The Comic Book Project
October 12, 2009
Bitz, Miachel. “The Comic Book Project: Forging Alternative Pathways to Literacy.” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. 47 (2004); 574-586
The comic book project revolves around a study of students in grades 5 through 8. It is a research project that explores the utility of comic books as a means of education. Not only does the study revolve around reading and interpreting comic books, but also the creative process that goes into making one. The study finds that the graphic novel is a useful pedagogical tool in the classroom. Bitz does an excellent job explaining that the comic book is successful in the classroom begin it is much more engaging that traditional learning tools as well as more fun.
Bitz’s article is useful in its description of the graphic novel as a pedagogical tool. His experiment with the comic book in the classroom provides proof that there is a practical use of the comic book in the classroom. His article shows us that the graphic novel connects with the students in ways that more traditional texts could not. Although Bitz does not address the rhetorical uses of the graphic novel in his experiment, his experiment tells of the practical uses of the graphic novel as a pedagogical tool.
