A story about my best learning experience in AHVS 295B

Enrolling in AHVS 295B: Introduction to Film Studies has to be one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made. What made the course so memorable is how different it is from the required engineering courses I must enrol in. From the beginning, this course used a cognitivist approach, gradually introducing topics such as Films as Language and Genre Films, with clear links that connected new concepts to existing knowledge. This was accomplished through tutorials and lectures. However, the course also used a constructivist approach by encouraging students to share their interpretations, ideas, and debates about films such as The Player, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and others.

Figure 1. Still from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953)

Through these interactions, students enriched and expanded their learning experience by listening to different perspectives and opinions from their peers. Last but not least, the course embraced connectivist concepts that define learning extended beyond the classroom, such as the use of Brightspace and informal discussions in office hours or with peers, normally after class lectures. Students were not isolated in the instructor’s lecture slides or textbook, but it comes from the connections/interactions between peers, media, and digital resources. According to connectivism, knowledge is transferred across a network and not confined to individuals alone. Furthermore, the course is integrated with behaviourism, which was evident in how tutorial participation is reinforced by including it in the grade total contribution of 10%, creating a consequence of grade impact. Not to mention, the course repeatedly instructed students to include screening notes, construct a point-form outline, and an introduction. This encourages students to develop a routine when dealing with the assignments.

Why did I enjoy it?

I thoroughly enjoyed this learning in this course because it let me choose which films I wish to write about between a certain time, such as from January 6 and January 27, for an assignment. Moreover, before enrolling in this course, my interest in film has always been there since I was a child. This occurs because of my parents’ love for movies, so it naturally rubbed off on me.

References

Ertmer, P. A. & Newby, T. (2018). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features From an Instructional Design Perspective. In West, R. E. (Ed.), Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology (1st Edition): Historical Roots and Current Trends (pp. 133-151). EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/behaviorism_cognitivism_constructivism

Hawks, Howard. (Director). (1953). Gentlemen Prefer Blondes [Film]. Twentieth Century Fox.

Weller, M. (2020). Connectivism. 25 years of EdTech. Athabasca University Press. https://read.aupress.ca/read/25-years-of-ed-tech/section/198057f5-1a3e-4436-a4b8-c6e1a3e0bd69