Teaching with Film

Apart from voice services, data made its foray in cellular networks with 2.5G networks. Today, with 3G network already in place, the data requirements of mobile subscribers is very high. With the increasing demand for mobile internet and rich data services such as streaming media for audio and video, this data requirement is expected to multifold in near future.  Correspondingly the network operators have started looking for alternative means of satisfying these data needs. Among many alternatives, mobile data offloading (MDO) is the most promising one. This paper presents the extensive need,  benefits, and technological solutions for MDO. Qualitatively, it is also shown that Wi-Fi, or 802.11 network is the most
promising technology for MDO. Also, to further popularize Wi-Fi as a candidate network for MDO, IEEE published the enhancements to the base IEEE 802.11-2007 standard in the form of its ninth amendment (i.e. IEEE 802.11u). Restricting the scope to beacon frame only, we show how this amendment supports interworking of 802.11 network with external networks. We also show the benefit of 802.11u compatible
Wi-Fi, as a candidate network for MDO, by modelling the problem of taking user's choice for assisting any vertical handover decision algorithm.

Intercultural communicative competence (ICC) has been
considered as an important ability in the globalized world. Particularly,
critical cultural awareness (CCA) has become an essential element to address the development of ICC in English language education. This paper describes how to employ film based re flective tasks as instructional activities and discusses their impact on university English learners’ critical cultural awareness. Five intercultural films were chosen as teaching materials, and different film based re flective tasks (film clips) we re designed for English learners to experience a deeper connection to and reflection on issues in social and psychological dimensions of intercultural communication.
    Over the course of 18 weeks, student participant s were comprehensively engaged in film based reflective tasks. G roup interviews were conducted with all participant s before and after the course. Reflective reports during the course were also collected as research data. The results sho w the change of participants’ awareness in four dimensions: Cultural bias awareness; awareness of self and other cultures; language awareness; political or historical awareness. Evidently, t he critical cultural awareness of many student participants was stimulated and the n developed in some way. In addition, the advantages and difficulties mentioned by student participants in implementing the film based reflective tasks were compiled. Overall, their learning experience s with the film based intercultural course were positive.
    This research findings reveal that film based reflective tasks could be
used as one of many effective instructional strategies to raise university
English learners ’ critical cultural awareness Finally, relevant suggestions are provided for future teachers and researchers.

The word “theory” may sound scary to some students. You may have been told that theory is boring, difficult and irrelevant to the realities of daily life. However, cultural theory, as it is taught in this class, is not only fun and exciting, but it is directly relevant to your life and daily experience. I believe that theory is not the opposite of practice. Instead, theory is a type of discursive practice designed to help you think differently about your life, and possibly change the conditions of your existence. The issue of discursive practice is particularly relevant for you, as filmmakers and film critics, because films are a form of discursive practice that shapes the way people view their culture, their lives, and themselves.

In this brief but intense 6-week course, you will be exposed to a variety of different theoretical frameworks, different toolkits for analyzing and understanding the world around you. You will view films and other media objects that engage with the theoretical frameworks presented, and you will be asked to develop interpretations of these objects through the theories you have read. You may also look at some of the recommended readings for each week to enhance your understanding of the subject at hand. You will then be asked to apply one of these frameworks in a final paper or creative project.

In recent years, many international relations scholars have enthusiastically embraced work from popular culture as teaching tools, or as novel means to explore IR theory. Scholars have produced numerous journal articles, book chapters, and books studying the characters and situations developed in a host of popular novels, films, and television programs. The dominant work in this genre seems to be Daniel Drezner’s Theory of International Politics and Zombies. Drezner argues that zombies provide the perfect metaphor for thinking about diverse contemporary threats. However, critics have noted that Drezner’s work, which is perhaps most sympathetic to pessimistic realism, is less useful for thinking about reflectivist approaches, including critical theory. This paper argues that zombie comedies provide an interesting alternative narrative perspective. Comedies typically focus on ordinary people and emphasize their regular lives — the human security agenda. Comedic stories end happily, often in a marriage. Comedies focusing on elites characteristically satirize and critique these figures, revealing them to be self-interested buffoons. Satire and black comedy can be subversive, reflecting critical rather than entrenched understandings. Recent zombie comedic films reveal both the concerns of ordinary people and critical theoretical ideas about powerful elites. Thus, they offer an important perspective for understanding global politics.

