While traditional teaching methods and tools are, of course, beneficial to our students, they can be limiting in some areas. Student-generated multimedia projects are emerging as a vital classroom teaching and learning tool; evidence from research studies indicates these projects are a formative interactive tool that can facilitate collaboration and the development of communication skills (Lord, 2008), strengthen independent learning (Blin, 2004; Diem, 2005), and increase technical savvy among students (Peuschel, 2007). In addition, multimedia development facilitates oral language learning while providing a venue for intercultural reflection and discussion (Lord, 2008; McCarty, 2005).

Since 2001, my students have created audio and video projects as well as mixed media projects. I have worked with large budgets, meager budgets, and an absence of budgets. After creating video projects with equipment purchased through the large budgets, I presented on the activities at a conference in Latin America. The teachers there were really receptive but stated that very few possessed or could purchase the necessary equipment needed to complete the projects. As teachers, we should be looking for ways to incorporate such technologies into our daily curriculum in order to create more stimulating and current projects that raise the WOW! factor even higher. The problem for educators, however, is that they often do not have the equipment, budget, or technical know-how to implement digital projects in the classroom. These obstacles challenged me to devise a project teachers could use with basic equipment most schools probably already own and which does not have to be purchased with additional funds.

While working with students in the Middle East to create video projects, I was faced with the problem of not being able to record some students due to cultural factors. The 30-year-old Lego sets my own children continually play with gave me an idea. If one were to search YouTube for information on Lego, hundreds of story-driven videos would appear. These videos were created with the method of stop motion animation. Many have been created by professionals, but others come from amateurs ranging in age from 10 to 40. If the public is interested in creating these little movies, it seemed to me that probably our students would enjoy the opportunity as well. To view an example of stop motion animation, please go to http://youtu.be/HLKTBkKytoA.

Stop Motion Animation: Fun and Educational

Projects like stop motion animation work well educationally on many levels. On a global learning level, when properly structured, these projects draw on cooperative learning and all of its benefits. Due to issues such as limited equipment, the large scope of projects, and limited time, it is often advisable to organize these types of projects around groups composed of three to four students.

Each member of the group can be responsible for different assigned roles such as director, script writer, actor, model mover, editor, and so on. Giving each student a different task allows learners to either excel at their strengths or to participate in roles they would seldom ever consider, but may be interested in. It also allows each student to be held accountable and become a valued member of the group. Without roles, some students, perhaps due to low self-confidence or lack of language skills, just fade into the background and fail to become active members of the team. From my experience in implementing these cooperative learning projects, often these shy, awkward, hesitant learners find self-confidence and pride through projects like this. While in groups, students are assessed on their own contributions as well as those of the overall group. Again, this provides motivation for each to have a hand in the production of the project. Finally, it distributes the responsibility more evenly for those who feel that they may have to do all of the work while others who do much less share equally in the credit.

Each student’s role is interdependent, but, in the end, each must work within the group collective. This teaches skills needed to communicate ideas, negotiate and compromise on an overall vision, and find solutions to conflicts that may arise. Once roles and subsequent tasks are assigned, students can perform their responsibilities as they see fit. In other words, they have the opportunity to express their own voices and create their visions for the project. However, when the time comes for each part to blend into the overall project, group members must work together to put each piece together (Johnson and Johnson, 1989; McCafferty, Jacobs, and DaSilva Iddings, 2006).

Beyond cooperative learning, current educational theory supports students’ active involvement in their own learning. For example, recent research in second language acquisition calls for immersing students in the learning process while cognitively engaging them in processing, questioning, and reflecting on the information to be learned (DeKeyser & Juffs, 2005). Research in learner autonomy suggests that students can increase their learning potential while taking an active role in the content and the engineering of their project content (Little, 2007). Stop motion animation projects can facilitate immersion in the subject matter by encouraging learners to discuss the material interactively, critically evaluate the material, and present the final video projects to external audiences, who can provide feedback.

Not withstanding the “coolness” factor of any project, if there is no underlying educational purpose, the end result can be pointless. Teachers often hear about some innovative or popular type of technology and rush to use it in their classes without properly thinking out the objectives or even analyzing the actual benefits of that technology. Part of the allure of stop motion projects is that they can be used in a wide range of contexts. For low-level EFL classes, instead of standard role plays, the class can create stop motion videos illustrating “I can/Can you?”, “I have/Do you have?”, and so on. Higher-level EFL students can present role-plays about ordering food at a restaurant or buying a ticket at the airport, whereas ESL/EAP learners can produce adaptations of literature or more academic texts they may be studying.

Implementing a Stop Motion Animation Project

The first and perhaps most critical step is to review resources you already have. For the production phase, essential items consist of a digital camera and the subject medium. The camera can be the point-and-shoot variety or a more complex SLR (Single lens reflex) type with interchangeable lenses. Remember the old saying about simple being better? Modern automatic cameras are often easier for students to use. Learners have sufficient variables to focus on without having to worry about calculating light exposure and shutter speed. If the school only has one or no cameras, enlist the help of your students; most students or their families own digital cameras. For maximum efficiency, there should be a 1:1 ratio of cameras to groups; anything less requires more creativity on the part of the teacher when adjusting deadlines and schedules.

