Chapter 4: The Use of Films to Enhance Pedagogy in the Psychology Classroom

Films have tremendous pedagogical utility, and they bring a powerful vibrancy to both undergraduate and graduate education. They are also intrinsically interesting for students, and professors who use films in the classroom or to supplement classroom lectures are almost always appreciated and highly rated by students.

Twenty years ago, incorporating films into courses was time consuming and cumbersome, and the process involved film rentals, projector setup, and complicated permission fees. Now, thanks to the internet, almost universal access to computers, and media outlets like Netflix and Redbox, students can easily access films at home at convenient times, and professors can often simply provide a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to students for any film that may be useful in illustrating subtle points not readily grasped in lectures or through assigned readings. Likewise, any professor reasonably comfortable with computer technology can learn to extract clips from web-based videos using software like CamStudio, Wink or Jing. Alternately, short clips suitable for classroom use are often readily available on YouTube, and software like KeepVid allows the user to download MP4 files by simply pasting in the URL for a relevant video clip. These files can be used as stand-alone illustrations in lectures, or they can easily be embedded in PowerPoint presentations for classroom purposes.