For their final exam in my film class, students have the option of developing a module that internationalizes another course. As part of their module, they are required to use a film clip(s).

In the on-line discussion¹ about this assignment, I cited the example of teaching a Freudian concept in a psychology course.

To internationalize a psychology module dealing with the oedipal complex, information might be presented about Freud’s Vienna. If the module is well developed, students will come to appreciate the cultural influences that impacted Freud. This historical/cultural focus provides a positive internationalized experience.

After I posted this example, one student asked “How does this relate to ENG 200?”

The question is valid and deserves more than a simplistic answer stating that “a film clip is required as part of the module.” After all, simply inserting a film clip into a module about the Oedipus complex is insufficient justification. Anyone could do that. However, film students should be able to do it well because they have learned the elements of a good movie.

As I was writing this entry, I did a You Tube search and found that of the 432 clips that deal with Oedipus, 41 specifically deal with the Oedipus Complex. Sigmund Freud is the subject of at least 148 videos. I didn’t check to see how many of the 2,390 Freud videos dealt with our Sigmund. And I am sure that some of the 16,700 videos concerning Vienna might be appropriate.

Although students in another class might pick a poor video to make a point, I would expect students who have taken ENG 200 to only include high quality videos in their modules; a module that should also include a section on film literacy.

For example, in another class I am teaching this semester, a student cited “The French and Indian War Rap” to make a valid point in a discussion about learning history through film. However, given the poor production qualities, an ENG 200 student who selected this video clip as a teaching tool for their final exam would undoubtedly fail the assignment.

Every once in a while, I get lucky and quickly locate an appropriate video to illustrate a point. Such was the case for “Student Inspired Teaching Module.” But, more often than not, I spend a considerable amount of time trying to find a video with good production qualities (sound, movement, acting, camera angles, et cetera), with the proper ideological approach or lack there-of, and with the proper writing and story.

Selecting film clips is not difficult. But, but selecting appropriate film clips to illustrate a point shows that film students can apply what they have learned to the real world. In the process, they “evaluate the aesthetics of film by analyzing the combination of film elements” and, as a result, show that they have mastered one of the course objectives.

–Steven L. Berg, PhD

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¹This on-line forum is located as part of a BlackBoard course and is not available to the general public.