| Sumario: | Background: Drawing is generally regarded as a promising learning strategy and has been explored in the touchscreen setting with different drawing modes. Although both a finger and a digital pencil can help individuals complete drawing activities effortlessly on touchscreen devices, there is no guarantee that they show the same effect on learning, which should be further tested. Objectives: This study paid attention to the influence of drawing mode on learning processes and outcomes. Methods: By means of the eye tracking technique, this study recruited college students as participants who were required to learn instructional materials consisting of actual (Experiment 1) or fictitious (Experiment 2) terms and definitions to test the effects of touchscreen‐based finger drawing versus pencil drawing on visual attention, learning performance as well as motivation. Results and Conclusions: Across both experiments, learners showed more fixation count in areas of interest, and also more transition count between these areas for the finger drawing condition as compared to the pencil drawing condition. Recall performance on the studied definitions in the finger drawing condition was better than that in the pencil drawing condition. However, learners were subjectively less motivated to use a finger to draw than a digital pencil. Implications: These findings show contributions to the emphasis of importance of drawing mode when the generative drawing activity is applied to touchscreens. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Drawing is generally regarded as an adequate learning strategy, though the empirical findings show inter‐study heterogeneity.Drawing has been explored in the touchscreen setting with different drawing modes.Touchscreen‐based finger drawing and pencil drawing may show different effects on learning, which should be further tested. What this paper adds: Finger drawing guides learners' visual attention better than pencil drawing.Finger drawing promotes learning performance better than pencil drawing.Learners are subjectively less motivated to use a finger to draw than a digital pencil. Implications for practice and/or policy: The importance of drawing mode should be taken into consideration.Finger‐based touchscreens can be properly selected as tools for learning by drawing.
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