Learning by tablet-based drawing: Effects of verbal support among secondary-school students

Recent studies have shown that learner-generated drawing has mixed effects on learning that depend on the level of support provided during the task. We examined the effects of verbal support (highlighting of textual elements to be drawn) during tablet-based drawing on drawing quality, learning, and monitoring accuracy. Seventh grade students (N = 71) were assigned to three learning conditions: 1) provided illustrations; 2) drawing without verbal support; and 3) drawing with verbal support. Results showed that support had positive effects on complex drawing quality and monitoring accuracy. No effect of drawing or support was observed on the comprehension or memorization of textual information that had to be drawn. Furthermore, verbal support appeared to divert learners’ attention away from other textual elements, as these were less well remembered when support was provided.