Abstract:

Collaboration is not only known to stimulate and enhance learning in a classroom (Gokhale, 1995) but it is also a necessary skill in many professions. In the case of university animation students, many hope to enter jobs in their chosen industry with the requisite skills to succeed. Although animation and technology skills are crucial, collaborative skills are of equal or greater value in the animation industry. In the collaborative learning paradigm students not only need to articulate their ideas to their partners but also have the added benefit if immediate feedback (as cited in K. Jones & J. Jones, 2008). An added layer of complexity is involved in collaborations that require access to advanced computer imaging technology. At the University of Hawai’i Manoa’s (UHM) Academy for Creative Media (ACM), up to twenty students a year complete their Animation Track major by taking the capstone course ACM 420. In this one-semester course students collaborate on the production of an animated short film from concept to finished color film product. This case study examines the methods and protocols of cooperative learning practices used in the ACM 420 course, highlighting positive and negative outcomes of this collaborative learning experience. The balance between technology learning outcomes and group learning outcomes is also explored.

Keywords:

Collaborative Learning, Cooperative Learning, Group Learning, Animation, Technology.