The Use of Educational Films in Studying a Course in Descriptive Geometry
Abstract Generated abstract
This paper examines the pedagogical use of educational motion pictures in a descriptive geometry course, where students must relate planar drawings to spatial objects and operations. Drawing on experience at Tomsk Polytechnic Institute and on several available films, it compares film content, duration, and classroom use, noting that complete films often cover too much material and are difficult to integrate into individual lectures. The author argues that short film fragments of 3 to 5 minutes, and no more than 10 minutes, are methodologically preferable because they can illustrate difficult spatial constructions without disrupting lecture structure. Practical observations suggest that such films support student understanding and retention, especially in lectures, consultations, and examination preparation.
Full Text
THE USE OF EDUCATIONAL FILMS IN STUDYING A COURSE IN DESCRIPTIVE GEOMETRY
B. L. Stepanov
(Presented by the scientific seminar of the departments of descriptive geometry of the Tomsk higher educational institutions)
In solving various problems in descriptive geometry, the student most often has to deal with a plane, complex drawing, while all reasoning must be conducted with respect to points, lines, and surfaces located in space. And if the student does not understand what actions must be performed in space in order to solve the problem, then he simply mechanically copies it from the blackboard or from the textbook.
The use in lectures and practical classes of various models and posters, as well as the use of filmstrips, provides great assistance [5]. But even these do not always help, since they are static. And here cinema, with its rich possibilities, comes to the rescue. With the help of a motion picture one can show the entire process of solving a problem in space and simultaneously on the plane, in a complex drawing, and in conclusion give a practical application of a similar problem in engineering practice.
Motion pictures have long been widely used in the educational process of higher educational institutions [1, 2]. At the same time, it is interesting to note that, with the proper methodological use of motion pictures, not only is no additional time required for their demonstration, but even, according to A. D. Orlov [3], a certain saving of time is obtained, averaging 30–35%, since a motion picture, in condensed and vivid frames shot using the entire varied technology of cinema, reveals the fully and convincingly presented material in a shorter period of time than when classes are conducted with ordinary static visual illustrations. If a film is organically included in the plan for delivering a lecture and is shown in the form of separate fragments where necessary, helping to understand the most difficult points, or concisely and vividly illustrating the covered section of the topic, then, with the high pedagogical effectiveness of using cinema, a saving of time is also obtained.
Educational motion pictures on descriptive geometry began to be produced only in recent years. Therefore, the first motion picture used in the practice of our department was an educational film aid created at the institute (“Determination of the Point of Intersection of a Line with the Plane of a Triangle,” “Construction of the Line of Intersection of Two Triangles.” Running time 9 minutes) [4]. At present the institute has four more motion pictures. Three films were created by the Sverdlovsk
Table 1
Screening time of the sequences of educational films
on descriptive geometry
produced by the Sverdlovsk Film Studio
| Content of the sequence | Screening time |
|---|---|
| Film “Introduction, Point, Line.” Issue 1965 | |
| Titles | 25 sec |
| Introduction | 4 min 10 sec |
| Central and parallel projection | 7 min 13 sec |
| Methods of supplementing the projection drawing | 3 min 31 sec |
| Epure, or the combined drawing of a point and a line | |
| a) position of a point relative to two projection planes in quadrants I–IV | 4 min 53 sec |
| b) lines in general and special positions | 3 min 51 sec |
| c) determination of the true length of a line segment and of its angles of inclination to the projection planes | 38 sec |
| d) traces of a line | 1 min 11 sec |
| e) octants and the position of a line relative to three projection planes | 4 min 26 sec |
| Conclusion | 9 sec |
| Total | 30 min 27 sec |
| Film “Line and Plane.” Issue 1968 | |
| Titles | 29 sec |
| Parallel transfer of a plane drawing. Axonometric drawing | 4 min 43 sec |
| Mutual position of two lines | 8 min 8 sec |
| Projections of plane angles | 5 min 3 sec |
| Plane. Methods of specifying it on the epure | |
| a) specifying a plane on the epure | 5 min 7 sec |
| b) planes perpendicular to the projection planes | 3 min 45 sec |
| c) planes parallel to the projection planes | 2 min 11 sec |
| Conclusion | 20 sec |
| Total | 29 min 46 sec |
Continuation of Table 1
| Plot content | Demonstration time |
|---|---|
| Motion picture Curved Surfaces. Issue 1962 | |
| Titles | 3 min 46 sec |
| Formation of curved surfaces | 8 min 14 sec |
| Surfaces of revolution | 8 min 14 sec |
| Ruled surfaces | 13 min 20 sec |
| Surfaces with a plane of parallelism | 3 min 22 sec |
| Helical surfaces | 13 min 24 sec |
| Cyclic surfaces | 2 min 15 sec |
| Graphic surfaces | 2 min 53 sec |
| Conclusion | 1 min 37 sec |
| Total | 49 min 40 sec |
film studios: Introduction, Point, Straight Line (demonstration time 30 min 27 sec), issue 1965; Line and Plane (demonstration time 29 min 46 sec), issue 1968; Curved Surfaces (demonstration time 49 min 40 sec), issue 1962; and the experimental film-lecture Helical Surfaces (demonstration time 27 min 44 sec), produced by the Central Film Laboratory VUZFILM. We do not use the last film, since it repeats a similar plot from the film Curved Surfaces and requires twice as much time for demonstration. As motion pictures were released and received by the institute, they were included in the calendar plan of lectures on descriptive geometry.