Öz: Bu araştırmanın amacı, tarih öğretiminde tarihî film ve tarihî dizilerin kullanılmasına ilişkin tarih bölümü öğrencilerinin görüşlerini tespit etmektir. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak araştırmacı tarafından geliştirilen anket kullanılmıştır. Anketler, 2013-2014 eğitim-öğretim yılı bahar döneminde Kırklareli Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi Tarih Bölümü'nde öğrenime devam eden 1., 2., 3. ve 4. Sınıf (Birinci Öğretim ve İkinci Öğretim) öğrencilerinden toplam 208 öğrenciye uygulanmıştır. Toplanan verilerin analizi için IBM SPSS Statistics 20 programından yararlanılmıştır. Toplanan verilerin çözümlenmesinde güvenirlik analizi, frekans analizi, t-testi ve varyans analizi teknikleri kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda, tarih bölümü öğrencilerinin tarih öğretiminde tarihî film ve tarihî dizilerin kullanılmasının dersi zevkli hale getireceğini, daha etkili ve kalıcı bir öğrenmenin gerçekleşmesine katkı sağlayacağını belirttikleri görülmüştür. Abstract: The purpose of this research is to determine the opinions of the students from the Department of History about using historical movies and historical series in teaching history. As a tool for data collection in the research, a questionnaire prepared by the researcher has been used. The questionnaires have been applied to 208 students in total from 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year (Daytime and Night Classes) who are attending Kırklareli University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Department of History in the academic year of 2013-2014 spring term. For the analysis of the data, IBM SPSS Statistics 20 software has been used. For the analysis of the data the techniques of reliability analysis, frequency analysis, t-test and analysis of variance have been used. As a result of the research, it has been seen that history department students express that using historical movies and historical series in history teaching will make 1 Bu çalışma 25-27 Haziran 2014 tarihleri arasında Sakarya'da düzenlenen III. Uluslararası Tarih Eğitimi Sempozyumu'nda sözlü bildiri olarak sunulan ve bildiri özetleri kitapçığında özeti basılan çalışmadan üretilmiştir.

Este libro es un esfuerzo colectivo realizado por profesores universitarios pertenecientes a diferentes universidades. En él se ha buscado recoger las experiencias individuales de los docentes a la hora de implementar diversos proyectos de innovación. Se trata de proyectos en los que se ha involucrado al alumnado para la creación de escritos y contenidos audiovisuales que amplíen sus conocimientos sobre las materias de sus carreras y, a la vez, contribuyan a la creación de espacios webs que aseguren la accesibilidad a esos contenidos por personas ajenas a su elaboración.

El capítulo referenciado, escrito por Rebeca Romero Escrivá, presenta los resultados obtenidos hasta la fecha en distintos proyectos de innovación docente asociados a la asignatura “Teoría e historia de los medios audiovisuales”, de 12 créditos ECTS, ofertada en el primer curso del plan de estudios del Grado en Comunicación Audiovisual de la Universidad de Murcia. Pretende introducir a los alumnos en la historia general de los medios audiovisuales con una perspectiva de innovación creativa, poniendo el acento en los trasvases intermediales.  La materia lleva cuatro cursos académicos asociada a distintos proyectos de innovación docente, coordinados por la responsable de la asignatura, enmarcados en las acciones que está llevando a cabo el grupo #IDECoA (Innovación Docente en Estudios de Comunicación Audiovisual, educación participativa y cambio social), cuya ventana de difusión es la página web “Educar la mirada: puntos focales de la historia audiovisual”: www.um.es/educarlamirada. Los cuatro proyectos han puesto el énfasis en la adopción de metodologías participativas de enseñanza/aprendizaje de los que se da cuenta en el capítulo 5 de este libro, titulado “La historia del audiovisual en clave cultural: una pedagogía del trasvase intermedial y el análisis creativo” (pp. 36-45).

