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The Deconstructor 1
The Deconstructor: Providing the Scaffolds for Students to Excerpt,
Describe, Analyze, Interpret and Synthesize to Form New Understandings
Kristen A. Sosulski
Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning, Columbia University
Lawrence Engel
Columbia University
Gordon Campbell & Lee Davis
Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning, Columbia University
The Deconstructor 2
Abstract
The Deconstructor, a technology developed at The Columbia Center for New
Media Teaching and Learning in partnership with adjunct professor Lawrence Engel,
provides students with a digital workspace to review, excerpt, describe, analyze and
synthesize texts. The Deconstructor is described in the context of work done in an
undergraduate film course at Columbia University. The technology supports a
constructivist approach to learning about film, giving students the means to form their
own interpretations and new understandings through in-depth study. Results indicate that
technology as a component supports students in forming their own interpretations of film.
Future uses of The Deconstructor are in the areas of music, anthropology, media literacy,
and journalism.
The Deconstructor 3
The Deconstructor: Providing the Scaffolds for Students to Excerpt Describe, Analyze,
Interpret and Synthesize to Form New Understandings
The purpose of this paper is to familiarize readers with the Deconstructor: An
Online Film Analysis Tool, an educational technology intervention that offers a
constructivist approach to learning about film. Through active engagement with film
scenes, students examine and deconstruct the content from multiple vantage points as a
method to develop new and multiple understandings. The Deconstructor is described in
the context of a an introductory course at Columbia University’s School of the Arts’ film
department from fall 2002 through spring 2004.
Theoretical Framework
Deconstruction as a Learning Activity
In the context of this study, deconstructing is a technique to critically analyze
compositions such as films, texts, music, or images. The activity of deconstruction entails
investigating the constructs of a composition as a method to form new insights into the
original work. This involves identifying the elements that construct the whole text and
discovering the relation of the sub-parts to the complete work. This type of activity
assists students in building analytical frameworks through deconstructing artifacts and
describing the grammatical elements used by the author to construct the text.
Deconstruction is a type of authentic activity that can provide learners with
primary source materials. When students are given the same materials used by experts,
they can gain experience, exposure and context by engaging real-life activities in contrast
to artificial and de-contextualized activities. Authentic activities are designed to assist
The Deconstructor 4
learners to confront the gaps in their knowledge rather than having the knowledge
interpreted for them (Lajoie, 2000).
Difficulties for Novices
However, it can be especially difficult for novices to engage in authentic
deconstruction activities without the language of the domain and the framework for
analysis. An understanding of the language of the discipline must precede critically
examining the elements of a composition. Without this grammatical understanding,
novices cannot accurately identify and describe specific details of the text nor construct a
framework for analysis.
Should the activity of deconstructing be reserved only for advanced learners and
experts? Authentic activities are important for learners in providing experiences and to
place their learning in context (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989). As educators, we argue
that this type of constructivist investigation is invaluable for novices if they are provided
with the appropriate supports and resources to engage in this type of study. Students
should be provided with opportunities to construct their own knowledge “rather than
having the teacher interpret the world” (Lajoie, 2000. p. 188) for them.
Scaffolding Novices
Scaffolding provides students with supports in a learning environment and frames
the interactions with the content (Young, Nastasi, & Braunhardt, 1996). With the
appropriate scaffolding, novices can begin to construct their own knowledge of an
unfamiliar domain. Types of scaffolding that can assist in the activity of deconstruction
are timely explanations, observations, examples, guiding questions, and visualizations.
The Deconstructor 5
Various scaffolding techniques can enable novices to interact with authentic resources in
an expert-like activity.
Prior to engaging in the sophisticated analysis of a text, it is necessary that
students understand the language and vocabulary used in the discipline. Furthermore,
students need to acquire and apply their knowledge of these terms while actively
engaging in the deconstruction process. The terms should be coupled within the context
in which they are applied (Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, 1997).
In addition to situating the vocabulary in the context of use, the learning of
analytic skills can be scaffolded by the teacher modeling the use and application of the
language when describing the content under examination. Observing an expert
deconstruct a composition can help students understand the framework from which the
expert analyzes the text (Lajoie, 2000). The expert can scaffold learners by providing
multiple examples and recommendations when first learning and less as the learners
acquire their own analytic skills (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000; The Cognition
and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, 1997; Vygotsky, 1978, 1986). Examples establish
a shared understanding and communication amongst students (Cognition and Technology
Group at Vanderbilt, 1997).
