Written by Laura Kennedy

If, like me, you are studying for a science degree, you might not initially think that creativity has much of a place in your studying toolkit. But I believe that the worlds of art and science are more closely related than they first appear, and that creativity can be hugely beneficial to learning, whichever subject you’re studying. 

British artist George Stubbs (1724 – 1806) studied human anatomy in York, performing dissections which enabled him to accurately illustrate a book on midwifery. Later, he would spend 18 months studying the anatomy and physiology of horses, again performing dissections to gain an in-depth knowledge of the form and structures he wished to replicate in his work, leading to publication of his book ‘The Anatomy of the Horse’. He went on to produce his famous oil-on-canvas painting ‘Whistlejacket’ – a life-size, extremely accurate portrait of an Arabian horse. You can read more about Stubbs’ work on the National Gallery of Art website. 

This is a great example of the merging of art and science, and I believe that incorporating creative practices, no matter how small and regardless of artistic ability, is something everyone can try as a way supplement their learning.  

(Side note: we are lucky enough to have access to a full reproduction of “The Anatomy of the Horse” as an e-book via the University of Bristol library website– well worth a look if you’re interested!) 

With most learning today done online or with the aid of digital resources, here are a few ways to incorporate creativity into your learning, updated for the 21st century! 

Start small when incorporating creativity into digital learning

Being creative doesn’t mean you have to commit hours to learning to paint or draw – you can start small by considering the impact colours, shapes and images can have on your work. 

The term ‘dual coding’ refers to the combination of visual materials and words to enhance your learning – you could try creating diagrams, timelines, infographics or even cartoon strips to help strengthen and retain knowledge. You can read more about dual coding on the Learning Scientists website.

Here is an example of a simple and fun digital drawing I created in OneNote during the second year of my degree – neurology is a difficult topic, but I found that taking the dual coding approach by illustrating key points of lecture PowerPoints really helped the information stick in my mind! 

As part of the University of Bristol, you have access to the full version of Microsoft Office 365 – if you go to ‘insert’ then ‘illustrations’, you will find a vast array of icons, photos, and even interactive 3D models which can be inserted into your documents. 

Even if you’re not particularly artistically inclined, these are a quick and simple way to add some interest to your notes – I like to add these pre-made icons and illustrations as a quick way to liven up walls of text, and I find I’m more inclined to want to read back over my notes if there’s a visual cue to let me know, at a glance, where the relevant information is.   

You can add shading to sections of text in any colour you like – I recommend using the ‘paragraph shading’ tool and choosing custom colours to make information stand out, or to colour-code your notes to make revision a little bit easier. This can make a real difference to the usual black-and-white blocks of text. 

Making Mind-Maps and Diagrams  

It is well established that mind-maps and diagrams are a great way to reinforce learning and link concepts together, but you might not be aware of the array of options available for creating them.  

MS Word offers pre-set templates for diagrams which you can edit and colour as you choose. You could also try using draw.io – a completely free, open-source, browser-based tool for creating flowcharts and diagrams, with a lot of pre-set shapes to choose from and great customisability.   

Here is an example of a spider diagram I created with MS Word – although it is simple, I find it a lot more intuitive to read compared to the same information as a block of text! 

If you prefer a more free-hand approach, you can consider drawing your diagrams yourself which gives you complete freedom to choose how your information is represented, which leads me on to my next suggestion… 

Creating a Digital Sketchbook  

A recent study has found that when writing by hand, more activity can be seen in areas of the brain associated with the encoding of new information and the formation of memories, which in turn promotes learning (Van Der Weel et al, 2023).

The good news is, these benefits are seen regardless of whether you use a traditional pen and paper, or a digital pen and tablet! If you have a tablet with a pen or stylus, many apps allow you to sketch directly onto the page – OneNote, Evernote, Goodnotes and Noteability to name a few.  

If you’re ready to take your creativity to the next level, next time you are studying and there is a visual element such as a labelled diagram, photograph or illustrated figure, why not try creating your own digital sketch to reinforce your learning? I find it gives an extra sense of achievement to build up my own collection of images which I have created, adapted, and made my own. 

By using a digital device, you have the advantage of storing all your notes and drawings digitally which is great when physical storage space is in short supply. You can curate your own collection of images in the note-taking app of your choice, tag them by topic and refer to them again and again, wherever you are. If you have existing drawings in a physical sketchbook like I do, you can incorporate these into your collection by using the scanning feature on your phone or tablet. 

Inspiration is everywhere! 

I hope these suggestions have got you thinking about ways you can incorporate elements of creativity, no matter how small, into your digital learning. The advantage of having so many digital tools at our disposal is that there’s no pressure to get things perfect the first time – you can erase and edit as much as you need, until you’ve created something you’ll want to revisit again and again.