Interactive Illustrations

What is an Interactive Illustration?

An interactive illustration is one that can be navigated through different active buttons or hotspots. When clicked, these buttons/hotspots can direct the viewer to more in-depth information on the topic being investigated. For example, the above kelp forest illustration (created by artist Emily Hess for UCSC Science Notes) was adapted by the Marine Science Institute (MSI) to be used in their virtual curriculum about kelp forests. By adding digital buttons/hotspots, students are able to choose different areas of the kelp forest to explore, such as the leopard shark. Upon clicking this circle, students are then taken to more information about these leopard sharks, including real video footage. The students then "return to the forest" to explore further. This addition to their regular curriculum was largely spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and the MSI's shift to virtual learning.

Interactive Illustrations in Action

Maria Patino, an educator with the Marine Science Institute, gave me the opportunity to attend one of her lessons using these interactive illustrations where I was given the chance to explore the kelp forest myself. Even as an adult, I loved being able to explore, and learned a lot with the accompanying inquiry-based facilitation of Patino. Afterward, I asked her what she thought about the use of these illustrations in her curriculum. Patino confirmed that she found these to be valuable tools especially in the virtual ecological curriculum because they give choice to the students, providing agency, and letting them get to decide where they want to go, with the facilitation of the educators. In contrast, just giving virtual lectures was visibly less engaging and interesting for the youth. Additionally, the opportunity for choice that the interactive illustrations allowed helped give kids the confidence to learn more.

How can these tools be used in place based environmental education to increase environmental literacy?

Though no formal research has been found specifically on the use of interactive illustrations in place based environmental education, their inherent value can be seen. These illustrations support PBE by centering the learner’s curiosity and providing a sense of autonomy and agency in the learning process. Because these illustrations can be customized for place-specific environments and issues, they have the potential to help students further explore their own context and engage with environmental and ecological topics in their local area. For example, an interactive illustration can be used to describe water flow within the student’s own watershed, explaining where the water is coming from and how it’s anthropogenically affected on its way to the ocean. This can facilitate a better sense of the student's place in their environment, lead them to understand how their actions affect the environment, and guide them into impacting their community for the better.