In this session, Judith will share lots of practical examples for the use of German films in the KS3-KS5 classroom, using film not as an add-on but as a central element in a Scheme of Learning.  Film cannot only provide an engaging, authentic and purposeful context for learning but it can also be used as a vehicle to improve pupils' listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. In addition, film lends itself to nurture what the Council of Europe (2001) suggests could be seen as the "fifth skills". That is, a key skill for living in our diverse, world, showing its potential for supporting intercultural understanding and cross-curricular learning and teaching.

https://www.goethe.de/ins/gb/en/spr/unt/for/gia/for.cfm?fuseaction=events.detail&event_id=21773955

Although student-driven film adaptations of literary works require a substantial amount of classroom time, careful scaffolding, and access to specific electronic resources, these projects can promote active learning, meaningful collaboration, and media literacy among students.
The published version can be found here:
Kelley, James B. "Creating Short Film Adaptations in the American Literature Classroom." Teaching American Literature: A Journal of Theory and Practice 11.4 (Spring 2021): 51-58. https://www.cpcc.edu/sites/default/files/2021-10/taltp-spring-2021_0.pdf

This article explores the use of contemporary film in human service education. A theoretical rationale for the use of films is presented and principles for bridging the world of the classroom and the realities of practice are discussed. Suggestions are included for selecting and processing films, as well as case studies to illustrate various uses of this educational aide.

Il Modulo "Archilover", portato avanti presso la sede di Talsano, ITIS "Falanto", è stato incentrato sull'apprendimento di nozioni utili alla comprensione professionale della figura del filmmaker come creatore di storie, che utilizza il linguaggio audiovisivo per raccontare se stesso e l'ambiente circostante, attraverso storie di finzione o di realtà quotidiana, anche all'interno della scuola stessa e del futuro lavorativo; non solo capacità tecniche, ma uno sguardo diverso, un cambiamento di prospettiva per comprendere il mondo che ci circonda, permeato ormai sempre più spesso e in ogni aspetto della vita di nuove tecnologie e media differenti, una nuova consapevolezza per un uso corretto e innovativo delle possibilità che queste concedono, atta a compiere scelte comunicative di qualità che sappiano valorizzare il contesto da cui esse scaturiscono, a scuola ma anche fuori di essa. Il corso è stato composto da lezioni teoriche, corredate da presentazioni, lezioni interattive ed esercitazioni, riguardanti le nozioni di base indispensabili all'apprendimento della professionalità, ovvero nell'ambito di sceneggiatura, regia, fotografia, montaggio, post-produzione e altre figure dell'audiovisivo, produzione e marketing. È stato articolato in 10 lezioni da 3 ore ciascuna, per un totale di 30 ore, durante le quali gli studenti hanno appreso nozioni utili alla realizzazione un cortometraggio che hanno girato e montato tutti insieme. Hanno inoltre imparato a sviluppare lo spirito di osservazione, la creatività, l'attenzione ai dettagli, una maggiore consapevolezza finanziaria, capacità relazionali e a lavorare in team. Tra le ulteriori capacità in gioco si possono citare imparare a imparare, acquisire ed interpretare le informazioni, individuare collegamenti e relazioni, consapevolezza ed espressione culturale, comunicare, collaborare e partecipare, agire in modo autonomo e responsabile, competenze digitali. Le esercitazioni ed il cortometraggio finale, ai fini di test di verifica delle conoscenze acquisite, sono stati eseguiti con i materiali disponibili e software gratuiti. È stata indicata per ogni lezione una filmografia di riferimento, da vedere in autonomia con occhio critico secondo quanto appreso a lezione, e una bibliografia di approfondimento; sono state fornite ove necessario risorse digitali, tra cui le presentazioni del corso, oltre a link, file e strumenti per accrescere la conoscenza degli argomenti trattati in autonomia.

