How to explore the surrealist concept of metamorphosis using a comic strip?

By implementing surrealist characteristics, such as the blending of fantasy and reality, metamorphosis and juxtaposition in a comic strip, I would like the learner to develop an understanding of the fantastic and often irrational traits of surrealism, which suggest another reality through the merging of different elements to create new imagery.

However, since The concept of surrealism is quite abstract and because surrealism is used in the creation of game characters (who are often based on comic books/graphic novels), I want to elaborate on the usefulness of these game characters, among other visual examples, to help the learner understand surrealism based on his/her prior knowledge and experience of gaming. Thus, the learner will learn how to develop their own independent thought, rely on their cognitive learning and through this, gain the motivation to construct their own comic strip that uses surrealist traits.

The Toolkit

My initial target audience for this project are GCSE and A-Level Secondary School art students in years 10 to 13. This will later be expanded to include College, Diploma, and BA First year students who are studying animation.

This activity is designed for fixed classroom but alternatively can be used for located learning. (It is also a good idea to give learners the opportunity to explore the nature of artefacts, objects and things at museums or galleries to stimulate their inner artistic motivation. Because mobile learning provides learning snippets, it will be easier for a learner to recall objects and their meanings. It also creates many opportunities for informal learning so that new paradigms of education can be explored (Falk & Dierking (1992 and 2000).)

The first activity deals with the creation of metamorphosis. The students will be provided with a range of photographs. These will be their tool kit. The students will choose two photographs and will be guided through a process that will help them create an illustration that will transform one image into the other image using the surrealist concept of metamorphosis.

The second activity is to create a comic strip narrative. The students will use the metamorphosis of their surrealist creature as the narrative for their comic strip. They will create a number of definable scenes. The style of the comic strip layout needs to suit their intentions for the narrative.

In terms of learning objectives and learning outcomes, there are many current teachers and curriculum designers who include curriculum examples online. Some of them are used together as learning objectives and learning outcomes. So I defined that learning objectives must be stated in learning outcome-based terms. Essential learning must be achieved and demonstrated at the end of a particular learning activity and the learning outcome-based objectives must focus on the learner. Thus, learners will demonstrate what they “know and are able to do” at the end of learning experience. Lastly, it’s important to facilitate the assessment of learning.

Eric Jensen maintains that ‘the easiest way to reach all of your learners is simple – provide both variety and choice (2005).’ Deci and Ryan, Deci, Vallerand, Pelletier and Ryan concluded that motivation and work standards decrease in situations where learners have no choice. Likewise, Mager and McCann show that motivation is essentially equal to feelings of control.

From my personal experience, good learning activities should be intrinsically challenging but they should also be achievable and flexible and engage the learners through gradually increasing levels of difficulty. In my learning objectives and outcomes, there are three aspects: investigation, experimentation and realisation.