Doodling is thinking in disguise that elevates creative thinking and is often used to achieve breakthrough ideas, a U.S. doodling expert says.
Sunni Brown — self-proclaimed leader of the Doodle Revolution and author of the book “Gamestorming: A Playbook for Rule-breakers, Innovators and Changemakers” — says the doodle on a student’s homework mat not be an absent-minded distraction. Many of the world’s leading innovations — from the light bulb to the telephone — began with use of simple visual language, or doodling, Brown says.
Doodling shouldn’t be confused with daydreaming, Brown says. It can jump-start memory and increase concentration and focus, so teachers and parents shouldn’t discourage doodling in learning environments — although attentive, intentional listening should be an integral part of the process.
“Doodling can actually be a successful multi-modal learning exercise,” Brown says in a statement. “So it’s OK when a review of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in English class, for example, might get played out via a doodle in students’ notes. The graphic, visual representation can actually help with recall and memory.”