Communicating Science through Editorial Cartoons in Microbiology Classrooms.

The use of graphical illustration in lecture presentations can make a seemingly boring lesson more attractive and enticing to students. Creating science-themed illustrations and science-based narratives can also lead to creative and critical thinking among students. We used writing editorials and creating editorial cartoons as a learning activity to promote critical thinking and creative skills that are essential in communicating scientific information. This activity can be used with a range of audiences, at various educational levels and in basic to advanced courses.

INTRODUCTION

Teaching science, particularly highly technical and sometimes controversial topics, has always been a challenge for many teachers. As teachers, we need to be creative and engaging when presenting these topics. One way to do this is by integrating arts in teaching science.

How better to encapsulate a scientific concept than in a single picture, using few words and a limited amount of space? The word “computer” brings to mind the image of an electronic machine with a monitor and keyboard. Similarly, when one views an image, it is almost instantly associated with a concept. Thus, visual representations allow students to connect ideas, and this in turn fosters retention of concepts (1, 2). This was supported by de la Iglesia et al. stating that when illustrations are used, the brain stores not only words but also images, thus improving memory (3). In addition, as science educators, our goal is not limited to teaching our students scientific concepts. Rather, our aspiration is to make science appealing to all, even to nonscientists. This aspiration should also motivate us to teach our students how to communicate science. As noted by Cleveland and Reinsvold (4), it is our duty to equip these students with skills to communicate science to their peers. They also emphasized that communicating science responsibly is as important as the information communicated.

In this suggested learning activity, we use editorial cartooning and an editorial text to maximize learning by students. Cartoons are an important tool in science communication and teaching as they can capture and engage readers (5–7) and develop or raise awareness among viewers (8). Cartoons also stimulate students to be creative and imaginative (9). Thus, this activity may be utilized to train students on how to creatively communicate science to nonscientists or to the public. It trains them to be critical of the information they have gathered and provides them with practice in illustrating and writing about their views on the topic. For example, if they are addressing a controversial topic in science, such as the pros and cons of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), students are tasked to be critical in selecting science-based information as the basis for their artistic creation and in writing their editorial.

PROCEDURE

Undergraduate and graduate students studying microbial genetics or related fields can participate in this classroom activity. Students are given two weeks to complete the project, which requires them to initially gather information on a given topic or issue from various sources available to them, for example, via online references or from any published materials. Alternatively, the teacher can provide either a list of key references or printed copies of journal articles and review papers on the proposed topic or issue. The students then critically evaluate the information, translate this information into an editorial cartoon following any newspaper format, and write a well-supported editorial text of not more than 500 words. The cartoon and the text should both present a clear, similar opinion and point of view about the topic in question. To make the activity more interesting, students are encouraged to imagine that they are writing for an actual newspaper, either real or fictional; they can create a fictional name for their newspaper or adapt the name of an existing local paper. We recommend conducting the activity before any formal discussion of the topic, to avoid any bias derived from the teacher’s lessons. The students present their outputs in class and receive feedback from the instructor. The students’ work (cartoons and text) can also be circulated in class for a guided peer evaluation.

The editorial cartoon and the editorial text are separately evaluated by the teacher and/or the students using a set of scoring rubrics (see Appendix 1 for sample rubrics). The scores can constitute part of the students’ grades, either as 10% of the total grade for graduate students or, in the case of undergraduate students, as a performance task with a total score of 40 points. Detailed tasks are presented below.

The editorial cartoon

Students should draw their editorial cartoons on no more than a half-page of letter-size or A4 bond paper. Illustrations may be in black and white or color (see Appendix 2 for sample formatted editorial cartoons). Recognizing that some students have limited ability to draw skillful and suitable illustrations by hand, they are free to use online drawing applications or illustration software and tools such as clip art.

The editorial text

An editorial is by definition concise. Thus, the editorial should be limited to 500 words. Students may create their own layout for a fictional newspaper or adapt the layout of a local newspaper.

Student discussion

Students are given 10 minutes to read and discuss their work in front of the class. After each presentation, the class is allowed to provide their own insights and comments.

Instructor-led discussion

The instructor clarifies any vague or incorrect information mentioned in the editorial and discusses misconceptions with the class. This is done by citing examples and correcting understanding of terminologies and/or concepts. Questions from the class should be addressed. Questions may also be generated to reinforce knowledge or for further classroom discussion.

CONCLUSION

We often say “a picture paints a thousand words.” In this learning activity, we invite students to employ their creative skills to illustrate a scientific issue in two forms: an editorial cartoon and an editorial text. As editorials are opinion-based commentary on important issues that aim not only to convey information but also to affect public perception, the activity requires students to initially gather information and be critical in understanding this information. This learning activity also teaches the students to be responsible for the information they present in their text or illustration. The limits on space and word count require students to strive for clarity in the information and opinions they wish to convey. Therefore, the activity can enhance students’ ability to communicate scientific concepts to the general public. Lastly, the learning activity can easily be adapted for various educational levels, from high school to graduate school, and can be used in basic to advanced courses. When students were asked to give feedback about the activity, one student commented, “I believe that making us write an editorial was a good idea. An editorial is a technical piece in journalism. It is not just written in haste, but it is written after a very careful weighing of evidences. Thus, it encouraged me to read more about GMOs before writing.”

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