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English 1103
Teaching styles and methods are constantly changing to suit the types of materials each
new generation has to learn to succeed. With technology reaching new levels every year, the
teaching methods have to change quickly to stay updated. Films are one of these advances,
originating in the latter part of the 1800's and quickly growing in the past decade to an easily
accessible household item. Because they are easy to obtain and moderately easy to make, films
have been used in workplaces for training and have also been used in classrooms to teach. I can
even remember learning about mitosis in biology through a film. I remember the excitement
involved in watching a movie rather than listening to the teacher. The film was a distracting and
amusing way to learn and it created a lasting impression. I’m sure that if you’ve watched a film
recently, you could relate the plot line to anyone if they asked, as well as be able to give your
own opinion on how interesting it was, etc. The attraction of using film in classrooms arises in
part from how easily students remember them and also from how they captivate students'
attention. It isn’t hard to reach the conclusion that the use of films in classrooms will increase as
the technology becomes more advanced and could show a wider variety of information.
Over the past several weeks, I have been researching the benefits of using film in a
classroom setting and how students’ learning styles change through introduction to this type of
medium. In order to find exactly what I wanted I needed to really define what it is that I’m
combination of film and written text in language arts or history classes allow for student growth
in analytical skills and enhance the students’ writing skills, as well as their ability to easily
recognize textual elements in a film? Language arts and history classes are the forerunners in this
move towards a multi-media approach to education and have the most material on the subject.
Some might wonder at the changes between my original research position and the final inquiry
question. Let me explain these changes by showing you the evolution of the question in the
following paragraphs.
I began to research how films affect students’ learning abilities when used in the
classroom and if a complete switch to films rather than written text would be feasible. It was
through research prompted by this question that I came across the article “Finding the Right Film
for the History Classroom” by Donald Mattheisen. Mattheisen is a history professor who
implores those few who give movie reviews to also review films for classrooms so that finding
appropriate films wouldn’t be so difficult. He is a stout advocate of proper film use to assist
teaching and even praises film’s ability to “arouse interest and generate enthusiastic discussion in
ways difficult for the classroom teacher to accomplish” (Mattheisen 1). Though he didn’t
condone a switch to films entirely, his support of films as a professor gave me hope that my
research would find some who did. The next source that I found also supported the use of films
bute rejected a complete transition. In the book Film in the Language Arts Class, the
There is danger, though, in teaching film in place of literature. The fact that film
is a popular form and does not require reading assignments could make it seem to
report have shown that even successful film adaptations of literature are, because
of the natures of the two media, inherently different... The continual use of films
of the value and use of languages both as a tool and as art (42-43).
Aquino goes on to mention that in some cases the substitution of film for literature can be used,
but the “use of either requires understanding of both ”(4Aquino 42-43). I have found that most
professors, and even students, agree with this point of view. In an interview, one student even
said “I can’t imagine getting rid of our seven story library for a seven story Blockbuster
(Moosa).” There was a sense of incredulity and distaste when he mentioned it, implying that film
cannot and will not ever be as esteemed a material as literature. This is often the case with new
types of media that don’t have the years of history backing and credibility as a teaching
reference. After finding several other teachers who opposed the switch to films but heartily
endorsed a combination of written text and film, I decided that the question should be refined. I
wanted to be able to prove that, though film will never replace literature, it is a suitable
The question began to relate more to how students are affected by filmsfilms affect
students and how that can be used to help them learn. The new question became “Does the use of
film rather than a textbook change the writing style of students and professors?” I conducted
several interviews, questioning students on any kind of writing style difference between the two
types of classes and none were apparent. Shorthand notes seemed to be the popular choice in
both types of classes. I decided the question was too broad to really contribute valid information
to my research and too many additional areas would have to be researched to find anything close
to an answer. I refined it yet again and in the end came up with the final product that was
introduced earlier. So, now all that we have to ask is: how does the combination of film and
written text in language arts or history classes allow for student growth in analytical skills and
enhance the students writing skills, as well as their ability to easily recognize textual elements in
a film?
As I mentioned before, there are many professors that who agree with the use of film in
the classroom and many are actively searching for ways to properly teach with this tool. Some
have even published works on its proper usage. It’s from one of these that I have found a gold
mine of information. John Golden, a teacher from Portland, Oregon, wrote Reading in the
Dark: Using Film as a Tool in the English Classroom, a definitive guide for teachers
interested in films for their students. I found the most insight from the author in the introduction,
where he gives his opinion on the use of film and how students are affected by it. In his
experience, he’s found that after students see and analyze a film clip, both their analytical skills
and reading skills improve (Golden xiv). This shows that students are indeed influenced to some
From the student interviews that I conducted, I found that they support the use of films in
class as well. One student mentioned that the information is easier to study because important
parts are easily recognizable and it’s not difficult to relate to the characters in the story. Another
mentioned that films are “useful if you’re trying to describe something that’s so far removed
from our current society,” when referring to the period piece shown by Professor Gwyn in the
history class I attend (Moosa). I can personally attest to the fact that analyzing film does affect
the way students analyze written text. For the first couple of months in this class, we watched
and analyzed episodes from the Deadwood series. In the middle of the semester we were
assigned All the Pretty Horses, a novel based in the same time period as the filmms. series. I
had grown accustom to what the professor wanted us to learn from the series and, when applying
that to the way that I studied for the Deadwood quizzes, I found that picking out the correct
Overall, I’ve learned quite a bit from this process. It was interesting finding out how
similar different peoples’ point of view wereseemed to coincide so frequently. Though all of the
sources that I used were connected through education, only two had ever met, but they all agreed
on a point. I think that the reason this is important is that if something is beneficial, people will
recognize that. Once something is recognized as a good source of education, it can be widely
used and it’s benefits can spread to places that haven’t received it before. Obviously, the use of
films in classrooms can be difficult to do properly. If teachers can recognize how this will help
their students and commit to learning the teaching style properly, I think that this will be
revolutionary in increasing students’ attention spans in class. It could be the key to getting the
next generation involved and actively participating in their education. As to what degree films
influence learning ability and how well this teaching style catches on is what we have yet to
discover.
Works Cited
Aquino, John. Film in the Language Arts Class. Washington, D.C.: National Education
Golden, John. Reading in the Dark: Using Film as a Tool in the English
Mattheisen, Donald. “Finding the Right Film for the History Classroom.” Perspectives
Liz,
Nice job. Using how your question evolved as a guide for your paper works well here, and I
think that you can talk about this development outside the confines of an inquiry question,” and
merely as a way of showing that your research and interest in this topic shifted with what you did
or did not discover at each stage. I am interested in hearing som criteria for when you think film
use in the classroom is a good idea. You narrow it down to two disciplines, but even then, when
should a film be incorporated into the course? Are there any guidelines you think a prof. should
consider when making this decision? And should students be assessed any differently when
learning from film than they would be otherwise? Just some things to consider. Please let me
Some of the questions that you listed above were going to be included in the interview I had
scheduled with Professor Gwyn. (“When would films be appropriate, how do you choose what to
show, what criteria do you look for in answers to quizzes, how do you write the quizzes and what
do you think students should learn from these films: these were just a few of the questions)
Unfortunately, since the professor cancelled the interview completely without even looking at
the questions, I haven’t been able to find someone who would know that answers to them. I
would really like to know as well but since all of the references that I have don’t really answer
them, I guess they have to remain a mystery for the time being. If you see anything else that
really sticks out that needs to be changed could you let me know? I also listed some questions in
the comments