English 015 (Rhetoric and Composition) instructors at Penn State are using an unlikely teaching tool in their classrooms: comic books.

Last semester, English 015 instructors used Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics in their freshman-level courses. This semester, the book is still being used by some of the instructors.

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art is a graphic novel that examines the art form of comics, how they work and of what they are capable.

English 015 instructor Kem Crimmins used Understanding Comics last semester for four classes. The first chapter of the book gives an in-depth definition of comic books, which Crimmins said he found useful when teaching his students.

"I thought the first chapter was excellent for the definition argument," Crimmins said.

The space in between the panels in comic books is referred to as "the gutter." McCloud said that the gutter plays an integral role in comic books because it creates closure, which allows readers to connect the panels and also helps separate images from an idea.

"There is a chapter on gutters and how all of the action happens there. In a way, writing is like that because you try and control all of the empty spaces," Crimmins said.

Shannon Walters (graduate-English), another English 015 instructor, agreed that the gutter was vital.

"The gutter can really teach students that they have an active part in reading," she said. "[The book] is a really interesting way to teach students the connection between text and image."

Walters stressed the importance and numerous possibilities of visual rhetoric in teaching.

"Our world is totally visual. Understanding Comics is a lot more than just comics. You can apply the visual rhetoric in the book to the rest of the world," Walters said.

While English 015 instructors are currently using the book, some who used it last semester did not continue to do so this semester. They were hesitant to use Understanding Comics again because it is difficult to incorporate the entire book into the course.

"I found it difficult to relate the book to the entire course. I mainly used the first chapter for the definition argument," Crimmins said.

English 015 instructor Laura Collins (graduate-English) also used Understanding Comics last semester. Collins said she noticed that some of her students had some difficulty in applying the book to the course.

"A lot of times, students don't expect to work hard for comics. It really puts them in an interesting place," Collins said.

Katharine Cleland (graduate-English), who used the book to open up discussions on the visual rhetoric in movies and advertising, didn't always find it helpful to students.

"I found it was difficult for some of the students to apply the visual rhetoric of the book back to written rhetoric," Cleland said.

Despite some of the problems with using Understanding Comics, English 015 instructors still give it credit as a legitimate teaching tool.

"The book has a lot of merit as a teaching tool. But you have to remember that teaching tools are only as important as the instructor is comfortable with them," Crimmins said.

English 015 instructor David Green said he believes that Understanding Comics and comic books in general could become a valid teaching tool in many college-level courses.

"I think that once we begin to really research
how comic books influence the way that we perceive reality, they will hold a definite place in teaching," Green said.