Cinema Meets Academics: The Pedagogical Power of Films

Everyone enjoys watching a good movie once in a while, don’t we? With OTT platforms becoming more accessible to a wider audience, including children as young as six, consuming content is just a click away. If educators not only start consuming quality content but also know how to apply it to their teaching pedagogy, it will be nothing less than a ‘made in heaven’ for both the education system and the students.

As per NEP 2020, “India aims to have an education system where children not only learn but also learn how to apply their knowledge in real-world situations, think critically, and develop skills necessary for holistic development and lifelong learning.”

Thus, as educators, we must follow the policies issued by the Ministry of Education and Board Authorities. Making experiential learning and art integration a primary focus of our lesson plans and adapting to new pedagogical tools or approaches for efficient teaching and more effective learning. One such effective pedagogical tool is films. With the right approach, the learning experience can be as gripping as watching a movie!

As a business studies teacher, I love to teach lessons by quoting several examples from films. To everyone’s benefit, the students are hooked throughout. Especially when I use one of the Bollywood classics – Lagaan while teaching the management functions, I observe they not only actively listen to the lecture but also remember terms like goal, strategy, and planning, which were otherwise ‘too bookish’ for them. For topics like leadership, direction, and motivation, I use references from Chak De India and the character of Shahrukh Khan, especially his temperament. Much of it was negative motivation, aka reverse psychology, which ultimately helped Team India win the finals.

All this increased the attention span of students, resulting in a much-increased learning rate, improved concept clarity, and a significant decrease in their revision time. Thus, case studies based on movies have proven to be helpful for students. However, to ensure a meaningful learning experience, one must adhere to the following:

1. Clip of the film should be handy: Make sure you have the required device and other technical assistance like labs or projector rooms on the day of your lecture.

2. Prepare a clear lesson plan: Don’t go without proper planning of pre-, during, and post-activities when you show the clip of the movie. Remember, it is not just for students to learn; it is more for you to teach.

3. Discuss, engage, and analyze: After watching the clip, don’t simply move on to the next topic. Ensure the message resonates with the students and they grasp the concept.

4. Pauses are welcome: The clip of the film can be paused any time in between wherever you wish to explain or highlight a particular point.

Whether in kindergarten or management, if we as educators put our heart and soul into teaching, then all lessons will be less of a burden for students and more of a story that will remain close to their hearts.

Beyond academics

There are certain additional benefits that make this tool relevant. Although everyone can have their own perspective, learning in the following areas becomes fruitful:

• Facilitates attention span: Visual and audio effects combined create an immersive experience that captivates children’s attention and increases their focus.

• Empathy: Movies based on different cultures, social contexts, and traditions allow students to think beyond their surroundings, encouraging empathy towards people with different backgrounds.

• Language development: Hearing language with visual aids enhances comprehension and retention. Dialogues and subtitles available in various languages can help students understand complex language and vocabulary. Additionally, analyzing dialogues and scripts can improve their literacy, vocabulary acquisition, and critical thinking.

• Inclusive education: Movies are a universal language that all students, whether average, below average, mischievous, quiet, or specially-abled, can understand. This promotes a culture of inclusivity within and beyond the classroom.

• Real-life learning: Integrating movies with the curriculum requires thoughtful planning and alignment with learning objectives. Educators can select films that complement the curriculum and meet educational standards, helping students connect with the material. 3 Idiots is a prime example of this, showing that every subject is relevant, whether it be music, art, sports, or any passion. A significant real-life lesson from the film is that we need to give 100% effort, and only bookish content or course completion does not suffice for the meaning of education.

• Social and cultural relevance: Understanding the culture and society in which we live is important. As per the directives of the National Curriculum Framework suggested by the Ministry of Education, social and emotional well-being should be considered an important domain while teaching. Films can effectively convey societal values and history, like Lagaan, which covers India’s past and struggle for independence. OTT platforms enhance learning and foster understanding with conceptual clarity.

Teaching with movies can engage students in ways that textbooks cannot. It is advisable by educational boards, and many capacity-building programs are conducted to train teachers to use videos and films in their teaching. This concept is followed by many schools, with School Cinema being a unique platform that demonstrates the positive learning outcomes of this approach.

Let’s begin class with the screen!