Hello, 
Photonovels, as many of you know, are a popular form of literature in various parts of the world. Photonovels, like comic books, carry a story through visuals and brief dialogue. As you explore and think about using photonovels, I urge you to consider a participatory approach rather than rely on experts to develop the materials. 

In the late 1970s, John Comings and Bonnie Cain [then doctoral students at the University of Massachusetts] were approached by the New England Farmworkers Union to develop literacy classes for union members. Unable to find appropriate adult materials for beginning readers in English, they decided to work directly with the farmworkers and help them develop their own stories that could then be used to in adult education literacy classes. Comings and Cain were inspired by Paulo Freire in this participatory materials development approach. They used a photonovel format which, nicely enough, supports even broader participation because members of the intended audience could also serve as actors as well as writers, planners, and photographers. Furthermore, the photonovel could illustrate local faces and places and - in further extension, be printed by local groups.  Comings based his doctoral dissertation on an analysis and evaluation of this work. 

Soon thereafter, Debra Roter and I worked with Comings on the evaluation of a participatory photonovel focused on environmental issues and then began to apply the same approach for a wide variety of health related issues in various settings --  working with public schools, building trade unions, and community organizations. You can read about these approaches, the theoretical model, and our evaluation findings in the following articles and book chapter: 

Roter DL, Rudd RE, Keoge J, Robinson B. Worker Produced Health Education Material for the Construction Trades.  International Quarterly of Community Health Education 7; 7(2): 109-121. 1986-7.
Roter DL, Rudd RE,  Frantz S, Comings JP. Participatory Materials Development in Health Education. Public Health Reports, 96(2):169-172. 1987.
Rudd RE, Comings JP.  Learner Developed Materials: An Empowering Product, Health Education Quarterly 21(3):33-47. 1994.
Rudd RE, Comfort L, Mongillo J, Zani L.    Student Produced Health Education Materials, chapter in Matiella (ed), Comprehensive Health Education in the Multiethnic Classroom, Santa Cruz, CA: ETR Associates, 1994.

Dr. Roter’s graduate students at Hopkins develop new photonovels each year and several have gone on to develop and evaluate such work in various parts of Africa and Asia. You can find the Rudd and Comings Health Education Quarterly article as well as additional background materials and examples:  www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy/innovative materials

Rima Rudd



Rima E. Rudd, ScD, MSPH
Department of Society, Human Development & Health
Harvard School of Public Health
677 Huntington Avenue
Boston MA 02115
Phone: 617 432 1135
fax:     617 432 3123
web:    www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy
www.hsph.harvard.edu/sisterstogether