Course Description
Collaborative Creativity: Visual Thinking and Communication through Comics
Practical Approaches to Shared Creation, Interpretation and Original Expression
What happens when nobody controls the whole story? Participants circulate comic sheets, adding drawings in response to others’ contributions. They then interpret an inherited comic through colour and words, rearrange its panels and explore how meaning changes. Finally, each collects their own drawings from different comics, assembles a personal comic and develops it into a prose story. Teachers examine their experience of collaboration, unexpected ideas and revision, then consider classroom participation and communication. Simple drawings are sufficient; the challenge lies in the connections and decisions. Participants leave with original work and an adaptable collaborative activity.
Concept by Vladimir Papić
Learning objectives and outcomes
- Contribute to a shared visual story by responding to others’ ideas.
- Use colour, words and panel order to change atmosphere and meaning.
- Compare intended meaning with a reader’s interpretation and revise accordingly.
- Give specific feedback and organise active participation by every group member.
- Transform drawings from different sequences into a personal comic and prose story.
- Adapt a collaborative activity with clear steps and appropriate learner support.
Target Group
Teachers across subjects, school librarians and teacher educators interested in visual and collaborative learning. No drawing expertise, advance reading or previous course attendance is required.
Methodology and assessment
- Collaborative drawing alternates with individual interpretation and revision. Participants use simple figures, colour experiments, dialogue and movable panels to test ideas. Reflection begins with their own experience before addressing classroom practice. Trainer and peer feedback, successive versions and a final presentation make progress visible.
Learning Programme and Tasks
Day 1. Circular comics on A3 sheets with ten panels; contributing to shared stories without planning the whole plot.
Day 2. Colour experiments and atmosphere; interpreting an inherited collaborative comic through colour.
Day 3. Dialogue, captions and the relationship between words and images; adding text, comparing interpretations and revising.
Day 4. Testing alternative panel orders; cutting and rebuilding the comic to create a coherent new sequence.
Day 5. Collecting one’s own drawings into a personal comic and prose story; classroom adaptation and preparation for sharing.
Day 6 Saturday. Wrap-up and SPRE presentations to other course groups; feedback, evaluation and certificates. Approximately 2.5 hours.
Dates and Prices
| Language level: | English B1 and above* |
| Locations: | Pula (Croatia) |
| Time: | 9 AM to 2:30 PM daily (extracurricular activities outside of learning activities) |
| Dates: | Pula: 26-31 July 2027 (6 days, 30 lessons) |
| Price: | €510 (6 days) - including an extracurricular activity and a welcome lunch or dinner |
*The language of the course is English, linguistic aid may be provided for speakers of Hungarian with lower language abilities.
Conditions
The course complies with all rules as set in the Quality Standards of the Erasmus+ program. Courses are including an extracurricular cultural activity and a welcome lunch or dinner, and study groups are international. Note: should the latter condition not be met, participants will be informed 40 days in advance.
Payment facilities: participants with funding from the actual year’s project budget may ask to request a deposit of EUR 100 to guarantee their places on the course and pay the rest of the fees later.
It is possible to take part in 2 consecutive courses, please book both separately. A price reduction of 15% will be applied.
This course is hosted by Talijanska srednja skola Dante Alighieri (OID: E10101077) in Pula (Croatia).