There is continuing value in the study of a single form of communication
(written) in a single culture (education).
By so doing, we may be unwittingly inhibiting the development of other
cognitive skills. A full understanding of
human intellect requires a comparative, interactive, and transactive
view. One such form of communication is film media that is being utilised
in all areas of our lives.
Further, the subtle power of these communications media in shaping educational
and social effects has been recognised over the last decade.
This is an important result for education, for psychology, and for the
field of communication which operate through all forms and media of
communication to influence the learning and cognitive development of
human beings, individually and collectively.
The Mirror Circus film course aims to help participants
to gain valuable confidence and self-respect, through individual and
group expression. This novel approach in addressing issues young adults
face in today’s society aims to allow the free flow of creativity
and develop new intrinsic cognitive skills (with the aim of addressing
personal issues). Intrinsic motivational guidance on these issues will
come from the Mirror Circus team.
The reward for participants to engage in this type of education through
media are numerous however, research on the effects of reward on human
behaviour continues to generate considerable interest and controversy
both within and outside of academic psychology (Amabile et. al, 1986,
Fabes et. al, 1981).
Eisenberger & Selbst, (1994) suggests that reward can increase creativity
- as long as the reward is not overly salient and the rewarded "creative"
behaviour is divergent thinking. Again, Hennessey et, al. 1989, Hennessey
& Zbikowski, 1993, found homework in a classroom environment with
intrinsic motivation training children do not exhibit a lower level
of creativity under reward. In contrast, they exhibit a higher level
of creativity and self control (behavioural) under such conditions.
The higher levels of creativity conveyed will laterally develop new
cognitive skills to help participants to intrinsically address personal
issues in new ways or re-explore previous strategies.
Mirror Circus offers participants the reward of being
‘valued’ as an individual member of the film production
process. Ultimately, reciprocal interaction with the team will lead
to increased knowledge acquisition.
An additional positive form of reward appears to be additional freedom
to create or choose one's next project or issue to address to overcome
barriers to learning and personal development. This is what is meant
by "extrinsics in service of intrinsics".
Mirror Circus participants are empowered with the ability
to unleash creativity through the production of novel and appropriate
ideas to open-ended problems using film media. However, the effects
of ‘perceived’ constraint can correlate negatively with
creativity if participants are not reciprocal valued in their environment.
This is overcome by delegating an equal pro-active role from start to
end of the film production process.
Research through non-experimental studies have revealed that people
who generally feel controlled or constrained in their daily environments
(peer pressure, under valued, not being heard…Ofsted 2001, Walker
& Brown 2000, Sewell 2002) may be less creative and engaging in
learning than those who feel more intrinsically autonomous.
Children's
perceptions of autonomy and a sense of value in their classrooms tend
to positively correlate with the children's intrinsic motivation and
creativity ( Picariello, 1994; Ryan & Groinick, 1986). And the creativity
of work groups within organizations correlates positively with the degree
to which the members of those work groups report feeling that they have
freedom in their work, a sense of autonomy and control over their own
work and their own ideas (Amabile & Gryskiewicz , 1987; Amabile,
et. al, 1996).
The film script devised by Mirror Circus participant
aims to address issues in their daily lives that will usually require
exhibiting experiential moral judgment.
Script material will requires them to draw upon our own memories and
fantasies, to conjure up solutions to everyday problems. The acquisition
of learning is maximised when the "top-down" processes (determined
by the task of film production) are compatible with the "bottom-up"
processes (determined by the symbol system represented by the environmental
conditions).
This allows cognitive growth in a major way from the outside in as well
as from the inside out because human abilities, aptitudes, or mental
skills come into play upon situational demand. Crystallized ability
may be dependant on, the forms of education in the classroom, as it
reflects skilful use of certain past experience in that situation (Snow,
1978).
The cognitive augmentation will have a positive effect on behavioural
change through increasing people's self-efficacy and self-control. As
new knowledge become internalised, it enriches one's cognition, the
newly acquired mental tools afford new ways of exploring their every
day environment (Olson, 1977).
One can not entirely ensure that participants will utilise these new
cognitive skills to address their personal issues.
However, with some guidance from a mentor (Mirror Circus
Team) may aid their intrinsic ability to address these. This leads me
to draw on the following conclusion that this novel approach through
film medium in dealing with issues faced by today’s young adults
'should be explored more intensely’, as too often, conventional
educational methods often fail address the needs of these young adults.
Jagdish Jalandhar
is the Diversity Manager with Aswan Learning Centre.
The centre aims to address & prevent exclusions. The centre aims
to bridge the gap between ability and performance by empowering equal
access to learning for all in the area of education.
Tel: 020 8239 1141
Fax: 020 8239 1142
WWW: www.aswan.org.uk
Email: aswan@netlineuk.net
Amabile, T. M., Collins M. A., Conti R., Phillips E., Picariello M.,
Ruscio J., Whitney.
(1996) “Creativity in Context”. Boulder,
CO: Westview Press, 1996.
Amabile T. M., Conti R, Coon H., Lazenby J., and Herron M. (1992) "Assessing
the work environment for creativity". Academy of Management
Journal.
Amabile, T. M., & Gryskiewicz, N. D. (1987). "The creative
environment scales work environment inventory". Creativity
Research Journal, 2, 231-253.
Amabile, T. M., Hennessey, B. A., & Grossman, B. S. (1986). "Social
influences on creativity: The effects of contracted-for reward".
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50, 14-23.
