Feature film and teaching/learning

Abstract

What are the effects of feature film on student learning? While it seems widely assumed that the use of feature films in teaching serves to pique student interest and facilitate learning, there has been relatively little study of learning produced by films. What work has been done in this field mainly focuses on educationally designed instruction/training films rather than popular cinema productions. This is an area of special interest to me, since in 1997 I will be offering a unit titled Hollywood and History. The course examines twentieth century America through the lens of feature films such as JFK, Malcolm X and Apocalypse Now. For some time many historians have accepted the intrinsic value of feature films in teaching history, but without specific examination of how this affects student learning. I am interested in exploring this dilemma