Why Comics and Graphic Novels work in the classroom

In Gene Yang’s article, “Graphic Novels in the Classroom”, the author of American Born Chinese asks:

And what is a graphic novel anyway? The precise definition of the term “graphic novel” is the subject of deep philosophical debates at comic book conventions everywhere…Me, I define “graphic novel’ as simply “thick comic book.” I call any comic book thick enough to need a spine a graphic novel. “Graphic novel” is really a political term. It’s part of a growing effort to cast the comics medium in a new, more literary light.

By contrast, in Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud defines comics more precisely as:

Juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence intended to convey information and/or produce an aesthetic response from the viewer.

Yang’s further exploration of the effectiveness of using a combination of images and text (“comic lectures”) in education, led to a project for his master’s degree in education.

The exploration of McCloud’s detailed definition consumes another 215 pages of images and text. McCloud’s work is philosophical, educational and fascinatingly detailed. It expands my understanding and appreciation of the world of the comics and all visual and creative art!. Well worth reading for anyone interested in visual literacy and the world of art.

But the purpose of this blog entry is to convince educators to make use of comics and graphic novels in their classrooms. For this reason we'll focus more on Yang's work, (but Understanding Comics is highly recommended).

In "Graphic Novels for the Classroom", Yang describes his occasional practice of preparing comics lectures for his students when he knows that he will be away. The students love the comics and give him feedback that it’s even better than when he’s there in person, leading him to wonder what makes these so effective. He discovers that the visual aspect both appeals to, and helps the students understand the algebra concepts. He connects this success to their love of visual media. He writes:

By combining image and text, graphic novels bridge the gap between media we watch and media we read.

His second point is essential (and explains why I’ve gone back to McCloud’s book so many times):

In comparison to other visual media like film and animation, graphic novels are permanent…graphic novels have a ‘visual permanence’ to them. Time progresses only as quickly as your eyes move across the page…what matters is how fast you choose to read it. The rate of information transfer is firmly in your control…students could rewind and fast-forward the lectures when-ever they wanted.”

In Comics in Education, Yang concludes with a description of the strengths he believes that comics offer to the field of education:

Clearly, the five identified strengths of comics - that comics is motivating, visual, permanent, intermediary, and popular - can be harnessed in practically any subject and at practically any grade level. Many innovative teachers have already done so with much success.

Hot off the press a brand new title:

Teaching Visual Literacy: Using Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Anime, Cartoons, and More to Develop Comprehension and Thinking Skills (Paperback) By Nancey Frey (Editor), Douglas Fisher (Editor)

The articles inside give dramatic support to the idea of using comics and graphic novels in education settings:

• Visual Literacy: What You Get Is What You See by Lynell Burmark

• Graphic Novels: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly by Jacquelyn McTaggart
  

• Comics, the Canon, and the Classroom by James Bucky Carter
  

• Seeing the World Through a Stranger's Eyes: Exploring the Potential of Anime in Literacy Classrooms by Kelly Chandler-Olcott
  

• "Literary Literacy" and the Role of the Comic Book: Or, "You Teach a Class on What?" by Rocco Versaci
  

• That's Funny: Political Cartoons in the Classroom by Thomas DeVere Wolsey
  

• Learning From Illustrations in Picturebooks by Lawrence R. Sipe
  

• An Irrecusable Offer: Film in the K-12 Classroom by Lawrence Baines

• "It Was Always the Pictures...": Creating Visual Literacy Supports for Students With Disabilities by Paula Kluth