Learning by Drawing

We know that teaching others can enhance our own understanding of a topic (see Fiorella & Mayer, 2013), but what if we incorporate art into that teaching? Researchers at the University of Georgia (go Bulldogs!) tested whether creating drawings helps learners generate higher-quality oral explanations during learning by teaching, thereby enhancing learning outcomes. Results showed that the group that created drawings in conjunction with an oral explanation significantly outperformed their peers who only created either a drawing or an oral explanation.

Key Takeaway

Give your learners an opportunity to teach their peers, and don’t ignore the benefit of drawing to enhance the outcomes of learning by teaching.

Read More

Fiorella, L., & Kuhlmann, S. (2020). Creating drawings enhances learning by teaching. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112 (4), 811–822.‍

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