Topic 4 - Multimedia

Edit made on 11th of April. Added links to the syllabus in response to the comment provided

Multimedia is an essential aspect of education that helps to maximise the effectiveness of a given lesson or activity (Djonov et al., 2021; Mayer, 2020). The use of multimedia helps to eradicate extraneous, redundant forms of instruction that inhibit opportunities to learn (Mayer, 2020). An example of this is a voice narrating the exact words that are on a presentation slide. This is the Redundancy Effect, which reduces recall and understanding (Mayer, 2020).

Stop-motion is a frame-by-frame process of filming that, when put together, becomes video. This genre of filming can be a fantastic method to facilitate student creativity in a practical, challenging and rewarding way (Unknown author, 2020).

Featured below is the stop-motion I created with another student in the tutorial of week 4.

CC by Lachlan Shanks

Students can use stop-motion to create multimedia that creatively integrates storytelling into technology. Thus, activities may include students writing short stories incorporating a few characters, a climax and a resolution. They must then create or find characters that can stay still and be moulded into different forms to enhance the story. After this, the video can be transferred to iMovie, where the students can add sound or visual effects, audio, a title screen etc.

As Blair (2014) identified, stop-motion animation can subvert normal filming conditions and limitations due to its unique style. This can help bring inanimate objects to life. However, this style of filming does require patience, determination and fine motor skills. Additionally, the camera (most commonly an iPad) must be still throughout the filming process, with a large enough 'stage' for all of the characters to fit in. These limitations can make it difficult for a whole class to simultaneously engage with the task.

Alternatively, stop-motion can be a helpful way of analysing how well a student can cope with stress (Blair, 2014), as dealing with the intricacies of the movement of each character can be fickle, frustrating and challenging.

The use of stop-motion links to the syllabus through the outcomes EN3-HANDW-02, EN3-UARL-01 and EN3-CWT-01 (NESA, 2023). Students creatively represent characters, narratives and imagery through a range of multimodal technologies, appropriately selecting materials to suit their purposes. These aspects reinforce the usefulness of stop-motion in providing students with a different way of creatively telling stories.

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References:

Blair, J. (2014). Animated Autoethnographies: Stop Motion Animation as a Tool for Self-Inquiry and Personal Evaluation. Art Education, 67(2), 6–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2014.11519259

Djonov, E., Tseng, C., & Lim, F. V. (2021). Children’s experiences with a transmedia narrative: Insights for promoting critical multimodal literacy in the digital age. Discourse, Context and Media, 43, 100493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2021.100493

Mayer, R. E. (2020). Designing multimedia instruction in anatomy: An evidence‐based approach. Clinical Anatomy, 33(1), 2–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.23265

NSW Education Standards Authority [NESA] (2023). English K-10 Syllabus. https://

curriculum.nsw.edu.au/learning-areas/english/english-k-10-2022?tab=outcomes

Unknown Author (2020, September 9). STOP MOTION ANIMATION AS A CLASSROOM TOOL | DIGISTARS Make-A-Movie Workshop. DIGISTARS Make-A-Movie Workshop | We Help Kids Bring Stories and Studies to Life Through Making Movies! https://digistarsworkshop.com/stop-motion-animation-as-a-classroom-tool/#:~:text=Stop%20motion%20animation%20also%20enhances,students%20in%20an%20entertaining%20way.