What is it about?
Cinema, apart from its entertaining prospect, can flourish knowledge in various fields of daily life and, in particular, in the understanding of the natural world. It could be even embedded in the educational system, at all levels, so as to convey concepts that may be difficult for students in an enjoyable and understandable way. In this mini-review, the educational dimension of the cinema and the related television series is discussed, through the presentation of concepts and phenomena relevant to the natural sciences that have been approached with characteristic scenes of popular cinema movies of our times. We present case studies from physics and astronomy, mathematics, materials science, and engineering that can be easily embedded in the educational curriculum. Notwithstanding the fact that watching movies cannot replace the traditional educational method, it can pose as an alternative, complementary tool for educators.
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Why is it important?
The educational experience in classrooms at all levels of education has shown that students generally believe that physics, as well as most science-related classes, are difficult to understand, and without particular application to daily life. According to the research by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), there is a serious decline in understanding and interest in science among people of all ages in the United States. For example, almost 50% of people don’t know that it takes the Earth one year to complete one orbit around the sun, or that electrons are smaller than atoms. These examples of incorrect or incomplete understanding of the natural sciences extend beyond the various scientific disciplines, into concepts of everyday life and interaction with the world.
Perspectives
There are many scientific principles from the macro- or the micro- and sub-atomic world, that could be better illustrated by animated pictures, and movies have much to offer towards this direction. It is a fact that many motion pictures refer to scientific subjects which may not be widely known to the majority of the public. Some approach them superficially, while others give stimuli to the viewer to properly understand a concept or phenomenon. Films dealing with the subject of physics are generally fictional films or dramatizations of real events. In some cases (such as science fiction) the subject matter may extend a bit beyond what we currently know about the world. In any case, the educational dimension of the films is there.
Richard (Ricky) Smith Jr.
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This page is a summary of: The Educational Role of Cinema in Physical Sciences, November 2023, IgMin Publications Inc.,
DOI: 10.61927/igmin121.
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