Author(s):
One of the major obstacles to effective learning in STEM is the abstract nature of many core STEM concepts. While traditional approaches include examples of real-world applications, demonstrations, and/or hands-on experimentation, the depth and complexity of these concepts can cause such efforts to be unsuccessful. Further exacerbating the problem, some theoretical concepts do not have obvious visual representations that could make the concepts less abstract. However, comics present a unique possibility of integrating visual and verbal instruction in a learning tool that can be utilized both formally and informally to reinforce or supplement course instruction, while also being novel enough to promote engagement in contrast to other instructional approaches. By studying the impact of comics, the project can work to address the need for more diverse and inclusive visual learning tools given the prevalence of undergraduate engineering students to be visual learners, as well as meet the rising need for more informal learning tools in engineering education. This project specifically seeks to analyze the impact on student interest, confidence, and understanding from an increase in informal visual learning tools into undergraduate education through the medium of comics, and whether comics can address the needs for more informal, visual, and representative learning approaches in undergraduate education. Through the development of 16 ten-page comics for early chemical engineering courses and integration into instruction at six different institutions, we anticipate increased student interest and confidence in the course content, as well as potential improvement in student understanding. Student improvement will be considered in context of their preference for visual learning, as well as their motivation in the course as measured with the MUSIC model of student motivation. By improving interest, confidence, and understanding in entry-level undergraduate education, the developed learning tools can help to encourage and improve retention. Characters in the comics will be designed to be of more diverse backgrounds, thus creating curricula that will be more representative, diverse and inclusive for women and underrepresented students. Further, studying the potential of comics in engineering education will help meet the increasing need for additional informal learning tools, by analyzing how well comics can provide another useful resource for instructors. Finally, this project would develop a working model to inform and support other educators’ and artists’ efforts in producing effective STEM visual learning tools through comics.
Coauthors
Luke Landherr, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
