Memes in Natural Science Tests

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate how the multimodal meme genre has been mobilized in tests in the area of Natural Sciences (Chemistry, Physics, and Biology), using as material for analysis the traditional and serial entrance exams of state and federal public universities applied in the recent years (from 2001 to 2021), using the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy. This is a qualitative-quantitative, documentary-type research, perfomed through data collection and analysis. The results show that only five memes were present in the tests analyzed and that three of the identified memes presented the dimension of effective/factual knowledge, while the other two, in turn, expressed conceptual knowledge. The dimensions of the perceived cognitive processes concern the first three levels: remember (level 1), understand (level 2), and, finally, apply (level 3) through problematization, in a humorous way. Regarding the content covered in the memes, four are from Chemistry (acids and bases; general characteristics of the liquid state; periodic properties; covalent bonds), and one is from Biology (cytology: cytoplasmic organelles). We did not find any memes focused on the area of Physics. The study also revealed an initial number of memes in the entrance exams of the universities analyzed, thus pointing to the need for a more comprehensive promotion and investigation of this digital culture artifact.