| Seventy-two students from an undergraduate psychology course gave their perceptions of various media used in the classroom, including feature films. Comments and ratings were collected from two written assignments per student and a questionnaire. Students were given the choice of using feature films, instructional videos, or biographically based text material for application of concepts from Personality Theory, and asked to provide reasons for their preference as part of the papers. These statements of rationale, comments about advantages and disadvantages of each medium on the questionnaire, and relative rankings of the media were subjected to qualitative coding and descriptive quantitative analysis, with a focus on outcomes for feature films. Results showed a preference for movies over the other media, although videos were also liked more than the biographical text. The pedagogical qualities most emphasised by students, especially in relation to films, were the opportunity to link theories to real-life examples, and the challenge to engage in higher-level thinking and analysis. It is suggested that the exploratory nature of the methodological approach, the emerging categories and themes, and the indicators of how students engage with movies in the classroom can lead to further research in a variety of settings. Ultimately, it is hoped that the findings from this study will open many more doors to the creative and effective use of such an innovative strategy. |
