Title

Using mobile phone cameras to capture images for slowmat ions: Student-generated science animations

Authors

G. Hoban

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

2009

Publication Details

This book chapter was originally published as Hoban, G, Using mobile phone cameras to capture images for slowmations: Student-generated science animations, in Herrington, J, Herrington, A, Mantei, J, Olney, I and Ferry, B (editors), New technologies, new pedagogies: Mobile learning in higher education, Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong, 2009, 138p.

Abstract

A common phenomenon in many countries is that science is often poorly taught or not taught at all in primary school classrooms. ‘Slowmation’ is a new yet simplified form of stop-motion animation that encourages school or university students to create their own animations of science concepts. Even though this process of creating an animation is relatively simple, there is still a need for teachers and students to have access to basic equipment such as a digital still camera, a tripod and a computer with relevant software. This chapter presents a study of a group of preservice primary teachers who guided their school classes in creating slowmations of science concepts using the camera in mobile phones to capture the images. Using a mobile phone camera improves the accessibility to a camera, but the quality of photos taken by mobile phone cameras needs to be improved to make it a worthwhile use of the technology for creating animations.