Domains such as literature, film or history are composed of multiple and complex
structures. These structures are best understood when examined from various vantage
points (Spiro, Feltovich, Jacobson, & Coulson, 1991). For example, the same text can be
analyzed from many different viewpoints such as, historical, cultural, political, or
technical. In these ill-structured domains, multiple readings of a text from different
perspectives can reduce oversimplifications and misunderstandings (Spiro, et al., 1991).
The Deconstructor 6
Providing multiple examples may offer a more cohesive understanding of the domain,
where one example for a complex concept may limit the understanding and even be
misleading. Multiple examples may prevent students from generalizing from just one or
two instances (Spiro, et al., 1991).
Furthermore, a set of questions can guide the analysis and shape the way novices
focus their attention. Texts can be viewed from many different perspectives, making it
difficult for novices to know which elements to focus their attention. The questions slow
the process down to a pace more suitable for beginners allowing them to simultaneously
learn and apply the framework.
Lastly, visualizations of analyses can provide opportunities to review the global
and local properties of an artifact (Snir, 1995; Lajoie, 2000). Specifically, visualizations
are helpful in illustrating the interconnection among the elements that comprise the text.
The Need for Scaffolding in a Deconstruction Activity
The need for providing the scaffolding in the authentic deconstruction activity
arose from an instructor’s desire for his undergraduate students to critically examine the
structural elements of film in an introductory film studies course, Introduction to the
Study and Theory of Film. The course introduces undergraduate students to the history
and theory of cinema and the various ways to analyze and understand the underlying
structure of film. Students study the aesthetic components of film, the language used to
identify and describe these components, and the ways they shape narrative and dramatic
elements of film. In this course, the instructor follows a methodological approach to
analyzing narrative films. This approach deconstructs the structural design of film
(Sharff, 1982) as a method to determine the impact of that design on the viewer, which
The Deconstructor 7
"involves presenting chiefly linear information (the story) through a battery of shots"
(Sharff 1982, p. 6). As evidence, the instructor deconstructs a film scene, shot1 by shot,
identifying the grammatical strategies employed by the use of the camera and subsequent
editing in presenting a cogent narrative to the viewer.
A class goal is to help students see film differently from they way they normally
see movies at the theater. Rather than watch, students are asked to analyze. By reviewing
the chain of shots students have the opportunity to study the anatomy of film separately
from the narrative or story context to better understand how a reader becomes engaged in
the text. Students look for the patterns, progressions, and the ways the cycle of familiarity
and change lead certain films to carry greater “weight” to the narrative, to develop a more
influential text that connects with the reader.
In class, students were given a spreadsheet template that provided a framework to
analyze each shot of in a film scene (see Figure 1). Students would rely on VCR counters
or stop-watches to time each shot and either trace the TV screen or draw the key frame2
for each shot. This was an inordinately cumbersome process that took many hours of
work. Students often chose not to pursue this kind of detailed analysis. Even after
collecting data, students had to plot and graph the data in order to decipher patterns.
The complexity of this approach and the lack of expertise prevented the
introductory students from easily engaging in their own deconstructions of film scenes as
1 A shot is a single graphic arrangement, connected to another shot through cut, camera movement, actionwithin the frame, or some form of special effect..2 A key frame is a special-purpose marker that denotes a shot.
The Deconstructor 8
a method to explore the underlying structural elements that provide a narrative discourse
for the audience.
Figure 1. Spreadsheet scene analysis template distributed to students.
To address the need for students to easily construct their own interpretations of
films, The Deconstructor was created to enable film students to effectively manipulate,
describe and analyze films. The Deconstructor was developed by The Columbia Center
for New Media Teaching and Learning (CCNMTL) in partnership with Professor
Lawrence Engel’s theory of film. CCNMTL is dedicated to working with Columbia
University faculty to “Advance the purposeful use of new media and digital technologies
in education” (Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning, 1999).