Film ist kein Wissensstoff  unter anderen, sondern eine Erfahrung. Die Zukunft der Filmbildung wird darin bestehen, den Film als das Wahrnehmungsexperiment erfahrbar zu machen, das er seit seiner Erfindung ist.
Film ist ein Labor der Innovation, in dem man lernt, anders und Anderes wahrzunehmen.

As part of their general education, undergraduates at Kwansei Gakuin University are offered courses on Humans and Culture.  The article describes and discusses the experiences of one such a course that focused on movies and culture in Denmark.

This presentation showcases practical examples of using film as an authentic context to teach vocabulary, grammar and translation and to practice the different language skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) in the target language. Finally, it exemplifies how authentic resources can be used to facilitate learning beyond the specifications of the MFL curriculum and towards a critical engagement with language and our own and other cultures. In other words, I argue for the importance of film as a platform for an engagement in social issues with the learners to open up a dialogue about our global world, using the target language as a vehicle for discussion.

A number of discussions of ethnographic film focus on the act of watching films that intimately follow people's lives. One set of arguments, following Bill Nichols, posits watching to be an act of possession and voyeuristic pleasure. Other arguments, following Peter Loizos, focus on the shifting nature of ethnographic film and that it is not primarily profit-oriented. In this paper I discuss these positions through an exploration of the reactions of university students to the death of Madang, the central protagonist of the ethnographic movie, 'Black Harvest', by Robin Anderson and Bob Connolly. I conclude by arguing that ethnographic film carries an emotional weight that does not allow a settled, possessive relationship to develop between characters in film and the audience

This presentation focuses on ways to promote interactive acquisition of L2 language and content learning about the GDR period through Markus Goller’s film Friendship and the interactive web portal zeitklicks. The presentation consists of two parts. In the first part, I present the instructional techniques and class projects that were used in teaching a lower intermediate German language course through the context of the political, social and cultural history of the GDR. I will share the ways in which the retrospective on GDR history offered in Friendship and the interactive material on zeitklicks was used to: integrate learner’s interests in aspects of the subject matter; improve L2 proficiency; promote intercultural competence; contrast and compare contemporary and past understandings of democracy and social order.
The second part of my presentation focuses on student’s feedback regarding their experience watching and discussing Friendship, working with zeitklicks, and the collaborative class projects. A survey was conducted mid-way through and at the end of the semester including questions eliciting student’s development of intercultural understanding and competency; the students’ self-assessment of their skill-development, the usage of video-recordings to reflect on viewed and discussed content-material, and the video-recordings impact on the improvement of L2 language acquisition. The students concluded an overall positive experience with the variety of filmic and interactive web-material, and the methods for exchange that were made available through projects and collaborative work in and outside the classroom. The filmic material and the interactive web platform build on the students’ personal interest and skill-level, enabled them to feel more comfortable in the verbal application and exchange of information on a historical subject, and strengthened their perception of themselves as competent L2 speakers.

Reflecting on the pedagogical challenges of teaching transnational cinemas, and the various ways one might cope with them, provides a welcome opportunity to consider carefully the place of film-philosophy in teaching the “transnational turn”. In what follows I outline a conclusion which has “crept up on me” over the past several years of teaching, in particular when looking at films from Asia and Latin America. Certainly it was never something I set out to test as a hypothesis; rather, it has emerged piecemeal, catching me unawares as a succession of pennies have dropped. The conclusion is that teaching transnational cinemas requires a multi-dimensional approach to films as objects of study.  Moreover, a crucial part of this realization is that one prominent dimension of the multi- is the theoretical/philosophical.