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Using Comic Books in Education
Paul Aleixo
5 Dec 2017 7.00 pm
Abstract
Comics are often associated with
super-heroes, humour and funny animals. The term 'comic book' also usually
conjures images of a medium which is juvenile, cheap and disposable.
However, there is a long history of comics being used as
supplementary materials in school settings. These uses have ranged from using
comics as tools for teaching different subjects like sociology (e.g see Burns,
1999; Snyder, 1997); general comprehension and memory (Brooks, 1977);
perceptual skills (Singh, 1981); reading (e.g. Aleixo & Norris, 2007;
Millard & Marsh, 2001) and acculturation (Takashima, 1978). Some authors
have also suggested the positive benefits of using comics to teach children with
learning difficulties (e.g. Hallenbeck,
1976).
Comics also appear to be a good medium to impart
educational material. In a study published earlier this year (Aleixo &
Sumner, 2017), we found that memory for educational material presented in a
comic book format was better remembered than the same information presented in
text alone or in a combination of random images and text. Other studies have
found similar results. This shows that the special combination of words and
pictures in a sequence, increases the memorability of that material. In fact, a
cognitive theory (Dual-Coding Theory) can be used to explain why comics might
be superior at imparting information.
While more research is clearly needed, these early
findings suggest that comics could be a good source of teaching materials in
schools and other educational establishments.
Speaker:
Paul Aleixo is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at
Sheffield Hallam University. His research interests include the application of
Comic books to educational settings. He is the author of ‘Biological Psychology
an Illustrated Survival Guide’; a comic book format undergraduate textbook
published by Wiley which has been translated into simplified Chinese and Greek.
He recently published research in the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics
which found that memory for material presented in comic book format was better
than that for material in text only format. This was picked up by national and
international media including an interview on the ‘Today’ programme on BBC
Radio 4.
https://www.shu.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/staff-profiles/paulo-aleixo