The educational motion pictures created by the Sverdlovsk Film Studio are shown both during lectures and outside class time, depending on the number of hours allotted for lectures on descriptive geometry in the institute’s curriculum, as well as at consultations before examinations.
Each of the three films indicated is a complete work with a logical beginning and end, which does not allow them to be shown as separate fragments. As can be seen from Table 1, the films Introduction, Point, Straight Line and Line and Plane cover a large amount of material that is presented in different lectures; therefore they can be used only after several topics, usually taught on different days, have been considered, and this is a considerable inconvenience. Their demonstration time is also long.
The film Curved Surfaces, in which not only is the formation of various curved surfaces well shown, but many examples of their application in engineering are also given, is difficult to perceive because of its long demonstration time. It conveys such a large amount of information about different curved surfaces that by the end of the showing the students become tired, their attention is dispersed and, consequently, retention decreases.
For lectures on descriptive geometry, film fragments 3–5 minutes long, at most 10 minutes, are needed. Such films can easily be included in a lecture without disrupting its logical coherence. At present, however, we are forced to show the entire film, thereby reducing the effectiveness of its use. If several such films were combined, they could be shown both during free hours and at consultations.
The educational film aid created at our department (see Table 2) is intended for showing both in lectures and in consultations. It has no narrator’s text; explanations are given by the instructor delivering the lecture or conducting the consultation.
Table 2
Demonstration time of the scenes of the educational film aid
on descriptive geometry,
created at the Tomsk Polytechnic Institute
| Scene content | Demonstration time |
|---|---|
| Titles | 16 sec |
| Determination of the point of intersection of a line with the plane of a triangle | |
| a) solving the problem on a spatial drawing | 1 min 15 sec |
| b) solving the problem on spatial and complex drawings | 3 min 35 sec |
| c) solving the problem on a complex drawing | 1 min 13 sec |
| Construction of the line of intersection of two triangles | |
| a) solving the problem on spatial and complex drawings | 52 sec |
| b) solving the problem on a complex drawing | 1 min 49 sec |
| Total | 9 min |
Many years of practice in using educational films in the process of studying descriptive geometry at our institute show that films help students in studying the discipline. When films are shown outside class time and at consultations (before examinations), students attend these sessions very conscientiously. Numerous conversations with students after viewing educational films also show that, as a rule, the content of the educational films is well remembered.
Conclusions
-
Educational films on descriptive geometry provide significant assistance in studying the course.
-
It is most advisable to create film fragments with a duration of 3–5 minutes, and a maximum of 10 minutes.
-
For showing films at consultations before examinations and outside class time, several film fragments may be combined together.
LITERATURE
- S. I. Arkhangel’skii. Practice and methodology of using motion pictures in higher education. Moscow Pedagogical Institute. Scientific Notes. Vol. 30. Department of Educational Film Methodology, issue 1, 1953.
-
B. V. Kubeev. Cinema in Higher Education. Educational Film (collection of articles). Iskusstvo Publishing House, 1961.
-
A. D. Orlov. Cinema in the pedagogical process and scientific work of a medical school, Moscow, Meditsina Publishing House, 1966.
-
B. L. Stepanov. A film aid for descriptive geometry. Vestnik vysshei shkoly, 1959, No. 10.
-
A. A. Chukobaev, Sh. S. Bekbasarov. The filming of lectures on descriptive geometry. Materials of the Second Scientific-Methodological Conference on Descriptive Geometry and Engineering Graphics of Departments of Higher Educational Institutions of the Uzbek SSR, FAN Publishing House, Tashkent, 1968.