The effects of notetaking modality and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on learning

College students with attention/deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit difficulty in lecture notetaking, which may exacerbate persistent academic difficulties. Higher ADHD symptoms are related to slower handwriting speed (HWS), potentially disrupting learning during the notetaking process. This study investigated whether typing notes could compensate for slower HWS and facilitate more learning than handwritten notes in individuals with higher ADHD symptoms. College students oversampled for ADHD diagnoses watched a 15-minute TedTalk while taking handwritten, typed, or no notes and took a quiz to assess learning. Fine motor dexterity, HWS, typing speed, sustained attention, and ADHD symptoms were measured. Participants with higher ADHD symptoms learned significantly more if they took handwritten or typed notes as compared to not taking notes. Slower HWS and worse sustained attention related to higher ADHD symptoms. Thus, active notetaking facilitated learning, particularly for students with higher ADHD symptoms, and the optimal modality may depend on individual transcription abilities.