CCNMTL is comprised of an administrative staff, web developers, programmers, and
educational technologists. Educational technologists typically work with faculty in
implementing project ideas, such as the Deconstructor. CCNMTL approaches the study
of purposeful uses of technology in higher education through a design research
The Deconstructor 9
framework (Edelson, 2002; Bereiter, 2002; Collin, Joseph & Bielaczyc, in press).
CCNMTL and Professor Engel are the principle investigators in this study.
In this paper, we will be presenting the findings of this educational intervention
implemented in an introductory film course at Columbia University in 2002.
Additionally, we will share preliminary findings from more recent implementations. The
focus of this paper is based primarily on the fall 2002 implementation within the course:
Introduction to the Study and Theory of Film. Other course implementations include
Documentary Tradition and Film Production.
Methods of Inquiry and Data Sources
Educational Intervention
In fall 2002, seventy-four students in the Introduction to the Study and Theory of
Film course used the Deconstructor. The structure of the course requires students to
attend a four-hour lecture per week in addition to a one-hour discussion section. The
lecture is taught in a seventy-five seat screening room where students watch and discuss
films. During the film viewings, the instructor provides commentary to focus the
attention of students on particular details. Students are required to keep journals where
they record the details about the films they view. Attendance is crucial in the course,
since each film is shown once. While students have opportunities for discussion in the
lecture, the main discussion takes place in smaller groups within the discussion sections.
The seventy-four-person class was divided into three discussion sections; each led by a
different teaching assistant. Each teaching assistant designs his or her curriculum for the
discussion section with direction from the instructor. Students are evaluated based on
The Deconstructor 10
their journal entries, attendance in lecture and the discussion section, a midterm exam and
final project.
The class intervention took place during lecture and in discussion sections where
the students could work with the Deconstructor and begin to apply the professor's
methodological approach to looking at film. Students were required to use the
Deconstructor for the midterm exam, in the discussion sections and as an option for the
final project.
Functions, Features, and Scaffolds
The functional aspects of The Deconstructor allow students to perform a four-step
process for scene analysis: careful review of the scene; determination of the cinematic
variables in use; dissection of the scene into its series of shots during which each shot’s
duration and variables under analysis are documented); visualization of the data and
using the data and its visualizations to articulate the results that concentrates on the
relationships among the shots and their connection to the plot.
Students begin their work in The Deconstructor by going to the World Wide Web
and entering the address for the Deconstructor. Since the Deconstructor is a tool that
allows students to employ a method of analysis previously not encountered, an
introductory page with a letter from Professor Engel welcomes the learner, introduces the
tool and its purposes. The introduction provides a brief preview of the work to come, and
provides support from the instructor. From this page, students can access information on
how to use the site, which includes a glossary of terms, an opportunity to send feedback
or comments to the researchers, and the login page to access the main functionalities of
The Deconstructor 11
the Deconstructor. These options continue to be available to students throughout their
work in the Deconstructor.
After reading the introduction to the Deconstructor, students can login with their
unique user name and password to access the core components of the technology. The
Deconstructor allows three levels of access: student, teaching assistant, and instructor,
each with different access privileges. Individual account access provides students,
teaching assistants and the instructors with a personal space to manage their analysis of
film scenes. With each user having a personal space, their analyses can be stored and
available at anytime via the Internet. The personal space is referred as My Databoards
and gives students a personal space to view, edit or delete their scene analyses. In
addition to being a place to store the scene analysis of students, the My Databoards page
provides an example of a deconstructed scene. Students can study the choices made in the
analysis and modify them.
The teaching assistants and instructor have access to all student work and the
ability to view and comment on student work. As a way to provide apprenticeship to
students, teaching assistants and the instructor can provide feedback to students by
annotating their scene analyses within the tool.
After students login to the Deconstructor, they are automatically taken to the
View/Select Scene screen. Before students can begin their analysis, they must first
choose a scene to analyze. There are over seventy scenes available through the
Deconstructor film library for students to investigate. Students may request other scenes
to be made available to them. However, instructors are given permissions to add more
content to the film library. This feature is not available to students due to the labor of the
The Deconstructor 12
support staff to compress3 the video clips, insert the time code track to display the hours,
minutes, seconds, and frames and label the clips accordingly.
Figure 2. View/Select scenes page.
