I wouldn't say the study is wrong, but I think there are two different aspects here: tools used to take notes vs. amount/ kind of notes taken. From the article:
> Laptop users instead took notes by rote, taking down what they heard almost word for word.
That does sound like a bad idea. However, a student could also use a laptop to take more abstract notes (as I assume the pencil users did). On the other hand, a pencil user might be able to write shorthand, thus taking almost verbatim notes (which would probably be less useful).
So, instead of ditching your laptop, think about how to use it.
> Laptop users instead took notes by rote, taking down what they heard almost word for word.
That does sound like a bad idea. However, a student could also use a laptop to take more abstract notes (as I assume the pencil users did). On the other hand, a pencil user might be able to write shorthand, thus taking almost verbatim notes (which would probably be less useful).
So, instead of ditching your laptop, think about how to use it.