A digital educational tool experience in history course: Creating digital comics via Pixton Edu

Abstract

The aim of this study is to reveal the experiences of digital comics developed by the participants in Atatürk's Principles and History of Revolutions course. In this context, the research has been designed with phenomenology, which is one of the qualitative research methods. The study group of the research consists of 29 university students who took APHR (TAR101) course. The sample was chosen through easily accessible sampling due to the epidemic conditions. In the study, semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers, focus group interviews, researcher feedback and comics created by the students via the Pixton Edu tool were used as data collection tools. The research process lasted 15 weeks, the interviews were conducted online through the online meeting program Zoom and through the WhatsApp group established by the researchers. The findings obtained in the research were analyzed with a holistic perspective according to content analysis. According to the opinions of the participants in the research; it was concluded that the comics developed positively affect the attitude towards the lesson, improve the thinking skills of the participants. This experience transformed the learning process to a funny, meaningful and permanent process, enabled distance education to an interactive, increase motivation, and strengthen in-group communication in the distance education process. Based on the research findings, various suggestions were made by the researchers.

Keywords

• Digital comics
• pixton edu
• distance education
• history teaching
• online learning.

References

1. Anderson, T. (2011). Towards and theory of online learning. AU Press.
2. Apple, M., & Kikuchi, K. (2007). Practical powerpoint group projects for the EFL classroom. The JALT CALL Journal. 3(3), 110-122. DOI: 10.29140/jaltcall.v3n3.48
3. Avarogullari, A. K., & Mutlu, Z. (2019). Pre-Service social Studies Teachers' Opinions on Using Comic Books in Social Studies Teaching. Asian Journal of Education and Training, 5(4), 538-547. https://doi.org/10.20448/journal.522.2019.54.538.547
4. Azman, F. N., Zaibon, S. B., & Shiratuddin, N. (2015, November). Digital storytelling tool for education: An analysis of comic authoring environments. In International Visual Informatics Conference, 347-355. Springer, Cham.
5. Beard, C., & Rhodes, T. (2002). Experiential learning: Using comic strips as reflective tools in adult learning. Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, 6(2), 58-65. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03400756
6. Bozkurt, A., & Sharma, R. C. (2020). Emergency remote teaching in a time of global crisis due to CoronaVirus pandemic. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), i-vi. http://asianjde.org/ojs/index.php/AsianJDE/article/view/447
7. Bostan Sarıoğlan, A., Şen, R. & Altaş, R. (2021). What do secondary school students think about experimental practices in science lessons taught in distance education?. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, 4(2), 193-214.
8. Brocka, B. (1979). Comic books: In case you haven't noticed, they've changed. Media and Methods, 15(9), 30-32. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ202993

