Film and Learning
We’re in the middle of movie award season which always gets me thinking about …. films. The Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild awards have been handed out. Germany’s Berlinale and America’s Academy Awards are right around the corner. I know folks who are practically addicted to watching movies because the films deliver an artistic fix. Yet, others could care less about watching movies as the experience doesn’t seem to add any value to their lives. I respect the reactions from folks who are in both camps. However, there is a third group of film lovers: those of us who use film to enhance learning and life. This blog is intended to explore the impact that film may have on learning and on enhancing life by encouraging the readers to ask and answer questions and to share their experiences and best practices. Ultimately, it’s about having some fun with this topic and giving back to those who wish to understand more about film’s impact in these areas. I’ll share my research results, describe examples using film effectively and perhaps not so effectively in a corporate setting, and discuss a few creative corporate films that were written and produced as parodies of well known Hollywood films such as Field of Dreams, The Godfather, James Bond, and Mission Impossible. The next blog will include how my obsession with film and learning began. Until then, thanks for your time reading my first blog.
You don’t distinguish between consumers and producers! Where does most impact come from? I think that the means of production is so freely available and the cost of entry so small we can see the world filmically and that is a massive opportunity rather than simply consume. Old media and new media??
Hi Nigel, thanks for your questions and observation. I’m sure we’ll explore various areas that result in greater or less learning impact. At first, however, we’ll focus on the impact that film can have on the learner (consumer). We’ll share examples of how Learning and Development professionals (producers) have effectively created or delivered film to learners. You make a good point that because filming or videoing is available to almost everyone, it’s a potentially powerful and incredibly effective method to help folks learn. And let me say that it means a lot to me that you, a very effective Professor from the PennCLO program, have blogged here on the topic. Looking forward to more interaction with you. Cheers!
Films provide a great vehicle for gaining a deeper knowledge of self and others by identifying and discussing the values of the characters and how those values propel behavior.
A great HR tool for the benefit of all employees.
I’ll look forward to more info:) Best to you–
Hi Mary Ann, thanks for your comment and glad that you’ll be checking in. I can guarantee that future blogs will give examples of film clips that successfully helped folks gain knowledge of corporate values, moving through negative change, collaboration, and strategy to name a few. Looking forward to exchanging ideas in the near future. Warm regards.