Last semester I carried out an activity where I had students communicate a
specific set of information about some stars in orion, including their relative
distances, luminosities, stages of life, and expected end-state. The content
was fixed but the delivery media was completely open. I received submissions
consisting of videos, sculptures, paintings, poems, prose, etc. They were
graded on completeness, clarity, and creativity. In anonymous post-exercise
surveys I got mixed feedback from the group but most of if was positive. Many
of the students liked being able to express their creative side in a way they
had not yet been able to do in class.

This was a pilot project but my main goal was to help teach students how to
communicate information about a field in which they are not an expert, but using
the communication means with which they are most familiar and comfortable. To
some extent, this was accomplished but I have only one data point.

I am curious if anyone has any references that speak to the effectiveness of
such assignments, both in terms of increasing conceptual understanding of the
material and in any improvement in the general regard for science. Many
students may leave science classes with a sense that they cannot do science. I
hope with this exercise to at least make them realize that they can discuss it
in their own way.

Cheers,
Greg