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Information Acquisition and Sequential Narratives

Lewis, Chad Allen
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1461621144

Abstract Details

2016, MFA, Kent State University, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design.
This thesis explores the comic’s role in reading comprehension and information acquisition. The comic medium offers a potentially high level of effectiveness due to the visual narrative’s many modalities of learning within it’s constitution, both design and aesthetic. Specifically, this thesis explores the comic’s inherent design elements to determine the effectiveness of the sequential visual narrative as a vehicle to tell substantive stories through the intersection of visual and textual storytelling. Secondary research was conducted to provide a brief summation of the comic’s historical evolution and its expanding role as a modern information delivery system, as well as effective visual communication methods. Secondary research informed the design and creation of a nine-page comic centering on the writing of John Muir. To test this completed prototype’s effectiveness as a narrative and knowledge transfer tool, an inductive, focus group centered research approach was utilized. Participants were selected through a “purposive” sampling method, and included 40 undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in upper level Visual Communication & Design courses. Focus group feedback collected was then transcribed and reviewed. Broad patterns emerged from repeated phrases and keywords which, when grouped together, informed trends in user experiences of reading the comic and traditional text. Feedback from participants supports this prototype’s ability to show a broad idea such as John Muir’s nature connectivity through attention to detail, form and panel closure. Conversely, the comic medium’s unique structure, if balanced incorrectly, pushes readers away with an improper equilibrium of the comic’s various interrelated dimensions. These findings are equally important because they point to the relationships of the subtle, interconnected dimensions of the comic. In order for this medium to tell a dynamic narrative and effectively convey information, the foundational design of the artifact must be in sync with the visual and textual components.
Ken Visocky O'Grady, MFA (Advisor)
93 p.
Art Education; Communication; Design; Education
Comics, Information Acquisition, Sequential Narratives, Reading Comprehension, Educational Comics,

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Lewis, C. A. (2016). Information Acquisition and Sequential Narratives [Master's thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1461621144

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Lewis, Chad. Information Acquisition and Sequential Narratives. 2016. Kent State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1461621144.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Lewis, Chad. "Information Acquisition and Sequential Narratives." Master's thesis, Kent State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1461621144

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1461621144
248
© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.