People Who Doodle Learn Faster

New research published recently shows that doodling helps you learn. In fact, say scientists, students should be encouraged to doodle while they take notes in class.

"A doodle is an unfocused drawing made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied. Doodles are simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or may just be abstract shapes."

Our first encounter with doodling often begins at an early age, and most often with crayons.  Some scribbles on a page. But it is a great time to explore how colors combine, the cause and effect of drawing outside the lines, and some basic hand eye coordination. 

As we age we are able to draw better.  Simple copying becomes common place.  Hand sketches and creative drawings soon follow.  If you have caught the doodle bug then you will find yourself doodling in the margins of your notes, papers, and even books.

I recently did some spring cleaning and found a bunch of old notebooks from school.  I had a rather large quantity of doodles in my margins.  This of course tells me a few things. I was bored and I like to keep my mind, or at least hands busy, especially when bored.

Some grouos of people tend to doodle more than others, at least in my experience. I noticed that physicists doodle a lot; movement of planets, objects, propagation of light, etc. My notes are littered with funny diagrams, phrases and questions so it would be hilarious if it somehow got into someone else's possession.

Image: exampaper.com.sg

Another group that doodles alot are naturalists.  The study of live and animals and plants often requires a basic understanding of how they work and look.  Doodling can help a budding scientist begin to learn these things.

The thing is, our brain loves diagrams, or any funny and entertaining jokes, stories. So by doodling (about the topic at hand, mind you),  you can engage people who might otherwise not pay attention; it helps them learn how information is presented; it inspires learning and retention of information; and it can assist people in communicating that information later.

So, go ahead and draw in the margins. It's helping you get the most out of that boring meeting — science says so!