CREATING ORIGINAL SPONTANEOUS PHOTOGRAPHS AND

SHORT VIDEO CLIPS FOR EFFECTIVE AND AFFECTIVE LESSONS

By

Phang Sin Nan

Guru Cemerlang Fizik Gred Khas C
Kolej Datu Patinggi Abang Haji Abdillah, Kuching, Sarawak
Email: phang.sinnan@gmail.com

A. INTRODUCTION

This paper is basically about an innovative approach which can be used in a lesson of any
subject from pre-school to Form 6. Since I teach Physics, all my examples used in this paper
are Physics examples.

In teaching, students do find some concepts abstract and dry. I have observed that students
need more than just a cerebral approach to developing their understanding of concepts. They
are all very different from one another in their learning styles and inclination, hence the
significance of using Multiple Intelligences approach and Right Brain-Left Brain theory in
teaching. Through my experience and reflection, I have discovered an approach to make my
lessons more effective and affective, hence my project paper, Creating Original
Spontaneous Photographs And Short Video Clips For Effective And Affective Lessons.

B. WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

'A picture paints a thousand words, a movie paints a million words.'

The teacher uses a digital camera to take spontaneous photographs and short videoclips of
classroom activities. The emphasis here is on spontaneity and brevity. For still photographs and
video clips, the situation must be spontaneous. There is no scripting for the occasion. For video
clips, it must be brief, preferably between 30 seconds to a minute. After having taken the
photographs and recorded the video clips, the teacher can opt to replay it immediately after the
recording or at another time. He can also replay it to show it on the LCD projector at the end of
the lesson as a closure of the lesson. Or he can also show it on another day as a reinforcement
activity. This approach is inexhaustive in that it can be used at any time of the year. There is no
time frame to it. It can be used literally for any subject at any level.

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 C. PURPOSE

Through this approach, the teacher is able to :

1. concretise abstract concepts,
2. simplify concepts,
3. create interesting induction sets,
4. create effective revision tools and materials,
5. create audio-visual and memory aids,
6. make teaching-learning more effective,
7. make students like the subject more,
8. make teaching-learning more fun,
9. influence students to think out of the box,
10. encourage students to be innovative themselves.

D. DETAILS OF CONTENT


Equipment Required
All that is needed to record the actual learning situations in the lesson is a good digital
camera with video recording functions. I presently use a 5.1 Megapixels model with a
256-MB Memory Stick. An external 40-GB hard disk and DVDs can be used to store the
digital photographs and video clips. This is user-friendly and cost-effective.

Personnel For Video-Recording And Photograph-Shooting
The teacher does the recording on the spot. He takes the shots or does the video-
recording as he knows exactly what to focus on in the lesson. The teacher captures
activities, experiments, situations and observations on still phototographs and/or
video recording spontaneously . In this way the candidness of the situation is captured
to make the lesson more effective, lively and exciting.

Examples of classroom activities
Photographs 1 9 and the videoclips (which will be shown during the presentation of the
paper) are examples of classroom activities which illustrate what this approach is all
About

Photograph 1(a) :
Role Play to explain Faraday's Law. The student
here is acting as the galvanometer.

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Photograph 1(b) :
Role Play to explain Faraday's Law. The
students here are showing a conductor of 3
turns before cutting the magnetic flux
(represented by the joined hands of the
students).

Photograph 1(c) :
Role Play to explain Faraday's Law. The students
here are showing a conductor of 3 turns after
cutting the magnetic flux (represented by the
joined hands of the students).

Photograph 2 :
Candid camera ! Even though this is not
premedidated, the student here suddenly
shows a very interesting phenomenon.
Bernoulli's Principle in action!
(The videoclip of this activity is shown on the
auto-run powerpoint presentation attached.)

Photograph 3 :
Teacher and student acting out
the concept of RESOLVING FORCES in action
when a force is pulled at an angle. The student
is seen moving HORIZONTALLY from left to
right as well as moving VERTICALLY upwards.

(The videoclip of this activity is shown on the

auto-run powerpoint presentation attached.)

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 Photograph 4 :
The teacher and students here show clearly the
direction of the three forces in equilibrium.

(The videoclip of this activity is shown during

the presentation of this paper.)

Photograph 5:
The students here both gesture a big hole with
their hands and shout out loud, “B.I.G. Hole”!
Holes are the majority charge carriers in a p-
type semiconductor. This is a MEMORY
AID(mnemonic) to remember the 3 doping
elements for a p-type semiconductor. After this
activity, the students remember these 3
elements for life!
B : Boron
I : Indium
G : Gallium
(The videoclip of this activity is shown during
the presentation of this paper.)

Photograph 6 :
The students here are acting out the concept
of RESULTANT FORCE . Notice the two forces
acting on the student in the middle.
(The videoclip of this activity is shown during
the presentation of this paper.)

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Photograph 7 : The student jumps from the
teacher's bench. He demonstrates how a bigger
collision time reduces the impulsive force of the
collision as he lands.
(The videoclip of this activity is shown during
the presentation of this paper.)

Photograph 8 :
The students here are enjoying the activity to
understand what transverse waves are.
(The videoclip of this activity is shown during
the presentation of this paper.)

