Paper Reading #1: Sequential art for science and CHI

Reference Information

Title: Sequential Art for Science and CHI

Author: Duncan Rowland

Presentation Venue: CHI 2010: Monsters Attack! April 10-15, 2010 Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Summary

The paper illustrates how interactive tools that can generate sequential art be used for entertainment, learning and scientific discourse. The paper is presented in a comic book format to emphasize and highlight the communicative capabilities of the medium.

Comics have existed since centuries, however, we lack technologies to support their serious application. The medium and the form in which the information is presented is equally important as the information itself. Relaying information in a particular format can significantly alter the meaning of the information being conveyed.

To illustrate this fact, the author provides two examples. In the first example, primary school students document a practical science session through the creation of a photostory and in the second, participants in a study on the biological nature of thrill create a souvenir photostory. The author argues that since the world we live in is visual, learning experience also should stress on graphics and visual techniques. The paper suggests that sequential art offers unique mechanisms of communication that can find application in science, for example, in ethnographic work. The visual form can be both engaging and rapidly digested.

Discussion

I do firmly agree with the author. Being a visual learner myself, I would live my textbooks to be photo-stories. I have always disliked reading books and I believe powerpoint presentations is the worst teaching technique. As a visual learner, I prefer to see how proofs are derived and how a software code is developed rather than slapping it on a powerpoint slide.

This method might not work for everyone, and so, it should complement, not replace the traditional method of learning i.e. books. I'm sure it will immensely benefit audio-visual learner, who form majority of the population. A software tool that will automate the process and generate sequential photo-stories will definitely be a major breakthrough in the learning process.