Metacognition and Sensorimotor Components Underlying the Process of Handwriting and Keyboarding and Their Impact on Learning. An Analysis from the Perspective of Embodied Psychology

Digital writing devices such as the computer or the personal digital assistant are inundating the higher education classrooms around the globe. They have developed to indispensable learning tools and consequently the use of longhand in the education context is in continual detriment.From the perspective of cognitive science the processes of typing and handwriting differ considerably. This paper firstly analyzes the highly complex nature of handwriting, further highlights the psycho neurological mechanisms involved in acquiring and practising this skill and points out the differences to typewriting. Finally, the author deliberates about how the use of the two different writing techniques may affect the learning outcome of students.