Rationale
My students attend Chinese school on weekends. After five days of learning at their regular schools, they are often tired or a little bit resentful. They are usually not motivated to learn Mandarin, since it’s very difficult for them to see the use and application of this language outside of their class. Writing seems to be challenging for some of the students in my class. Sometimes it takes a long time for them to get started or finish their writing. Therefore, I plan to use Stop Motion app as a motivation tool for them to write, speak, present, and share their stories.
Larsen-Freeman and Anderson (2011) state that when students are motivated, it makes learning more inviting and more effective. Chin, Hong, Huang, Shen and Lin’s (2016) study illustrates that incorporating Animated Pedagogical Agents (APAs) into appropriate multimedia instructional materials can successfully motivate students in learning. Making narrative stories into animated film ( called “Stop-mation” or “stop-motion”) can work as a motivation hook that attracts students’ attention and interests, as Cady, a science teacher mentioned in an interview conducted by Brunsell and Horejsi (2011), “my students are incredibly engaged throughout the project” (p. 10). Moreover, Fleer and Hoban (2012) demonstrate that making concrete products, such as narrated animation, provide an engaging way for students to visualize others’ ideas or the concepts. This finding is backed up by Wishart (2017), Nielsen and Hoban (2015), Deaton, Deaton, Ivankovic and Norris (2013), and Siegle (2014) - Stop-mation supports students in having a strong understanding about content they are exploring. Deaton et al. (2013), Nielsen and Hoban (2015) also claim that using technologies like Stop-mation help students to develop skills like creativity, problem solving, communication, and collaboration. Siegle (2014) states “In the process of developing their animation projects, students will gain a deeper understanding of the content they are exploring. Animation can provide one more avenue to motivate students and enhance the learning experience. Using animation, educators can capitalize on the natural desire to tell stories and share their understanding of the world that students of all ages hold” (p. 199). Besides, making a Stop-mation movie permits direct hand manipulation without requiring complicated skills. It is easy for students to learn and use (Han, Fu, Zheng, & Wang, 2013).
My students attend Chinese school on weekends. After five days of learning at their regular schools, they are often tired or a little bit resentful. They are usually not motivated to learn Mandarin, since it’s very difficult for them to see the use and application of this language outside of their class. Writing seems to be challenging for some of the students in my class. Sometimes it takes a long time for them to get started or finish their writing. Therefore, I plan to use Stop Motion app as a motivation tool for them to write, speak, present, and share their stories.
Larsen-Freeman and Anderson (2011) state that when students are motivated, it makes learning more inviting and more effective. Chin, Hong, Huang, Shen and Lin’s (2016) study illustrates that incorporating Animated Pedagogical Agents (APAs) into appropriate multimedia instructional materials can successfully motivate students in learning. Making narrative stories into animated film ( called “Stop-mation” or “stop-motion”) can work as a motivation hook that attracts students’ attention and interests, as Cady, a science teacher mentioned in an interview conducted by Brunsell and Horejsi (2011), “my students are incredibly engaged throughout the project” (p. 10). Moreover, Fleer and Hoban (2012) demonstrate that making concrete products, such as narrated animation, provide an engaging way for students to visualize others’ ideas or the concepts. This finding is backed up by Wishart (2017), Nielsen and Hoban (2015), Deaton, Deaton, Ivankovic and Norris (2013), and Siegle (2014) - Stop-mation supports students in having a strong understanding about content they are exploring. Deaton et al. (2013), Nielsen and Hoban (2015) also claim that using technologies like Stop-mation help students to develop skills like creativity, problem solving, communication, and collaboration. Siegle (2014) states “In the process of developing their animation projects, students will gain a deeper understanding of the content they are exploring. Animation can provide one more avenue to motivate students and enhance the learning experience. Using animation, educators can capitalize on the natural desire to tell stories and share their understanding of the world that students of all ages hold” (p. 199). Besides, making a Stop-mation movie permits direct hand manipulation without requiring complicated skills. It is easy for students to learn and use (Han, Fu, Zheng, & Wang, 2013).