“A rollercoaster of drawing and using digital tools!”:

Graphicking and grappling in a community of practice

Abstract

Responding to the Covid pandemic, educators worldwide were forced to reconsider ways of delivering content and engaging students.  Graphic Facilitation offers opportunities for educators to rethink ways of delivering text heavy content.  This paper charts the journey of developing a Graphic Facilitation Digital Badge for staff in a Higher Education institution.  The paper describes the process from the perspective of three educators (two instructional designers and a lecturer) exploring the use of Graphic Facilitation as a tool for teaching and learning across a range of subjects and discipline areas to enhance communication and sustain participation across a diverse cohort of students.  The paper focuses on how we applied Graphic Facilitation through planning, teaching, assessing, providing feedback and reflection on learning.  Following the module participants were required to complete an evaluation form.  Feedback from participants is presented. The findings highlight the value of graphic facilitation in supporting learners to develop graphic skillsets, engage with new technologies, enhance communication, and, develop a sense of community amongst staff at a Higher Education institution through engagement in an online classroom.