Using Film Purposefully
and Powerfully in the
Classroom
Presented by Mandy Latz
Ivy Tech Community College Adjunct Faculty
Conference
4 April 2009
Presentation Agenda
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Overview of film use inside classrooms
Key items to consider
Examples in a variety of disciplines
Think-Pair-Share Activity
Why this topic?
• My own in-class film use
– Vis-à-vis Blackboard as well
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Need to articulate rationale
Student feedback
Better than me
Advocacy
Advocacy for Film Use
• Meets students “where they are”
– Is Google Making Us Stupid? by Nicholas Carr,
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google
• Brings course concepts to life
• Variation of messenger versus constant “sage
on the stage”
• Provides a common experience to draw from
• Leads well into sundry activities, assignments,
and discussions
Quotation
“…instructors must learn, and
in turn teach their students,
how to make movie viewing a
meaningful and active
educational experience”
(Sprau, 2001, para. 10).
Participating versus Spectating
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From passive to active viewing
Cannot have a “Blockbuster” mentality
Encouragement of multi-tasking
Films cannot be “dropped” in
Purposeful Use
• Why are you showing the film? What is
the purpose?
• How does the film integrate with course
concepts?
• What learning outcomes are associated
with the film?
• How will you measure the intended
outcomes?
– Link film use with activity, assignment,
discussion, etc.
Quotation
“…film in educational settings
is often relegated to filler
material for overworked,
underprepared, or absent
instructors” (Sprau, 2001,
para. 10).
Considerations in Selection
• Documentary versus
fiction
• Full length or clips
– Length of class
– Length of film
– Method of presentation
Documentary versus Fiction
• Hollywood movies
– Novel and appealing to students
– Easy to find
– Students may perceive fiction as reality
• Documentaries
– May be hard to find
– Closer to reality but may be historically or
politically bias
– Should be viewed critically
Quotation
“One of the dangers of using a feature film is
that students often confuse what they see in it
with the truth or attribute to a film the factual
characteristics of a documentary. Although
most films are not documentaries, they can
carry great emotional power while delivering
truths that [obscure reality] as has been said
about fiction. This emotional power can be a
catalyst for thinking and learning. It is
important to remember, however, that films
are a starting point, not an end in themselves”
(Harper & Rogers, 1999, para. 5).
Examples of Learning Activities
• Historical fiction
– Popular
– Is it accurate?
• Feature films in the psychology classroom
– Diagnosis, identification, stereotypes
• Rewriting the documentary from a different
perspective
Specific Examples of Films
Full Length versus Clips
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Consider the class time you have
Consider the actual full length of the film
Watching the whole film may be boring
Clips can overcome lack of class time to show
entire film
Clips can be extracted to display particular
character, scene, or concept
Clips can be difficult to manage
Go back to the overarching purpose of
showing the piece
YouTube, Google Video, other websites (PBS)
Crafting Learning Activities
• Some questions to consider…
– What are you trying to achieve (in terms of
student learning) by showing the film?
– How can you “stretch” your students?
– How can you help them to think critically?
– How can you enable them to use a variety of
skills (writing, speaking, building)?
– How can you help students enjoy the
process?
Quotation
“The richness of their papers proved
to me that the films and videos had
engaged all of the students,
regardless of their learning
preferences, and pushed them to
use and develop their analytic skills”
(Tobolowsky, 2007, p. 24).
Using the New Bloom’s
• Building upon remembering and
understanding
• Moving toward creating new knowledge
Using Kolb’s Cycle
• Moving from concrete experience
(watching a film) to active
experimentation (creating a new film)
Quotation
“…an instructor, in selecting
learning activities to correspond
with each of the four poles of the
experiential learning model, must
give greater consideration to the
functional use of the activity than
to the activity itself” (Svinicki &
Dixon, 1987, p. 144).
Personal Example from ANTH 154
• The Observation Exercise
Think-Pair-Share
• How have you used films in your
classrooms in the past?
• What types of learning activities have you
linked with film viewing in the past?
• Brainstorm a new use of film within a
class you are currently teaching
– Create a short list of films to use
– Create a learning activity for students that
blends the film and your course content
– Can you describe your activity in terms of the
New Bloom’s or Kolb’s Cycle?
References
• Harper, R. E., & Rogers, L. E. (1999). Using
feature films to teach human development
concepts [Electronic version]. Journal of
Humanistic Counseling, Education &
Development, 38(2).
• Sprau, R. (2001). I saw it in the movies:
Suggestions for incorporating film and
experiential learning in the college history
survey course [Electronic version]. College
Student Journal, 35(1).
• Svinicki, M. D., & Dixon, N. M. (1987). The
Kolb model modified for classroom activities.
College Teaching, 35(4), 141-146.
• Tobolowsky, B. F. (2007). Thinking visually:
Using visual media in the college classroom.
About Campus, 12(1), 21-24.
I appreciate your attendance!
Mandy Latz, Adjunct Faculty, Muncie Campus (ANTH 154,
IVYT101)
Contact me at alatz1@ivytech.edu