アメリカにおける動画制作を通じた教育実践の始まりに関する調査

Abstract

Previous studies have claimed that filming motion pictures as an educational practice in the classroom began in the 1960s. The assumption leaves much room for discussion, however. This study thus investigated the validity of those arguments. When tracing the history of educational practices regarding producing motion pictures in the classroom, discussions about what defines the earliest practice arise. Previous studies indicate that the 1960s mark the introduction of motion pictures as a teaching aid. These studies support their views with the same reasoning: the 1960s represent the earliest motion-picture movement where affordable and compact films, cameras, and chemicals for developing film became commercially available. This study investigated the validity of these earlier studies with a focus on the social context of the 1960s. Our investigations concluded that previous arguments were valid in some aspects. It is historically accurate to claim that the invention and availability of amateur motion-picture equipment, such as film gauges, film cameras, and video cameras designed for armature and home use, occurred from the 1960s onward. However, although the 1960s saw a series of amateur motion-picture production equipment appear on the market, further study clarified that the era was not the dawn of the commercialisation of such equipment. In the 1920s, films and cameras for amateurs and home use appeared and prevailed among non-professional users. Research also revealed that educational institutions and students from elementary to middle schools used motion-picture production equipment, such as film cameras and projectors, in some parts of the United States. Given these findings, this study hypothesised that the earliest example of the use of movie equipment in educational practice occurred earlier than the 1960s, spurring further investigations. The results revealed 13 reported examples of such practice, particularly during the 1930s to 1940s. Careful analysis of the 13 reports indicated that people used 16mm films and cameras in more than half of the examples. The technological advances of 16mm films evidently triggered the motion-picture movement in educational settings in the 1930s to I 940s. Likewise, armature motion picture production became a trend after the advent of 16mm films and cameras. We believe that we can interpret educational practices involving movies as part of this amateur motion-picture production trend. This study challenges the conventional notion that the first practice of film production in educational settings took place in the 1960s by ascertaining the much earlier establishment of a social environment for filmmaking. Moreover, schools employed a prototype of the motion-picture movement in the 1930s to 1940s, particularly in the United States.