Hunting Dragons: A Cross-disciplinary, Collaborative Project Model for Faculty and Students
Drs. DorothyBelle Poli & Lisa Stoneman, Roanoke College
Dr. Alton Dooley, Director, Western Science Center, Hemet, CA
Abstract: Folk literature from around the world is replete with dragons. This cross-disciplinary
research centers on how and why human imaginations created stunningly consistent dragon lore
across distant lands. The principal investigators are an evolutionary biologist, a social scientist, and
a paleontologist. The hypothesis is that dragon lore was neither born purely of human imagination,
nor based on dinosaur fossils, living reptiles, or vestigial human memory alone, but was engendered
by logical observation of naturally occurring plant phenomenon. Ancient cultures had a common
element on which to pin their collective thought: Carboniferous plant fossils. The research is
grounded in a cross section of dragon folklore and correlated with fossil plants to reveal a unique
perspective among the origin theories of dragon myths worldwide. Surveys (n=105) on human
perceptions of the lycopod fossils are under analysis. The pedagogical model the project is following
is the specific topic of this proposal. Topics include methodology on 1) setting goals and objectives
for such a large project; 2) bringing faculty from diverse disciplines (biology, education, geology,
archeology, literature) into a cohesive team; 3) bringing student researchers into the project; 4)
structuring the project so that all stakeholders are contributing in meaningful ways; 5) working with
community partners. Faculty are currently engaged in botanical, paleontological, human perception,
and folklore research as well as in linguistic study, creative works, GIS mapping and statistical
analysis of the GIS data. Students are involved at all levels of the project and have presented on the
data.
Literature Review
Consideration of a topic from diverse paradigms often leads to deeper understanding, with the difficulty embedded
in bridging the paradigmatic gap. For this research into dragon lore, that conduit is Lepidodendron plant fossils. For
eons peoples around the world have created stories about dragons. The answer to how people from geographically
distant lands and diverse cultures told stories of such similar beings has long been a scholarly pursuit. Explanations
have been “limited by the amount of data available” (Dundes, 1965, p. 55). The word "dragon" was often used
during the medieval period for all sorts of reptiles, especially large ones (White, 1954). Though it is plausible that
human imagination could construct a dragon from sightings of a crocodile, snake, or lizard, this supposition does not
account for the consistency of cross-cultural dragon attributes in regions that do not share reptile species. Other
theories embraces dragons as an expression of latent human fears (Roheim, 1950), as imaginary figures created to
embody the very real serpentine figure of the dance (Barnard, 1964), or as a metaphorical conceptualization of the
rainbow and its connection to water and treasure (Blust, 2000). None of these ideas stands in opposition to our
contention that plant fossils are dragon lore’s catalytic agent. It is possible that all of these theories should be
reinvestigated through this new cross-disciplinary lens in order to consider whether the data influence existing
knowledge.
The pedagogical model that emerged as project work ensued may be helpful to others wishing to pursue
collaborative, cross-disciplinary work in higher education. The benefits of collaborative learning situations are well
documented in the literature (Johnson & Johnson, 1994; Barkley, Cross, & Major, 2005). Shimazoe and Aldrich
(2010) identify several benefits to students and teachers in collaborative learning environments including the
advancement of critical thinking skills and the opportunity for the instructor to act as a model for learning behaviors.
This model also confers the opportunity to participate in a valid, real-world project, taking the advantages of
problem-based learning one step further by allowing true collaboration among faculty and students (Savery, 2006).
The “real” nature of the project puts the onus on students to construct and manage their work in a timely, responsible
manner as they are valid stakeholders in the outcomes of the project.
Goals & Objectives
Participants will
 Interact with the fossil evidence
 engage in structured discussions related to the main topics of the presentation (see Description section).
 Work in small groups to reflect on and plan for how the pedagogical model might be used within their disciplines.
 generate critical feedback on refinement of the model.
Description of Practice
Introduction and focus activity: Fossil casts will be shared as well as images of lore and
fossils. GIS maps of correlated data will also be presented. This intro will explain the
purpose of the research and share some preliminary findings in order to give a common
ground on which to situate the discussions. Participants will complete a brief written
reflection on their interaction with the fossil casts.
Figure 1 Lepidodendron fossil
Main Activity: The pedagogical topics will be presented with time for individual and
small group reflection after each, as described in the objectives for the session. These topics are 1) setting goals and
objectives; 2) bringing faculty from diverse disciplines (biology, education, geology, archeology, literature) into a
cohesive team; 3) bringing student researchers into the project; 4) structuring the project so that all stakeholders are
contributing in meaningful ways; 5) working with community partners.
Conclusion: Presenters will seek critical feedback from participants in regard to the project’s value to academia and
how the project might be refined or enhanced.
Discussion
This research has evolved into an amalgamation of science and folklore from which neither part can be extricated
without destruction of the whole. The research questions address issues relevant to both disciplines and emphasize
that the giant lycopod fossils are the axis around which the research revolves. The following questions have guided
the project to this point:
RQ1: In what specific regions of the world do giant lycopod fossils exist and how do the fossils correlate
with dragon folklore?
RQ2: How do dragon folklore elements (e.g appearance, environment, behavior) exhibit a relationship with
the lycopod fossil findings?
RQ3: How do the lycopod fossils help us understand why a variety of cultures world-wide created myths
and legends about a similar creature?
The preliminary findings reveal lycopod fossils and dragon lore are closely correlated in several regions of the
world. The student research opportunities provided by such a diverse topic continue to expand. At this point 13
students have been included in the project, along with 15 faculty and/or community partners. As the project gains
momentum, faculty members and community partners whose fields have already been mentioned, deepen their
involvement. This deepening opens new avenues of pedagogical investigation. Future investigation includes
working with classroom teachers to use the findings to develop curricula for the sciences, social sciences, and
literature studies.
References
Barkley, E. F., Cross, K. P. & Major, C. H. (2005). Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for College
Faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Barnard, M. (1964). A dragon hunt. The American Scholar 33:3. 425-427.
Blust, R. (2000). The origin of dragons. Anthropos 95:2. 519-536.
Dundes, A. (1965). The study of folklore (Alan Dundes, Ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Johnson, R.T., and Johnson, D.W. (1994). An overview of cooperative learning. In Thousand, J., Villa, A. & Nevin,
A. (Eds.), Creativity and collaborative learning. Baltimore, Maryland: Brookes Publishing.
Roheim, G. (1950). Fire in the dragon. American Imago. 7:2. 163-72.
Savery, J. R. (2006). Overview of problem-based learning: Definitions and distinctions. The Interdisciplinary
Journal of Problem-based Learning 1:1.
Shimazoe, J. & Aldrich, H. (2010). Group work can be gratifying: Understanding & overcoming resistance to
cooperative learning. College Teaching 58:2. Pp. 52-57.
White, T. H. (1954). Book of beasts. New York: Dover.