It is important for students to have opportunities to deconstruct films from
different genres and time periods to create a powerful frame of reference or schema on
the ways films are constructed (Spiro, et al., 1991). The scenes available to students range
from classic Hollywood to documentaries. All the video clips are used under the fair use
clause described in the University’s copyright guidelines. Each scene may be previewed
3 For the film scenes to be easily view over the Internet, they are compressed to a frame rate of 15 framesper second (fps) and encoded in QuickTime format at 240 x 180 pixels. The average frame rate for video(VHS or DVD) is 30 fps.
QuickTime Icon
The Deconstructor 13
from this View/Select scene page by clicking its corresponding QuickTime icon (see
Figure 2).
Figure 3. Databoard View. An analysis of shot using various descriptors such as shottype, shot angle, and shot perspective.
After reviewing a film scene on the View/Select page, students create a
Databoard to organize their analyses. The Databoard is an organizing unit that
distinguishes one shot from another. The Deconstructor allows students to deconstruct
many scenes, each scene one at a time and one shot or sub-shot4 within that scene. The
4 The functionality of the Deconstructor allows for sub-shot data which will expand the number ofdataboards to exceed the strict number of shots in the scene. This occurs when a single shot is a complexone. The complexity lies when either through subject movement within the frame or through cameramovement or both, the image changes dramatically in type or kind over the length of the shot. It is as if
The Deconstructor 14
Databoard window allows the student to enter data on a single shot or sub-shot (see
Figure 3). There will therefore be the same number of databoards within a scene analysis
as there are shots within the scene.
Figure 4. Storyboard View. An example of a film scene from Psycho (Hitchcock, 1960)dissected in The Deconstructor.
Students begin to dismember the selected scene into series of shots (see Figure 4)
after creating a Databoard to store their data. Students extract each shot from the scene by
several particular graphic arrangements are combined not through cuts from shot to shot but are connectedthrough camera movement.
The Deconstructor 15
indicating the start and end time for each shot. The shot can be previewed before the
student commits to the start and end time. Figure 4 illustrates a scene dissected into nine
distinct shots that comprise the forty-three second scene. This collection of still images
represents the visual flow of a film scene and is referred to in the Deconstructor as the
Storyboard View and is accessible by students upon demand during their analyses.
After dissecting the scene into a series of shots, the Databoard acts as a scaffold
that frames and focuses the analysis of each shot (see Figure 3). The Databoard focuses
the student analysis of each shot on two basic sets of elements; one is the static or
photographic set, the other the kinetic or movement set. The Deconstructor does not
contain variables that address sound or tone in the scenes. To compensate for the
numerous ways a shot can be analyzed, students can identify their own elements for
analysis using the Customized Analysis options. Using the Customized Analysis
functionality, students can create two new elements to use in their analysis of a shot.
When students are uncertain of the ways in which to apply a term, a definition is
provided and an example of the term applied in a visual example. This information can be
accessed on the databoard by selecting the red question mark, indicating that the student
has a question or wants information. Additionally, a glossary of terms is provided within
the Deconstructor help file. Embedding the definitions and examples in the context of use
gives the learner the option to review terms when it is most useful to them (Spiro,
Feltovich, Jacobson & Coulson, 1991).
When students identify the shot’s characteristics, each element5 corresponds to an
integer value that is assigned to the shot along with a textual description. For example, if
5 Each shot has the following structural characteristics that can be described in the Deconstructor: graphicarrangement, shot type, shot angle, shot perspective, shot camera movement, shot camera movement type,
The Deconstructor 16
shot type is a medium shot, the integer value assigned is 20; a close-up has a value of 25,
usually the higher the integer the stronger the element6. This is done in order to aggregate
the analysis in a visualization as illustrated in Figure 5.
Figure 5. Visualization. The representation of the angle of the shots juxtaposed with theduration of each shot.
A Visualization tool was created as part of The Deconstructor as a way to aid
students in interpreting their shot-by-shot analysis of a film scene. The visualization tool
assists students in aggregating their entire scene analysis and are based upon the analysis
entered by students in the databoards. More specifically, the tool graphs the number of
shots, duration of each shot and a third variable selected by the student, such as shot
angle or camera movement. Figure 5 depicts a scene with nine shots where the shot angle
alternates between eye-level and slightly low as illustrated with the green data points (or
camera movement value, shot subject movement, subject movement direction, shot subject movementzoom, shot subject movement zoom strength, shot entrance, shot entrance frame, shot exit, shot exit frame,and the custom fields defined by the student.6 At least compared to that element from shot to shot. For instance, the close up has a higher value than along shot so that upon visualization or graphing, the close-up will appear higher on the Y-axis than the longshot. Similarly a movement from left to right is given a positive value while right to left is given a negativevalue.
