Improving preservice teachers' science knowledge by creating, reviewing and publishing slowmations to TeacherTube

Slowmation is a simplified form of stop-motion animation that enables learners to create their own animations of science concepts. This paper presents a study of preservice elementary teachers in two science method classes (17 in 2007 and 12 in 2008) to research if they improved their science knowledge when they used a three phase framework to create, review and publish slowmations to a web site (TeacherTube). Qualitative data (three interviews, two concept maps and the animations) collected from each preservice teacher showed that nearly all increased their science content knowledge as a result of creating the animations. Uploading the slowmations to TeacherTube was challenging but enabled the preservice teachers to view other animations for reviewing. Creating slowmations is a new way for preservice teachers to learn science content which can be uploaded and shared on the internet.