9. Cabrera, P., Castillo, L., González, P., Quiñónez, A., & Ochoa, C. (2013). The impact of using pixton for teaching grammar and vocabulary in the EFL Ecuadorian context. Teaching English with Technology, 18 (1), 53-76. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1170640.pdf
10. Creswell, J. W. (2015). Qualitative research methods: Qualitative research and research design according to five approaches (M. Bütün & SB Demir, Trans. Ed.). Ankara: Political. Demir, Trans. Ed.). Ankara: Pegem Academy.
11. Efecioğlu, E. (2013). The role of graphic novels in teaching English as a foreign language. Unpublished Master's Thesis, Ankara: Hacettepe University Institute of Social Sciences.
12. Engler, S., Hoskins, C., & Payne, S. (2014). Computer-produced comics as a means of summarizing academic readings in eap programs. International Journal of Pedagogies and Learning. (4),19-33 https://doi.org/10.5172/ijpl.4.4.19
13. Erturgut, R. (2008). Organizational, social, pedagogical and technological components of internet-based distance education. Information Technologies Journal, 1(2), 79-85. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/75244
14. Hall, JR (2011). Books worth reading: engaging material - comics in the classroom. Change: The Magazine Of Higher Learning, 43(2), 39-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2011.550252
15. Haugaard, K. (1973). Comic books: conduits to culture? The reading teacher, 27(1), 54--55. https://www.jstor.org/stable/i20193378
16. Hobri, H., Murtikusuma, R., & Hermawan, L. (2019). Development of e-comic using pixton and kelase web on linear program of two variables assisted by geogebra. Journal of Physics: Conference Series. 1265. 012010. 10.1088 / 1742-6596 / 1265/1/012010.
17. Hosler, J. & Boomer, K. B. (2011). Are comic books an effective way to engage nonmajors in learning and appreciating science? CBE — Life Sciences Education, 10, 309-317. https://dx.doi.org/10.1182Fcbe.10-07-0090
18. Hughes, J., King, A., Perkins, P., & Fuke, V. (2011). Adolescents and "autographics": reading and writing coming-of-age graphic novels. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(8),601-610. doi:10.1598/JA AL.54.8.5
19. Hutchinson, K. H. (1949). An experiment in the use of comics as instructional material. Journal of Educational Sociology, 23(4), 236-245.
20. İlhan, G., & Oruç, Ş. (2019). Use of comics in social studies class: Texas history. Education and Science, 44(198), 327-341. https://doi.org/10.15390/EB.2019.7830
21. İlhan, G. O. (2016). Use of comics in social studies teaching. Unpublished Doctoral Thesis. Afyon: Afyon Kocatepe University Institute of Social Sciences.
22. Jonassen, D. (1999). Designing constructivist learning environments. In C. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional design theories and models: Volume II. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
23. Kilickaya, F., & Krajka, J. (2012). Can the use of web-based comic strip creation tool facilitate EFL learners' grammar and sentence writing?. British Journal of Educational, 43(6), E161-E165. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2012.01298.x
24. Lee, V. (2013). Using Pixton as a tool in the classroom. ETEC 510 [wiki]. http://etec.ctlt.ubc.ca/510wiki/Using_Pixton_As_a_Tool_in_the_Classroom
25. Megawati, F., & Anugerahwati, M. (2012). Comic strips: A study on the teaching of writing narrative texts to Indonesian EFL students. TEFLIN Journal, 23(2), 183-205.
26. Merriam, S. B. (2013). Qualitative research: A guide for design and practice (S. Turan, Trans. Ed.). Ankara: Nobel.
27. Montenegro, E., & Yucel, C. (2020). Distance education at universities during the new type of coronavirus pandemic: an evaluation study within the scope of undergraduate students. Journal of Higher Education, 10(2), 181-192.
28. Olson, J. C. (2008). The comic strip as a medium for promoting science literacy. Northridge: California State University Press.
29. Patton, M. Q., (2014), Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods Integrating Theory and Practice (Fourth Edition), Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.
30. Richter, T., Rendigs, & Maminirina, C. P. (2015). Conservation messages in speech bubbles – evaluation of an environmental education comic distributed in elementary schools in madagascar. Sustainability, 7, 8855–8880. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/7/8855stats?stats=v#
31. Sari, T., & Nayır, F. (2020). Challenges in distance education during the (Covid-19) pandemic period. Qualitative Research in Education, 9(3), 328-360.
32. Sones, W. W. D. (1944). The comics and ınstructional method. Journal of Educational Sociology, 18(4), 232-240.
33. Topkaya, Y. (2014). The effect of using educational comics on cognitive and affective learning in citizenship and democracy education course. Unpublished Master Thesis. Erzurum: Atatürk University Institute of Educational Sciences.
34. Topkaya, Y., & Şimşek, U. (2015). Impact of instructional comics on the attitudes towards citizenship and democracy education. Journal of Computer and Education Research, 3(6), 152-167. DOI: 10.18009 / jcer.26543
35. Ünal, O. & Demirkaya, H. (2019). A semi-experimental study on the use of educational comics in social studies. International Journal of Geography and Geography Education. 40, 92-108. https://doi.org/10.32003/iggei.569650
36. Unsal, H. (2004). Various lesson models in web supported education, electronic learning and web supported education programs. Turkish Journal of Educational Sciences, 2(3), 375-388.
37. Vassilikopoulou, M., Retalis, S., Nezi, M. & Boloudakis, M. (2011). Pilot use of digital educational comics in language teaching. Educational Media International, 48(2), 115-126. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2011.576522
38. Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2013). Qualitative research methods in the social sciences. Ankara: Seçkin.
39. Zimmerman, B. (2008). Creating comics fosters reading, writing, and creativity. Education Digest, 74(4), 55-57.