For the very first time, I have chosen a group of students who are studying a Vocational Course in Office Administration . We usually do activities in which students have to write dialogues to role-play in front of the class. Students do pairwork in class frequently, so the pairs were fixed at the beginning of the school year.
What was the sequence of tasks that you followed to get to the final product?
Introduction to Giving Directions: The students reviewed vocabulary and structures commonly used to give directions in English.
Exploring a Map: A simple city map was provided by the students' book, and students practised locating different places and giving oral directions.
Dialogue Writing: In pairs or small groups, students created short dialogues where one person asked for directions and the other provided them.
Comic Creation: Using Pixton, students transformed their dialogues into comic strips with illustrations.
Final Presentation: The comics were shared with the class, and students explained their work.
What were the specific learning objectives for this activity? How did the use of the tool help the learners achieve these objectives?
Language Skills Development: Students practised giving and understanding directions in English, reinforcing vocabulary and grammar.
Collaboration: Working in pairs helped them refine their dialogues through peer feedback.
Creativity and Engagement: The comic format made the activity more engaging, encouraging students to visualize conversations.
Digital Literacy: Students improved their ability to use creative software for educational purposes.
For example, students who struggled with written English found it easier to express themselves through images, which helped reinforce their understanding.
In what ways was creativity and the use of imagination encouraged in your students?
Students chose their own characters, settings, and styles for their comics.
They could add humor or storytelling elements beyond simple directions, making the dialogues more engaging but there are no examples worth mentioning.
What did your students enjoy most / least about this activity?
- Most Enjoyed: The chance to create their own stories visually.
- Least Enjoyed: Some students found drawing challenging, especially if they lacked confidence in their artistic skills.
What would you change next time?
Provide a choice between hand-drawn and digital comics to accommodate different skill sets.
How were the finished projects shared with the rest of the class?
Students presented their comics to the class, explaining the directions given.
What opportunities were there for students to co-evaluate and discuss the learning experience with each other?
Peer Review: Students gave feedback on each other’s work before finalizing their comics.
Class Discussion: After presentations, students reflected on what they learned and the challenges they faced.
Informal Voting: The class could vote on the most creative or effective comics to encourage engagement and appreciation for their peers' work.
