Abstract:

Ngee Ann Secondary School adopts the Teaching for Understanding (TfU) framework developed by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This article presents an action research that investigates the use of text-to-movie technology for the creative engagement of learners and as a performance of understanding. Performances of understanding are learning activities to help learners build and demonstrate their understanding.

Text-to-movie software Xtranormal was used in the study. Using Xtranormal, students easily created short animated movies by typing in their scripts. Students had the opportunity to play the roles of film writer and director. Students were deeply engaged in the task of making their own creative movies. They worked collaboratively in groups to create and publish their movies on the Web. Through the movies, students’ thinking and understanding became visible and audible. Students viewed and critiqued the works of their peers; assessing and diagnosing areas for improvement. Teachers were able to easily identify concepts that were missing or misunderstood. As students navigated and critiqued the works of others, they learned and understood new knowledge. Such a performance of understanding was found to not only better engage the 21st century learners but also facilitated peer feedback and assessment for learning.

This research involved 41 Secondary Two students (aged 14) in the subject History. Results from this action research suggest that this creative engagement of learners with Xtranormal text-to-movie technology is more effective in developing and demonstrating students’ understanding compared to traditional modes of teaching and learning.

A Unique Problem and Challenge

Our students’ structured-essay responses reflected their comprehensive knowledge of facts and figures regarding various topics taught in Secondary 2 History. However, their opinions were limited and weakly explained, if any. Students were unable to express their views about the significance of various factors in relation to the issues discussed. This was due to their inexperience in using the content they have learned in a critical manner, where opinions are aired and various perspectives are discussed. We needed a solution to this, preferably an interactive one that can engage our 21st century learners, most of whom are digital natives.

Educational text based online programmes are known to promote interactive style of learning, providing opportunities for collaboration and engagement across space, within and beyond the classroom (Riner, 1996). In contrast, lessons in the physical classroom environment are usually skewed towards teacher-created content and delivery, lacking self-questioning, reflection and high-order analytical skills. Research has also shown that today’s children, labelled the “Net Generation”, are more likely to engage in online games than to interact with other students or the instructor when in face-to-face learning environment (Leonard et al, 2006).

Since students were unable to express their views about the significance of various factors in relation to the issues discussed, we decided to brainstorm the different ICT mediums in which we could let students demonstrate their thinking in groups using 21st century skills and technology.

Keywords:

Xtranormal, text-to-movie, technology, video, teaching, understanding, TfU, pedagogy, Web 2.0, education.