I started Dekko Comics Ltd back in 2016, after testing the concept of educational comics for school pupils the year before. I tested them on several different age groups and learning types, and I found all responded very well while retaining the information within the comics. Pupils were tested on how well they engaged with the comics, retained information (based on whether they read it 1, 2, 3 or 4 times over a week), and how clear they found the information to understand and absorb. On all three fronts, they were a success.
Now there are educational psychologists testing my comics at schools on a professional basis – which I’ve been told has been going very well so far - and we should expect official data to be ready for review in 2024.
My dyslexia led to a new approach to revision
It all comes from a revision technique I used for myself back in 2009, when I was in my last year of academic exams at school. I had struggled with dyslexia all throughout my school years and had a long history of being at the bottom of all my academic classes – feeling as if I was stupid, even though deep down I knew I wasn’t.
Eventually, I just decided that if I was going to fail anyway then I might as well enjoy it, and so, at the age of 17, I turned my revision notes into comic strip stories. My difficulties with processing information through words alone went away, as I now had visual and narrative prompts to follow. This helped me to remember my revision notes and led to my getting my first Grade A in an academic exam.
Now with Dekko Comics Limited, my team and I are turning my revision technique into a resource for other pupils. We make our resources primarily for ages 8-14 but they have been used by younger and older ages too. I handle all the writing and I usually do the initial drawing, but a team of talented freelance artists are the ones to thank for making the material look so beautiful and polished. I have a couple of reliable team members to help me manage the business side of things too.
The value and benefit of comics in academia
