Optimising learning from interactive visualisations with drawing prompts

Interactive visualisations (IVs) have demonstrated success for improving learning in science classrooms. However, for this success to be realised, it is important that learners adopt an effective learning strategy. In three studies, we explored if drawing is such a strategy and, if so, what scaffolds might enhance its use. Compared to drawing from written text where almost invariably drawing is helpful, extant research on the efficacy of drawing for promoting learning from IVs is contradictory. Consequently, in Study 1 we first addressed whether drawing with IVs is beneficial by comparing this strategy to summarising when learners studied chemical equilibria with only text or with an IV. As we found drawing with IVs was effective, two subsequent studies explored if this could be further enhanced by scaffolding learners’ drawing by providing structured prompts and example sketches. Contrary to other research, we did not find evidence that these scaffolds further enhanced learning by drawing. These results add important evidence for the efficacy and limitations of drawing for learning with IVs.