Getting Graphic: Incorporating
Graphic Novels Into an Open
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Jeremy Short
Adam Croom

Educational ComicsEducational Comics

What is a graphic novel?

Graphic Novels Now MoviesGraphic Novels
Now Movies

Harvard Business
Case Example

• Visual Learning Style Common to Business
Majors (Hallock, Satava, & LeSage, 2003)
• Allows for left and right brain engagement
• Social Orientation of GNs
• Short Attention Spans of Many Business
Students
• Allow for storytelling and application
• Potentially less expensive
• Potentially less boring
• Potentially improved instructor evaluations
‘Y’ Use Graphic
Novels?

Short, J.C., Randolph-Seng, B., & McKenny, A.F. (2013).
Graphic presentation: An empirical examination of the
graphic novel approach to communicate business.
Business Communication Quarterly, 76: 273-303.
• Study 1 explores the potential of graphic
novels to affect learning outcomes and finds
that the graphic novel was related to high
levels of learning experiences.
• Study 2 compares the impact of graphic
novels with that of traditional textbooks and
finds that verbatim recognition was superior
with graphic novel texts.

Brief History
Online Classroom
• Distance students
• Taught by GA
• Traditional textbook
• Quizzes
• Large survey class
• Taught by GA
• Afternoon, evening,
and weekends
Introduction to Management (MGT 2013)

YouTube Link

Website Criteria
“Easy”
• Easy to Build
• Easy to Expand
• Easy to Edit
• Easy to Enroll • Easy to Consume

Anecdotal Insights
• Creating good content is contagious
• Meet professors where they are with
technology.
• Be for credit. Be “open.” Be both.

Questions?
Contact: a.croom@ou.edu | @acroom