Eisenberger, R., & Selbst, M. (1994). "Does reward
increase or decrease creativity?" Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology, 66, 11161127.
Fabes R. A., Moran J. D,, and McCullers J. C. (1981) "The
hidden costs of reward and WAIS subscale performance".
American Journal of Psychology 94:387-398.
Hennessey B. A., and Zbikowski S. (1993) "Immunizing children
against the negative effects of reward: A further examination of intrinsic
motivation training techniques". Creativity Research Journal
6:297-308.
Hennessey, B. A., & Zbikowski, S. M. (1993). "Immunizing
children against the negative effects of reward: A further examination
of intrinsic motivation training techniques". Creativity
Research Journal, 6, 297-307.
Hennessey, B. A., Amabile, T. M., & Martinage, M. (1989). "Immunizing
children against the negative effects of reward". Contemporary
Educational Psychology, 14, 212-227.
Ofsted (2001) "Managing Support for the Attainment of Pupils
from Minority Ethnic Groups". Office for Standards in
Education, London.
Olson D. R. (1997a) "From Utterance to Text: The Bias of
Language in Speech and Writing." Harvard Educational Review,
47, 257-281.
Olson D. R. (1997b) "The Arts as Basic Skills: Three Cognitive
Functions of Symbols." Paper presented at the Conference
on Arts, Cognition, and Basic Skills, Aspen, Colorado., June.
Picariello M. L. (1992) "The effects of motivational orientation
on children's creativity". Paper presented at the Meeting
of the Eastern Psychological Association, Boston, Mass., April.
Ryan R. M., and Grolnick W. S. (1986) "Origins and pawns
in the classroom: Self report and projective assessments of individual
differences in children's perceptions". Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology 50:550-558.
Sewell T. (2002) “Facilitating Teacher and Pupil Action:
Making Personal and Social Education Work for African Caribbean Children".
NASUWT, Birmingham.
Snow R. E. (1978a) "Aptitude Processes".
Paper presented at the Conference on Aptitude, Learning, and Instruction:
Cognitive Process Analysis, San Diego, California., March.
Snow R. E. (1978b) “Toward a Theory of Aptitude”.
Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research
Association, Toronto, March.
Walker C, & Brown G. (2000) "Raising African Caribbean
Achievement". Birmingham City Council Education Service,
Birmingham.
The creative and interactive processes employed with the Mirror Circus
Filmmaking and Drama workshops have produced remarkable results in the
behaviour and self-esteem of special needs’ students.
Students who have attended the courses have gained significant social
and emotional growth, have become more aware of who they are and in
turn have been able to respond more appropriately to others.
The
positive interaction with other students and staff, through scripting,
acting, directing, camera-work and graphic creation, helps to reduce
feelings of isolation that young people often feel as a result of exclusion,
lack of understanding and resultant deficit of positive attention. These
enjoyable and stimulating processes assist students in the development
of new coping skills, broadening their capacity to express feelings
and develop rewarding relationships.
Working in a small team environment where the students are reliant on
and responsible to each other, teaches them to adopt a more positive
and amenable attitude in order to obtain co-operation from others and
makes them realize that their input is also important.
The courses are structured around the appeal of teenage youth culture
to incorporate education, creativity and experimentation, through a
variety of themes such as personal drama and narrative, documentary,
music and dance. Irrespective of the programme choice, all aspects of
filming are covered, which helps to strengthen literary, numerical and
IT skills in an enjoyable, practical manner.
An
essential part of each course is recording the process of making a programme,
so that the students are able to watch themselves during regular edits
and then have the opportunity to assess their behaviour in a one-to-one
interview. These children are often not aware of the impact of their
behaviour until they view their speech and actions as an onlooker, something
that is made possible through film.
The focus of the workshops is also on having fun and making the students
feel good about themselves as individuals. Allowing the children to
make personal decisions instills a sense of self-worth and the realization
that they have the ability to make a valid contribution to the world.
The Mirror Circus Trust
25 Malvern Road
Maida Vale
London NW6 5PS
A Psychologists Perspective on a Novel Approach to Education
in an Inclusive
of
human intellect requires a comparative, interactive, and transactive
view. One such form of communication is film media that is being utilised
in all areas of our lives. 
The reward for participants to engage in this type of education through
media are numerous however, research on the effects of reward on human
behaviour continues to generate considerable interest and controversy
both within and outside of academic psychology (Amabile et. al, 1986,
Fabes et. al, 1981). 
Children's
perceptions of autonomy and a sense of value in their classrooms tend
to positively correlate with the children's intrinsic motivation and
creativity ( Picariello, 1994; Ryan & Groinick, 1986). And the creativity
of work groups within organizations correlates positively with the degree
to which the members of those work groups report feeling that they have
freedom in their work, a sense of autonomy and control over their own
work and their own ideas (Amabile & Gryskiewicz , 1987; Amabile,
et. al, 1996).
The
positive interaction with other students and staff, through scripting,
acting, directing, camera-work and graphic creation, helps to reduce
feelings of isolation that young people often feel as a result of exclusion,
lack of understanding and resultant deficit of positive attention. These
enjoyable and stimulating processes assist students in the development
of new coping skills, broadening their capacity to express feelings
and develop rewarding relationships.
An
essential part of each course is recording the process of making a programme,
so that the students are able to watch themselves during regular edits
and then have the opportunity to assess their behaviour in a one-to-one
interview. These children are often not aware of the impact of their
behaviour until they view their speech and actions as an onlooker, something
that is made possible through film.