulating conditions (Bjork 203). The latter
explains why a common study strategy is to review information by testing oneself in many
different areas consecutively, preparing the mind to retrieve it in a similar way. When typing, the
working memory is not employed nearly as much, leading to a diminished encoding and storage
and then a poor retrieval compared to the handwritten letter. The universal agreement of
psychologists is that handwriting stimulates the functions of the working memory and allows
more a more efficient encoding, storage, and retrieval of information.
The power of handwriting begins with letter recognition. In a 1979 study, children were
asked to memorize abstract graphics by either tracing them with a finger or by simply looking at

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them. The results showed that the tracing entails a higher memorization of the abstract items
then the activity of looking at them (Alonso 2). This suggests a close connection between visual
and motor information in the brain. Another study proved that the free creation of letters made
for an even more enhanced comprehension. Categorizing letters and recognizing the different
styles and ways to represent each one requires more enhanced neural activity, incorporating more
areas than just the visual capabilities of the brain. Cursive handwriting strengthens ones memory
due to the strong interaction between perceptual and motor systems during pseudo-letter and
letter perception (Alonso 2). Taking the time to write letters by hand uses more areas of your
brain and thus reduces the chances of them being forgotten, while also cultivating a strong
capacity for learning.
Letter recognition is only a small part of the power behind handwriting. Neurologist and
middle school teacher Judy Willis writes, When writing is embedded throughout the curriculum,
it promotes the brain's attentive focus to classwork and homework, boosts long-term memory,
illuminates patterns, gives the brain time for reflection, and when well-guided, is a source of
conceptual development and stimulus of the brain's highest cognition (Willis 2011). There are
several key differences between handwriting and keyboarding that bring about these results. The
first is the aforementioned action of moving the hand to form letters. While writing the motor
and visual skills are working in unison to store information in the brain. Another significant
difference is the speed of handwriting versus the speed of typing. In handwriting, only one hand
is employed, and each letter must be carefully formed. There is always a focus on legibility and
uniformity of script. Handwriting is something one must learn, whereas keyboarding is not so
complicated. At the push of a button, the letter is generated. Now, there are keyboarding skills to
be learned, such as the way to type quickly by using certain fingers for specific keys, but this

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skill is much more a matter of practice and experience. With significant practice, typing can be
almost as fast as speakingand much faster than even the fastest handwriting. In a society that
values such speed, it is understandable why many believe that keyboarding is necessary to be
taught. Fast and efficient keyboarding is a valuable skill, and an inarguably useful one in the
modern era. However, by slowing down the writing process, the brain is allowed to process
handwritten information more fully. This is particularly applicable to note-taking. While some
typists would simply write everything they hear almost verbatim, the handwritten note-taker
must decide what information is important and must be written, finding ways to summarize,
paraphrase, or otherwise decide what to write downor what not to. In doing so, handwriting
allows for a higher retention. The reticular activating system, known as the RAS, is the part of
the brain that filters information. The practice of handwriting utilizes the RAS much more and, in
doing so, has the brain begin processing the significance and understanding of the information as
it is received. Many note-takers would testify to the fact that having information on paper for
later use is not the only reason to take notes. Rather, it is in the process of taking notes itself that
the brain already begins to process the information and to commit it to memory. Then, not only
are they written down for later reference, but there is less work to be done to memorize the
information. This secondary capability is what makes hand-written notes so much better. While
typing may be neater and quicker, handwriting makes memorizing much easier.
In addition to memorizing facts, handwriting notes are proven to result in a deeper
understanding of conceptual data. One study conducted by Princeton graduate student Pam
Mueller had some students take notes on a lecture using a laptop while others were to write them
by hand. They were tested a half-hour later on the basis of factual and conceptual knowledge.
The scores were similar when both groups were tested for factual knowledge, but the

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handwriting students scored higher in the areas of inferences and conceptual understanding. In
addition, when tested again a week later, the students writing by hand scored higher on factual
knowledge as well (Mueller 2014). Because of the faster speed, the keyboarders had more of a
tendency to revert to a mindless transcription of the information with little thought about the
actual material, while in addition a high amount of registered information inhibits its
management by overloading the cognitive processes (Alonso 3). They were trying to process
just the words so they could type them all out. In contrast, the hand-writer knows he cannot write
down everything, so he must think. Thus, the quicker speed is not always beneficial, but rather
by slowing down the note-taking process, students will learn much more deeply.
While many recognize the advantages to note-taking by hand, the instruction of cursive
handwriting is still overlooked, instead being excused by the ability to print letters when there is
no digital device available. However, it is cursive handwriting in particular that carries with it so
many advantages. Firstly, failure to learn cursive leads to an inability to read it, excluding the use
of many primary documents that may become obsolete if cursive handwriting is neglected long
enough in schools. David Kysilko writes in a National Association of State Boards of Education
policy update, cursive is a powerful cultural and historical link to human development, since the
drive and ability to draw symbols with our hands is one of the defining characteristics of our
species (Kysilko 1). Cursive is more fluidic and easier to write than printing if it is learned
correctly. The rounded edges and strung-together letters require even more deliberate motor
skills and enhanced neural processing. Kysilko goes on to list five additional benefits to learning
cursive. The first is the development of cognitive and motor skills. Cursive is complex and
involves focus on cognitive data and the act of representing it on paper. This aids in the
development of vital skills that are used in other areas beyond writing. Another advantage to

