The first four issues of Operation Comics, a WKU professor’s series that presents mathematics to elementary school students, are now available as NOOKbooks through the Barnes & Noble website.

Dr. Bruce Kessler, mathematics professor and associate dean of WKU’s Ogden College of Science and Engineering, began the comic book series in 2008. The comics, in print form, have been used at Cumberland Trace Elementary School in Bowling Green since January 2009.

After attending an education meeting in Louisville in 2008, Dr. Kessler began developing his ideas for Operation Comics as a way to present grade-appropriate mathematics, as determined by NCTM standards, to students in grades 4 through 6.

“I had been a comic book fan growing up and was intrigued with the idea of a comic with embedded math content,” he said. “Why couldn’t we present mathematics like this? Even students that did not like math would not be able to resist reading the stories, and would perhaps learn something in spite of themselves.” 

The stories and illustrations involve the adventures of Wonderguy, a strongman superhero who goes about doing good deeds with the assistance of two intelligent elementary school students, Claire and Dillon. Each issue presents mathematics concepts, such as finding means or calculating probabilities.

Issues available as NOOKbooks are: Operation Comics #1: Captain Confusion’s Revenge; Operation Comics #2: The Shape of Things; Operation Comics #3: Not Your Average Cat; Operation Comics #4: Wonderguy in the Sky. The fifth and sixth issues are in progress. NOOKBooks are readable on the NOOK, NOOKcolor and free readers for PC and Mac that are available for download on the Barnes & Noble website.

The comics have been a hit thus far at Cumberland Trace Elementary, and Dr. Kessler hopes to multiply the series’ impact through NOOKbooks.

“All of the data collected from the students using the comics at Cumberland Trace Elementary seems to indicate that the students’ attitudes and motivation toward learning mathematics was improved after using the comics in class,” he said. “In fact, teachers noted a benefit that we did not anticipate: The students liked to read the comics out loud in class, an exercise that is typically not a favorite in class. Kids love to read the roles of the characters, and barely notice the mathematical concepts that they are learning.”