Challenge A Prototype

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Educational Comic – The Psychology of Sleep

I am creating this educational comic because as a psychology student, I understand the importance of a good night’s sleep and how it improves both physical and mental well-being. My goal for this project is to educate others and to hopefully convince them that sleep is the healthier alternative to staying up all night to finish assignments or cramming for tests 🙂

Describe the Challenge

Many post-secondary students disregard the importance of proper sleep and are unable to develop healthy sleeping habits.

Context and Audience

My target audience are post-secondary students as the details outlined in the comic pertain mostly to them (e.g., stress due to school, attending classes, etc), however there are many sections of the content that will be relevant to students of all ages as well as the general population as sleep is important to all. Post-secondary students may be more likely than other age groups to skip sleep due to staying up to work on school, studying, staying out late with friends, partying, or working overnight while attending school during the day. 

The basic needs of post-secondary students would likely be to get good grades in classes while also spending time with friends, maintaining relationships, and making money to support themselves. This will vary depending on any extracurriculars or hobbies the student is interested in. In order to accomplish this, students need the energy and mental capacity which comes from getting restful sleep. However, sleep is often disregarded as some may feel it is a waste of time because they cannot be productive while they sleep. This is false. Although individuals may not be getting work done while sleeping, they are preparing themselves to be more productive, focused and attentive when they wake up, which is something students may take for granted.

Add two more paragraphs on this later.

POV Statement

A student who is tired, unable to focus in class, and is struggling to balance activities from their day-to-day life needs to learn how sleep impacts their brain and body so they can set a healthy sleep schedule to improve their memory, concentration and their overall well-being.

Learning Objective

Specify the learning objectives and sub-objectives for your project. See resources B for guidance on writing learning outcomes/objectives!

Ideation

My most promising prototype starts with a student who is exhausted and stressed. The sleep cycle is explained along with the benefits of sleep and helpful tips on improving your sleep. 

Brainstorming/Thought Process
  1. Why we sleep
  2. Sleep cycle: Lasts about 80-100 minutes, then repeats. People typically go through 4-6 cycles each night
  3. Non-REM Stage 1 – light sleep – this stage starts right as you fall asleep 
  4. Non-REM Stage 2 – deeper sleep – brain waves slow down
  5. Non REM – Stage 3 – deepest non-rem + restorative sleep – body repairs injures and reinforces immune system
  6. REM Sleep (rapid eye movement) – brain is active, where dreaming happens
  7. Why does sleep matter – Mood regulation – irritable, stressed and tired, not enjoyable to be around, sleep helps you manage emotions better
  8. Sleep and learning – lack of focus, bad memory – sleep strengthens long-term memory, better attention span
  9. Energy recharge – sleep recharges your energy which is necessary for sports, education and day-to-day life
  10. Healthy sleep habits: Hygiene basics – no caffeine, regular bedtime, dark room, 
  11. Wind down routine – read a book, no screens, do something relaxing
  12. Benefits of good sleep

Storyboard/Script

I decided to use Canva to create my comic and am still in the process of finding images and adding speech/thought bubbles. All the images are from Canva besides the sleep cycle diagram which is from Sleep Foundation.

Principles Applied

Explain the principles guiding your solution, referencing the Educational Multimedia Design Principles explicitly.