Learner Developed Materials: 
The Photonovel Example

Like many in education and public health, we have learned a great deal from the pedagogy of Paulo Freire. Our work with people to develop their own educational materials has been based on Freire’s problem-posing pedagogy and his belief that adults should be full partners in their education.

Developing educational materials with members of the audience for whom these materials are intended is also an extension of the traditional approach to formative evaluation. Formative evaluation generally takes place at the planning stage when processes such as focus groups and intercept interviews are used to pilot test ideas, determine preferences, and conduct reviews. In the traditional approach to formative evaluation, materials are developed by experts and tested by members of the intended audience. The experts then modify the materials based on findings generated in pilot studies.

Participatory materials development processes involve the intended audience from the start. When participants are involved in the development of the materials, their voices, faces, and insights are reflected in the materials. Readers can identify with the people in the material because they look like themselves and grapple with familiar issues in familiar settings. The materials produced through a participatory process highlight the authors as critical thinkers who can inspire others. Educational materials written by learners can be powerful tools for sharing information and changing attitudes. The language used in these materials, because it is based on how people talk, usually scores within reasonable reading grade levels.

The various sub headings in this section provide information about our experience with the production of photonovels through participatory processes. Photonovels look like comic books but use photographs rather than drawings. They are popular entertainment media in many Latin American countries.

These materials in the subheadings include a brief overview of the development process, shortened from how-to-manuals we developed in the 1970s and early 1980s. In addition, we include examples of photonovels, a background article from Health Education Quarterly, and additional references.

Rima Rudd, John Comings, Debra Roter