Collaboration and learning with drawing as a tool

• Transduction from read text to drawings and then into verbal formulations.
• Drawing involves the pupils in exploring dialogues.
• Drawing involves the pupils in collaborative discussions.
• Drawing involves the pupils in their work group as a learning community.
• Drawing as an adequate tool in teaching and learning.

The aim of this paper is to examine how drawing scientific concepts and notions affects communication, learning and collaboration in a work group. Pupils in year 7 transformed notions and information from scientific formulations found in their textbooks into personal ways of drawing and then back into words, but now as verbal formulations in class presentations. The findings seemed to be 1) an increase in the use of exploring dialogues and communication and 2) an increase in collaboration which changed the groups into examples of learning communities. Drawing appears to be an underestimated yet adequate tool when teaching and learning.