Innovative Strategy: Concept CartoonsBy: Cary ClarkISD 613: Instructional and Learning StrategiesWhat Are Concept Cartoons?These are cartoon-style drawings of familiar situations with an element of science. Different cartoon characters put forth alternative viewpoints about the presented situation.Below is an example from a poster found in London Underground train system.Question: What will happen if we take the top off of a bottle of fizzy lemonade? Three different cartoon characters propose the following options about the bottle.1. It will lose weight.2. It get heavier.3. It will stay the same.(The actual example can be found on next slide)Example:Other Examples:The following example and others can be found at the following web site. Search for “Science on the Underground.”http://wwwsearch.mmu.ac.uk.Criteria for Concept CartoonsEveryday problem with a scientific dimension (focus on probable situations rather than theory)Minimal amounts of textCommon alternative viewpoints based on research put forthAlternatives appear of equal status (such as similar facial expressions and text size)Research The previous example and three others were placed in the London underground in march 1998 for the approximate 2.5 million passengers to view.Other posters have been placed in interactive science centers, schools, colleges, and dentists’ waiting rooms.Research FindingsEffective with learners of all ages and backgroundsHighly motivatingNon-threateningIntriguing new perspectives on familiar eventsResearch FindingsParallels found between adults’ learning and children's learningImportant for both to construct personal meaningSame poorly formed scientific ideas held by bothStrategy Pro’sUseful in a variety of situationsFormal education to informal everyday settings such as the London underground trainsUseful for a variety individualsFrom children old enough to read to adults with little scientific awarenessStrategy Pro’sUsed for a variety of topics other than scienceLiteracy promotion in schoolsTeaching English as a second languageTeaching English as a foreign languageStrategy Con’sThe depth of topic is limited because of the minimal text on concept cartoon posters.Strategy’s purpose is only to engage interest and provoke thoughtfulness. It is not used to actually present information on a topic.Implications for Instructional DesignersMany educators believe that students should construct knowledge through inquiry rather than receiving is passively through textbooks or lectures.Implications for Instructional DesignersThis strategy is consistent with aspects of the ARCS model of motivationAttention – humor, inquiry arousalRelevance – experienceCan be used in Gagne’s Nine Events of InstructionGain attentionStimulate recall of prior knowledgeImplications for Instructional DesignersCartoons when used in this learning strategy and others have several proven effects:Engage attentionServe as entertainmentPresent information in a non-threatening mannerReferencesGriffiths, P. D. (1995). The physics message: cartoon style. Australian Science Teachers Journal, 41, 57-58.Keogh, B., & Naylor, S. (1999). Science goes underground. Science – Study and Teaching, 10, 6-8.Klein, P. D. (1998). The role of children’s theory of mind in science experimentation. Journal of Experimental Education,
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