Practice & Research - Exercise 10.2: Looking to the Future
The primary focus I have moving into my next unit is how I navigate a creative practice that spans both Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs) and secondary school science education. I can't really stumble into it, but at the same time I want to avoid my predisposition to over-think and create unnecessary structure. Ultimately I'll need to operate two distinct streams in parallel rather than forcing a blend of approaches artificially. I can see a common thread that joins tabletop games and STEM visual communication - they share a foundation of information systems, curiosity, and visual storytelling. The opportunity of a dual-stream practice is the cross-pollination of skills and ideas, but I want to make sure that I avoid any stylistic homogenisation. Having both streams to build a practice in allows me to cultivate different aspects of my interests. I also should remember that each path operates with its own visual vocabulary, with distinct target audiences.
Visual communication in science education pedagogy
In secondary science, abstract and unobservable phenomena (things like atomic structures, electromagnetic fields, or cellular respiration) create significant cognitive barriers for Key Stage 3 and 4 students. My research has shown that incorporating a visual strategy directly into my lesson structure relies on three key pillars:
Dual Coding Theory & Information Architecture
Allan Paivio demonstrated that the brain processes verbal and visual information through separate, independent channels. When linguistic explanations are paired with well-designed visual representations, students construct separate memory traces, creating what educational researcher Paul Kirschner calls "double-barrelled learning."
Likewise, Larkin and Simon (1987), established that diagrams hold a distinct advantage over linear text. By displaying relationships spatially rather than sequentially, diagrams allow students to process complex systemic interactions simultaneously without getting bogged down in linguistic syntax. I have also had the personal experience of the effect of reading age on classroom engagement. Diagrams are a way for children with reading difficulties to engage with the subject matter.
I am a big fan of Oliver Caviglioli’s Dual Coding with Teachers (2019) framework, which focuses on visual chunking, graphic organisers, clean spatial and typographic hierarchy. His approach has been proven to dramatically reduce the cognitive load of pupils and teachers alike; freeing up working memory for deep conceptual processing.
Comics to promote STEM Literacy
Sequential art serves as a powerful potential bridge for literacy and scientific conceptual understanding in mixed-ability classrooms. Richard Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (2009) emphasizes the Multimedia Principle: that learners build deeper mental models from integrated words and pictures than from words alone. It stands to reason that comics, which are the pinnacle of this blend, would be an effective teaching tool.
One of the key tools I have been learning in the classroom is scaffolding - providing supporting structure to more complex concepts to aid children (especially those with additional needs). Science comics have the opportunity to embed complex, technical vocabulary within narrative backbone. The visual context acts as a scaffolding mechanism, allowing struggling readers to decode dense scientific concepts without getting stuck on reading comprehension. Indeed, Nick Sousanis outlines in Unflattening (2015), that sequential art breaks through constraints. Breaking dynamic, multi-step processes (such as mitosis, electrical circuits, or tectonic movement) into separate sequential panels allows pupils to control their own processing speed.
Learning from educational design
I envisage that there will be an opportunity to apply cognitive science and scientific graphic design principles directly elevates tabletop RPG design:
By applying Dual Coding Theory, typography hierarchy, and spatial chunking , I could see a future approach which would help turn dense RPG rulebooks, and character sheets into highly accessible, easy-to-navigate layouts. Additionally, the quasi-scientific nature of the Well-Meaning World lends itself to satirise the corporate scientific world.
Managing the two streams
After engaging with my school-based training, I recognise that I need to be careful about how and when I proceed with my next module in order not to burn out. I have carefully managed my dates to give myself the most time possible to complete my PGCE before taking on the next illustration challenge. However, in the meantime it doesn't mean I have to be inactive.
In the classroom, I can start to integrate educational illustration directly into my teaching practice. Simple things like creating dual-coded board visuals, diagrammatic drawing tasks, posters, and micro-zines for Key Stage 3/4 physics, chemistry, and biology units are all opportunities for me to engage my students and explore this new stream of my practice. I have also thought about creating a science-based mural on a wall in my classroom, to make the classroom more welcoming and relatable.
Not having a deadline could actually ne useful for the next stage of my Mostly Harmless Adventures, and I can use gaps in my teacher training as well as school breaks to cultivate the stories - at the moment I am thinking a web-comic could be a good way to keep my illustration habit active, in a way that engages my interests. It helps me start to build a more professional portfolio, while doing my best to avoid burnout.
Bibliography
Academic Literature on Visual Pedagogy & Cognitive Science
Ainsworth, S., Prain, V. and Tytler, R. (2011) 'Drawing to learn in science', Science, 333(6046), pp. 1096–1097.
Association of Medical Illustrators (2026) AMI home. Available at: https://ami.org (Accessed: 10 September 2026).
Caviglioli, O. (2019) Dual coding with teachers. Melton: John Catt Educational.
Farinella, M. (2018) 'The potential of comics in science communication', JCOM: Journal of Science Communication, 17(1), pp. 1–17.
Gonick, L. (1990) The cartoon guide to physics. New York: HarperPerennial.
Graphic Medicine (2026) Graphic Medicine network. Available at: https://www.graphicmedicine.org (Accessed: 10 September 2026).
Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (2026) GNSI home. Available at: https://www.gnsi.org (Accessed: 10 September 2026).
Hosler, J. (2008) Optical allusions. Pennsylvania: Active Synapse.
Jee, B.D. and Anggoro, F.K. (2012) 'Diagrammatic reasoning with comics: Illuminating the science in everyday life', Educational Psychology, 32(5), pp. 629–648.
Larkin, J.H. and Simon, H.A. (1987) 'Why a diagram is (sometimes) worth ten thousand words', Cognitive Science, 11(1), pp. 65–100.
Mayer, R.E. (2009) Multimedia learning. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ottaviani, J. and Wicks, M. (2013) Primates: The fearless science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birutė Galdikas. New York: First Second Books.
Paivio, A. (1971) Imagery and verbal processes. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Sousanis, N. (2015) Unflattening. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Walliman, D. and Newman, B. (2013) Professor Astro Cat's frontier of space. London: Flying Eye Books.
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