Decide the type of medium around which the groups will base their videos. One of the main considerations has to be what is readily available. Dolls are common, but have several drawbacks. Barbie style dolls are often difficult to stand and pose in different positions. Their faces are also static, so that their looks cannot be altered much. Some action figures lend themselves more to posing, but are usually linked to some specific theme (super-hero, sports figure, etc.). Stuffed animals are extremely limited in all regards. Another choice is modeling clay. Modeling clay can interpret the full range of motion but requires much more skill and time. Perhaps the cheapest and simplest resource is the egg, either real or plastic. Print or draw eyes, a mouth, and even arms and/or legs and tape them onto the egg, magically making it come to life. If possible, laminate any and all body parts so as to reduce the possibility of ripping. Some sort of base is needed under the egg(s) to allow them to stand upright, such as putty or the bottom of an egg carton.

Lego mini-figures, the little people that come in the Lego building block sets, can show a limited range of movement: walking, arm movement, ability to hold items, and turning of the head, which can be interchanged to allow for different facial expressions. The building blocks themselves can be used to create an endless list of backgrounds including storefronts, natural settings, and houses. These building blocks tend to be nearly indestructible, so that if the school or department funds the purchase of a set, there is only an initial cost. If the department does not have the budget, visit local second-hand shops where older sets might be acquired at a fraction of the price. My entire collection probably cost more than US$500 (numerous large sets able to build an entire town acquired over several years) but has lasted more than 30 years. If a set is purchased, buy one with numerous mini-figures included. Lego also sells separate mini-figures so that a teacher could purchase a whole cast of figures. The added advantage of using building blocks like Lego is that with one large set of blocks, the range of possibilities merely hinges on building skills and imagination.

Other helpful items include tripods, which are effective to reduce camera movement. If no tripods are available, cameras can be placed on top of books or flat on the same surface as the subject matter. The camera should be stationary (not handheld) to guarantee as much continuity from one shot to the next. Also, a general-purpose lamp or two can be really useful in adding light to the scene. If using building blocks, purchase a base piece to anchor the blocks. These are often included in the larger sets. It is also beneficial to anchor, with glue or tape, these base pieces onto a heavier wooden board so that they cannot move easily; the most common mistake is to move the base slightly, resulting in the shifting of stationary objects from one image to the next. Finally, poster boards can be used to block out the rest of the classroom in the background.

For the postproduction phase, be familiar with the computers the students will have access to. Know both the version of the operating system and the installed movie editing software. If the school has a computer lab, be prepared and make sure each computer is running the same system and version. Newer versions of the same software will work and act differently. There are numerous tutorials on the Internet for using both Apple iMovie and Windows Movie Maker. The main functions you need to focus on for both types of software are how to import photos, how to add dialogue or audio, and how to save and export the final product. The computer needs to have some type of microphone attached or built into it for recording the dialogue created by the students. Cheap but usable headphone/microphone sets can be handy.

Modeling and Training

For the modeling and training component of the project, two possibilities exist. The first is to roll your sleeves up by initially assuming the roles of your students. YouTube is a great source of tutorials on stop motion animation. Create your own short stop-animation video by storyboarding, photographing, and editing your subject material. By experiencing everything yourself first, including any and all possible mistakes, you will be better equipped to solve problems your learners may encounter. The first time I try most new class projects, I am only one to 2 weeks ahead of the students on the learning curve! After you have created your own storyboard and photographs, you can walk the class through the exact process, explaining how each step is to be completed.

The second is to go to ESLStudentPublications.com. The website has all the tools needed to complete the different stages of the project. Project files include individual photographs that can be imported into movie editing software in order to practice editing, or you can download a fully edited movie and just add the dialogue later. Scripts also exist to guide the students, or they can make up their own dialogue to accompany the video footage. If the school has no resources other than computers, ESLStudentPublications.com's offerings can be a good place to start. If computers are available, this site can provide the needed resources to practice and gain experience before generating original content.

Conclusion

As with any type of technology, there is usually a steep learning curve when first experienced. However, with stop motion animation, it is less than with other types of film creation. The learning curve is more centered on analyzing the best and most efficient technique to produce such short films. The technical knowledge itself is secondary. For this project to be successful, the teacher must be fully committed and open to its success. As with most things in life, the success of a product greatly hinges on the “selling.” Stop motion animation is no exception. If the students believe they can succeed, they will.

References

Blin, F. (2004). CALL and the development of learner autonomy: Towards an activity-theoretical perspective. ReCALL, 16(2), 377–395.

DeKeyser, R., & Juffs, A. (2005). Cognitive considerations in L2 learning. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning (pp. 437–454). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Diem, R. (2005). Podcasting: A new way to reach students. The Language Teacher, 29(8), 45– 46.

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. (1989). Cooperation and competition: Theory and research. Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company.

Little, D. (2007). Language learner autonomy: Some fundamental considerations revisited. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 1(1), 14–29.

Lord, G. (2008). Podcasting communities and second language pronunciation. Foreign Language Annals, 41(2), 364–378.

McCafferty, S. G., Jacobs, G., & DaSilva Iddings, A. C. (2006). Cooperative learning and teaching in the second language classrooms. Language Education Series, J. C. Richards (Ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

McCarty, S. (2005). Spoken Internet to go: Popularization through podcasting. JALT CALL Journal, 1(2), 67–74.

Peuschel, K. (2007). Communication and participation: How German learners can use radio and podcast projects to become media-savvy language users. Deutsch als Zweitsprache, 2, 33–41.

Scott Duarte came to the English Language Institute at the University of Delaware in August of 2012 from the English Language Center at Michigan State University. Prior to returning to the States in 2008, Scott taught in high schools and universities in Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and Morocco. All of these opportunities gave him a wealth of experience and knowledge in teaching English in diverse environments. He has recently conducted teacher-training workshops in India and the Middle East through the State Department English Language Specialist program.