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cursive is literacy development. The practice of learning cursive writing can help a student learn
critical thinking, comprehension, and spelling skills. It is a foundational skill that the brain can
build on. Interestingly enough, cursive handwriting is directly linked to the regions of the brain
that control thinking, language, and short-term memory. The practice of stringing together a
sequence of letters has been shown to actually improve the brains ability to make connections. It
has been established that motor skills and the use of the RAS improve the retention of
information that is written in the memory. Other studies have shown that elementary students
writing in cursive wrote longer essays with more ideas. It has also been found that a vital part of
therapy for students with disabilities is formal cursive handwriting instruction (Kysilko 2). With
this in mind, it is apparent that the exclusion of handwriting instruction, meaning that most
students will never learn cursive, even if they can print, is a loss of a vital skill.
The American education system is moving away from teaching cursive handwriting and
thus failing to do everything it can to cultivate the memories of young students. Future
generations will be at a disadvantage if this trend is to continue, and unfortunately they will
likely lose strength of memorya skill that is often underappreciated. Memory carries a great
responsibility in the world. Society gives the human memory another important task in the
setting of the court system. Witnesses are called to the stand to testify about the case. Witness
testimony is often the strongest piece of evidence in a case, and it alone can lead to a
conviction (Bishop 1988). Perjury is a crime, but forgetting cannot be always be avoided. In a
presentation at Stanford Law School, George Fisher and Barbara Tversky, professors of Law and
Psychology, call the honesty of witnesses the bedrock of the American judicial process (Fisher,
Tversky 1999). They explain how witnesses make a deep impression on the jury, but are often
most fallible. More and more often, psychologists are being brought to the stand to testify to the

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inaccuracy of memory. Many studies about the accuracy of witness testimonies have shown that
the introduction of new information, usually in the form of false cues, can greatly alter a persons
memory. This is because human memory is full of gaps that the brain fills upon retrieval, but the
memories are often distorted. When the witness is asked to pick someone out of a lineup, he may
pick someone who has many of the features he remembers, but whose other features have been
assumed to match. He may be completely convinced of his choice even though his brain cut
corners. The courts recognize the fallibility of memory, but often there is not enough hard data to
prove a suspect guilty or innocent. This puts the judicial system in a tough position on the basis
of practice, and a great responsibility on witnesses to preserve their memories. Educators and
parents must help children develop strong, well-formed memory capacities. The ability to
handwrite is closely connected to this. If we are truly creating a culture of typists, a future
generation that has never been taught to write properly, the capabilities of the human memory
may be diminished. Handwriting is by no means a solution to the false conviction rate, but there
is a notable connection between handwriting, memory, and witness testimony. If society
disvalues the written word, thus moving to a digitalized world, the capabilities of the memory
will suffer. This could increase the already problematic amount of misremembered testimonies in
court, adding to the rate of convicting the innocent.
Technology is a powerful tool, and the emergence of the internet was and still is a worldchanging phenomenon. It makes economies run smoothly, controls expenses, and acts as a
communication system throughout the planet. Unfortunately, the use of computers has
diminished the appreciation for handwritten text. There are significant psychological advantages
to practicing cursive, taking notes by hand, and considering what information must be written
down and what should not be. The advantages include increased development of visual and

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motor skills, brain enhancement, literacy improvement, and even therapy for learning
disabilities. In other words, handwriting can make a person smarter, and a culture that supports
the careful instruction and testing of handwriting is one that is promoting a true learning
environment. There are many states today that do not require cursive handwriting instruction, or
otherwise leave it up to local districts to decide whether or not to include it. While many may see
it as obsolete, cursive is the most intuitive form of handwriting, literally enhancing the
capabilities of the brain. It ought to be revivedfor this reason and for the sake of being able to
read those documents that have already been written in it. The human memory is an intricate and
vital function of the brain, and to take advantage of every opportunity to enhance it is to prepare
for success. The issue of handwriting versus keyboarding is still a hot topic nationally, and it is
important to understand the impact it has on the development of the memories of young students.
We want future generations to be intelligent, able to testify accurately in court, able to take notes
and remember information that is taught to them, and especially able to express themselves or
pen and paper elegantly, efficiently, and easily.

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Works Cited
Alonso, Mara A. Prez. Metacognition and Sensorimotor Components Underlying the Process
of Handwriting and Keyboarding and Their Impact on Learning. An Analysis from the
Perspective of Embodied Psychology. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 176
(2015): 263-69. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
Bishop, Jerry E. "Memory on Trial: Witnesses of Crimes are being Challenged as Frequently
Fallible --- Courts Allow Defense to Give Psychologists' Testimony about Unreliable
Recall --- the Effect of Personal Biases." Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition ed.: 1. Mar
02 1988. ProQuest. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
Bjork, Elizabeth Ligon, and Bjork, Robert A. Memory. San Diego: Academic, 1996. Handbook
of Perception and Cognition (2nd Ed.). Print.
Kysilko, David. "The Handwriting Debate." nasbe.org. National Association of State Boards of
Education, 1 Sept. 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
Mueller, Pam A, and Daniel M Oppenheimer. The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard.
Psychological Science 25.6: 1159-168. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
Risinger, D. M. "INNOCENTS CONVICTED: AN EMPIRICALLY JUSTIFIED FACTUAL
WRONGFUL CONVICTION RATE." Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology 97.3
(2007): 761-806. ProQuest. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
Tversky, Barbara and Fisher, George, ed. The Problem with Eyewitness Testimony. Presentation
given on April 5 1999 at Stanford Law School. Stanford Journal of Legal Studies. Web.
13 Nov. 2015.
Willis, Judy. "The Brain-Based Benefits of Writing for Math and Science Learning." Edutopia.
The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 11 July 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.

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