Photograph 9 :
The students here are observing the effect of
an Extra High Tension of 6 000 V on an
aquadaq-coated ping-pong ball. The 6 000V
explains why I had to conduct it as a
demonstration experiment only.
(The videoclip of this activity is shown during
the presentation of this paper.

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 E. BENEFITS OF IMPLEMENTATION


The Teaching-Learning Process Becomes More Effective
This approach caters to the needs of more students. From the theory of Multiple
Intelligence and Left Brain-Right Brain Theory, more students are able to grasp Physics
concepts through action, activity, and a replay of these activities through video clips and
photographs. When the videoclip and photographs are shown, the teacher asks
questions like, “What is the main concept here?”, and “How can we correlate this
videoclip/photograph with the concept as explained or shown in the textbook?”


Experiential Learning
This approach promotes experiential learning. As an example, Photograph 6 shows how
students can learn Resultant Force in an experiential way. Before this approach was
used, only about 20% of my students in a certain class have understood this concept
(taught in Form 4). I started teaching them only in Form 5 - since January 2006. After
using this approach, about 92% of the class could grasp the concept.


It Can Be Used As An Induction Set
The photos and videoclips can be used as induction sets to the lesson. It is very effective
as an induction set as it involves real life situations involving the students themselves or
their friends.


It Can Be Used As The Main Part Of The Lesson
Whenever applicable, the photos and videoclips can be used as the main part of a
lesson. It can be used effectively in a lesson, especially if the teacher needs to save
time. The video clip and photographs are useful and effective audio visual aids for the
main body of the lesson, too.


It Can Be Used As The Closure Of The Lesson
I have used the photographs and video clips as the closure of the lesson. It is very
effective because it is a slightly-delayed live telecast of a classroom activity involving
themselves.

A Sense of Ownership in the Learning Process
Students see themselves on the screen. This creates a sense of ownership on the part of
the students. This makes them love my subject more. They enjoy the subject more,
hence the feel-good factor in their attitude towards Physics.


Contextual Approach in Teaching-Learning
This approach helps students to learn Physics concepts with a good term of reference. It
helps them to relate the concepts learnt to their everyday experience. This is also true
for the other subjects.

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
Excellent Tool for Reflection
The photos and video clips serve as an excellent tool for reflection for the teacher.


Excellent Memory Aid
After the students have viewed again and again the video clips and photos, they find
that they will somehow remember the physics concepts and processes much better.
Their sense of ownership of the videos and photographs is another contributing factor to
increasing their memory-retention power.


Highlight Students' Best Practices
Students' best practices are highlighted as benchmarking for the other students. This
also indirectly motivates the students whose work is given special mention. (This is
shown in the powerpoint presentation.)


Induces Creative and Innovative Thinking
Through this approach, the students think differently in their approach to learning and
studying. They learn how to solve problems and think out of the box. They learn to see
the unseen, thus making them more innovative and creative thinkers.


It Makes Learning Fun and Hilarious
This approach makes learning fun. It is a stress-buster. It will go a long way in restoring
the joy of learning. This touches the affective domain of the learner in that he will feel
good and positive towards the subject which is being taught in a light-hearted and fun-
filled atmosphere (Score of 4.32 in Question 1).


It Is A Meaningful Souvenir-Cum-Learning Tool For the Student
I made CDs of this whole project and gave a CD each to all my students. It is an
interesting souvenir gift from me. It is also an effective learning tool in the few topics
recorded on video and photographs.


As A Motivation For Other Teachers To Be Creative In Producing Their Own Materials
By sharing my ideas with other teachers, it is my hope that they, too, will create similar,
if not, better materials of their own for their lessons and students.


It Is Student-Centred
This approach is student-centred whether or not it is done in small or big groups of
students. The students are the 'stars' of the recording and the photographs. They love
the 'project' as they see themselves every now and then.

F. CONCLUSION

This approach is simple yet profound. It will make the delivery process in the classroom
more effective and affective because of its benefits to both teachers and students. I am
more than convinced that this innovative approach can be successfully implemented
by ALL teachers for ALL subjects at ALL levels.

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 Appendix 1

Average score
Score 1 2 3 4 5

Item

Disagree
Disagree

Not sure
Stongly

Stongly
Agree

Agree
This approach...

1. makes me like Physics more. 4.32

2. makes me more creative. 3.95

3. has reinforced my understanding of 4.26

Physics concepts
4. has reinforced my understanding of 3.99
the concepts of transverse and
longitudinal waves.
5. has reinforced my understanding of 3.95
the concept of Equilibrium of forces
6 has reinforced my understanding of 4.03
Bernoulli's Principle.
7. can be shared with the other teachers 4.57
in Malaysia.
8. can be shared with the other students 4.61
in Malaysia.
9. should be continued in the teaching and 4.71
learning of Physics.
10. has improved my thinking skills. 4.37

11. has made it fun to study Physics. 4.55

12. approach motivates me. 4.24

13. of teaching inspires me. 4.39

14. is in line with the era of Informaion and 4.63

Communication Technology (ICT).
15. can produce materials to be used as 4.44
revision materials for students who
were absent and missed the lessons.

Table 1 : The Average Scores From 76 Of My Students In Response To This Approach

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