For over 30 years, instructional communication scholars have investigated the relationships between instructors' communicative behaviors and students' affective/cognitive learning, as well as student classroom motivation. More specifically, perceived teacher immediacy is positively related to student learning and motivation. Albert Mehrabian first…

Teaching literary theory is fascinating for those who love the application of theory to a literary text, difficult for those who are of the opinion that theory destroys the actual beauty and value of the fictional source, and unfortunately often boring for those who are taught. This article, however, provides a popular approach to the introduction…

Proposes a study of "Citizen Kane" in high school using a somewhat simplified version of post-modern literary critical theory. Chooses this film because of its familiarity and accessibility and because the ambiguity and indeterminacy of its text allow room for exploration by students. (NKA)

Based on Ken Kesey's novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that all works of art lend themselves to critical reviews; critical reviews consist of opinions and support for the opinions; and a critical review may compare and contrast a work in one medium to the same work in…

Using films, readings, and textual and intertextual analysis, the course covers the cinema of India, Egypt, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Cuba, and Senegal. (PD)

Videogames challenge our notions of identity, creativity, and moral value, and provide a powerful new avenue for teaching and learning. This book is a rich and provocative guide to the role of interactive media in cultural learning. It searches for specific ways to interpret videogames in the context of human experience and in the field of…

Offers guidelines for teaching students to detect and analyze bias in films. Stresses that this enhances critical thinking. Suggests ways teachers can identify filmmaker's biases, and provides a Film Bias Analysis worksheet to help students identify bias and its methods of operation. (RW)

Annotations of 200 children's films, selected through evaluations of reactions of children at screenings at several schools in New York City and upstate New York, are included in this catalog. The introductory material reviews the screening and evaluation process and provides a glossary of related terminology. The films are then presented in…

Children's emotional responses to films are the focus of the four articles in this issue designed for media specialists and educators. Following an editorial discussing the responsibilities of media as put forth by Bruno Bettleheim, the first article presents a methodology and rationale for using story films to encourage children's exploration of…

Developed by classroom teachers during the development phase of Minnesota's Graduation Standards, this performance package is made up of locally designed assignments that, taken together, show whether a student has learned and can apply the knowledge and skills related to interpreting and evaluating complex works of music, dance, theater, visual…

Designed for media specialists and educators, this issue reviews 19 short films produced between 1956 and 1978. Films range from 2 to 24 minutes in length and include both verbal and nonverbal live-action and animation films. Although most of the films are aimed at elementary-aged children, a few are also suitable for teenagers and adults. The…

Designed for media specialists and educators, this issue reviews 16 short films for children under the age of 14. Films included in the review range from 2 to 29 minutes in length and include song, puppet, verbal, nonverbal, and live-action animation. Topics cover fantasy and fairy tales, handicapped children, advertising techniques, inner city…

Designed for media specialists and educators, this issue includes seven articles focusing on humanistic films for children. Following a brief editorial encouraging the ideals of humanism, the first article presents an analysis of seven films with positive sex-role models. Included is a model for evaluating children's films. The second article…

This project seeks to bring an immediacy and interest to historical events through the use of Hollywood feature films. Some of the films used to promote interest in history are "Inherit the Wind,""All the President's Men,""The Birth of a Nation," and "Reds." Films used in the class should be available on videocassettes because they are less…

A dozen exercises designed to enhance the understanding and appreciation of literature in a second language are described, including dictation, reading, playing with intonation, choosing a cover picture, selection of significant extracts, comparative analyses, an author interview, production of a sketch or play, simulation, or planning a film…