Exploring Active Learning Strategies in Film-Based English Classes

Kadoyama, Teruhiko

Article

Journal of English Teaching through Movies and Media 2017;18(2):77-93.
Published online May 30, 2017.

Exploring Active Learning Strategies in Film-Based English Classes

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to ensure that students are deeply involved in the learning process in film-based oral communication classes. It describes the author’s revision of his active learning approaches and reports the changes that were observed in students’ involvement in class activities. Active learning is a process in which students engage in activities that promote analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of class content, such as writing, discussion, or problem solving. Despite its recent popularity, however, adopting active learning approaches in class does not necessarily guarantee that students will be directly and deeply involved in the learning process. In this study, discussion of medical topics depicted in a film closely related to learners’ majors was chosen and further explored to initiate “active learning in the real sense of the term” which Mizokami (2014b, p. 4) advocates. The intended effect was to motivate them further in their study of both language and their chosen fields. An experiment was conducted to verify the effectiveness of the strategies, and the results revealed that the revisions, including the use of Moodle and a flipped classroom approach, helped secure sufficient time for class discussion and involve students more actively in the learning process.