Case study
Image catalogue
How many translations
does a word have?
Learning is something very individual. There are several methods of learning that exist already, learning through repetition and memorization, learning through teamwork experiences, learning through discussions and debates.
Learning through drawing is a field that has not gained massive popularity in educational institutions outside of art and design schools yet but has great potential throughout various disciplines.
If we come across a word we do not understand, nowadays we use a search engine like google or through a tool like Alexa, Siri or an equivalent to find a written definition of the word or expression we do not understand. Some people who learn better visually might immediately go to the image search.
What this practice really does is give us more words to think about or a collection of images that can offer more confusion than understanding. Usually this search is completed within a few seconds and does not promote a deep learning outcome. Is the word or expression only used sporadically, chances are we would have to repeat the process of searching the word up for understanding again.
Learning and understanding is ultimately not done quickly but through contemplation and analysis. If we implement an outcome that has to be produced into our learning experience, we tend to think about the subject more deeply, dissecting it and trying to see it from different perspectives, with different connections and sometimes outside of the box.
When we want to draw a word, we have to understand it first.
Drawing is a the kind of tool that promotes that kind of analysis naturally. We have to contextualize our word, put it into perspective and then produce an outcome. Ultimately, we have not just created an image but simply through the attempt of creating it, we have already gained a lot of knowledge about the word - finding many different translations of it in the process.
Furthermore, we can analyze an existing image in the same way. If we are given the task to find a word or expression for it, we have to contemplate on the image, the form, the colour, the positioning and else to find words and expressions that seem to fit with the visual image that we are presented with.
In my investigative process I have experimented with the words in a case study about coral reefs, creating a massive lexicon of single images in an attempt to make it easier for the reader to understand the abstract but especially to further my own understanding of it.
This website showcases the collection of my work and interpretations, displaying the possibilities this kind of learning practice can give and inspire to use drawing as a way of learning as well.