Pros and Cons of Using Movies in Education

The use of movies in the education program is to engage learners. However, there are many more reasons why movies are important in the classroom. “Instructors must acknowledge that effective learning is based on a proper plan to enhance the student experience at any level”, says Rose Dalgety, a teacher and essay writer in one of the best essay writing services in New Zealand.  Among the plans is to review the policies of using films according to the school requirements. For instance, there are different ratings of films, thus teachers must establish which types are necessary for use in the classroom setup. Nonetheless, the use of film has both pros and cons in education.

Pros

• Learning beyond textbooks

Films provide a clearer perception of an event or an era. Rather than the theoretical studies done in class, learners can visualize the events that took place at a particular period. For example, in the 1960s, black women had a great contribution to the space program. While explaining this phenomenon, teachers can use the movie “Hidden Figures” to illustrate the real actions that took place then.

• Movies for interest-building or pre-teaching

“It is common for learners to seek help from online platforms if they lose interest in topics that seem complicated or unappealing to their needs. For example, topics on history do not attract the attention of modern-day students. To improve their interests, teachers should use movies as an additional teaching aid. Instead of administering too many notes, students will acquire historical knowledge through visual programs. Besides, films provide breaks between intense learning sessions.”, says Olivia Prescott, an editor at Sky Writer.

• Films provide teachable moments

Teachers can impart more knowledge to the students, which goes beyond the material that has to be covered in class. Textbooks simply confine learners to the syllabus without expanding their knowledge of other important ideas. Through the use of films like “Gandhi,” teachers can explain various issues like gender relations, human rights, and freedoms, imperialism, religion, among others.

• Movies are used on days when students seem to be unfocused

In the learning process, there are always days when students lose their focus on classroom matters and think of a big game coming up in the night or a holiday that is approaching. It becomes very difficult for teachers to draw their attention to a classroom topic of the day. On such occasions, learners should be allowed to watch an educational movie that resonates with the topic that they intend to cover.

Cons

• Some movies are very long

Using a movie as an additional learning aid can turn into a demerit if it is too long. It means that the instructor will have to break it down severally to explain the various concepts covered. Such movies could take a whole week to complete, consequently wasting so much learning time. The films will also disrupt the normal schedule since classes will have to begin and stop at irregular points to accommodate the movie.

• Only small portions contain the educational part

Movies are not created for education, but entertainment. Therefore, only specific parts can bear educational content and the rest of the movie is inappropriate. Only a few clips should be selected for teaching, but the process is tedious and time-wasting. If the clips are incoherent, the essence of using movies is also compromised.

• Some films are historically inaccurate

Films are designed to create a perfect storyline that is entertaining for the audience. Therefore, movie makers do not provide a true reflection of the actual events that took place. Instead, they twist some of the events to suit the flow. If such films are exposed to students, they will get the facts wrong. In fact, some of the information that they get in movies contradicts what they read in textbooks. Historical inaccuracies in movies impact the learning process and can hinder learning. 

• Movies are sources of conflict

There is a general perception among parents that movies have inappropriate content. If they are used in class, they create a conflict between parents and the school administration. If movies must be used, they should get approval from parents. Usually, learners are given slips to go home and present them to parents. However, some parents do not have an idea about the films and they have no time to watch them. In the end, they do not approve of the usage of films in class. Sometimes, it amounts to court cases if schools impose movies on students.

Final Thoughts

Education is a basic requirement for every child and it should be offered through every positive measure. Movies are critical aids for learners if they are used correctly. They have various advantages, especially spicing up the learning process. Given that the process is tedious and demanding, intermediate breaks are essential and they can be facilitated through the showing of films. Nonetheless, there are a few demerits of using movies in education. School administrations and teachers should work together to reduce them since the use of movies is generally important in learning.