Podcast: The Extraordinary Impact of Drawing to Learn
In Selim Tlili’s high school classroom, sketching isn’t about artistic ability. It’s a simple—but powerful—tactic for boosting student recall and comprehension.
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Did you know that drawing can be a learning superpower—even for students who claim they’re not good at it?
Research shows that when kids attentively sketch something they’re learning about, they tap into the visual, kinesthetic, and linguistic parts of their brains. This generates rich connections across the brain’s neural network and encodes learning more deeply compared to passive learning tasks like reading or listening to a lecture.
We revisit our 2025 conversation with science educator Selim Tlili to uncover how drawing to learn works across grade levels and subjects. Plus, he’s got special tips for engaging even the most reluctant sketch artists.
Related resources:
- How Sketching Supports Learning in Science When high school students patiently sketch something like the growth of a plant over time, they learn skills that go beyond science.
- Using Drawing as a Powerful Learning Tool When students draw something they’re learning about, they’re more likely to remember key details.
- The Science of Drawing and Memory Want students to remember something? Ask them to draw it.
- Research: The Surprisingly Powerful Influence of Drawing on Memory A 2018 study finds that drawing the information you want to learn is an effective way to boost memory.
- 5 Popular Education Beliefs That Aren’t Backed by Research Research suggests that making adjustments to these common misconceptions can turn dubious strategies into productive lessons.
- Sketching for Science Learn more about Selim Tlili’s sketching for science methodology and book.