Using picture storybooks to communicate complex parasite lifecycles with undergraduates
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Abstract
The goal of this thesis was to create a storybook and implement it in two upper- division Zoology courses at the University of Calgary to investigate if storybooks are effective in communicating complex scientific concepts. This thesis also aimed to examine if the use of storybooks would facilitate the development of positive attitudes toward parasites and this educational tool in undergraduates. Findings in this study suggest that Nick the Tick storybook had a positive impact on undergraduates’ conceptual understanding of parasites. It also had a positive impact on undergraduates’ attitudes toward parasites and storybooks as an educational tool. Results and data from this study can provide a useful framework for the design and development of future storybooks for public outreach.