Green
Blue
Legend
The Deconstructor 17
lighter color). The blue data points (or darker color) indicate the length of each shot on
X-axis.
The resulting graphs provide a basis for interpreting underlying cinematic
structure of the scene, independent of watching the scene and becoming absorbed in the
story. A legend is provided to help students interpret the visualization of their scene
analysis. The graphic visualization allows students to see patterns or changes in the
rhythm and flow of the chain of shots. It is a crude score of the underlying cinematic
structure. The arrangement of shots into coherent beats distinguishes masterpieces from
pedestrian works. When a particular change occurs from one shot to another, students are
asked to look back to the film for a correlation between this cinematic moment and its
narrative state.
Implementation
However, before introducing the Deconstructor to students, it was important to
create teaching partners and train the teaching partners in using the technology. The
teaching assistants and the instructor were the obvious partners and instrumental in the
learning progress of the students. It was crucial to train the teaching assistants to the
Deconstructor to ensure they could correctly model the process the professor envisioned
for the students. It was prudent to ensure that the teaching partners could work
confidently with the technology and perceived it as a necessary component of the class
curriculum. As a strategy, the instructor provided a demonstration of the tool to the
teaching assistants. It was hypothesized that this would further situate the Deconstructor
as a real tool for use in the class environment. After the demonstration, the teaching
assistants were trained in using the technology by CCNMTL staff.
The Deconstructor 18
In the first class lecture, the instructor presents a short scene and asks the students
to guess how many shots comprised the scene. Regardless of the scene chosen, students
historically underestimate7 the number of shots in the film sequence by one-third to half.
Upon review, students attend to the shots of the scene, not the plot. The students
immediately begin to see film differently. They are directed to pay attention to the type of
shots used in the scene (how many close-ups, medium shots and long shots, for instance).
Finally, students are asked to identify movement8 within the shots and amongst them.
In the second lecture, the instructor demonstrates the ways in which students
should use the Deconstructor. The instructor connects his computer to the web and
displays the Deconstructor through a video projector onto the main screen. Usually the
instructor uses a short, nine-shot sequence from Psycho (Hitchcock, 1960). The
methodology suggests that the students watch the scene several times to familiarize
themselves with the scene. Then they are asked to determine which variables the text
seems to be relying on to structure its shots. These are then the variables that students
will use to focus their analysis. In all cases, the duration of each shot must be recorded
and is used as a key base-line for visualization and analysis. After collecting data, graphs
are created to help visualize the “score” of the scene.
During the third week of the course, students attend a special discussion section
led by teaching assistants and personnel from CCNMTL held at a media lab. Working in
pairs, students are trained in using the Deconstructor. Teaching assistants follow-up with
7 Anecdotal record-keeping by the professor for over 15 years.8 In terms subject movement, or what is commonly called mis-en-scene, and cameramovement.
The Deconstructor 19
students to determine their success with a question and answer session. The instructor
also elicits comments and questions in the following lectures.
During the subsequent weeks students in some discussion sections, students
present on their work with the Deconstructor and their analysis. Between the eighth and
tenth week of the course students are required to work with the deconstruction for the
midterm exam. Lastly, students have the option to do a comparative scene analysis in the
Deconstructor for their final project.
Research questions
The goal of integrating The Deconstructor into the introductory film course is to
improve students' analytic skills and acquisition of vocabulary necessary for the course.
The instructor and the research group is interested in answering the following questions:
• How does The Deconstructor provide students with opportunities to engage in
their own analysis?
• Does the Deconstructor enable students to apply the language of film?
• Are students able to form interpretations from their analyses in The
Deconstructor?
• How do students understand film analysis prior to their use of the Deconstructor?
• How confident are students in applying their knowledge of film analysis?
Data Collection
In pursuit of answering the research questions, data was collected from a multiple
sources. The data sources include class observations, periodic meetings with the
The Deconstructor 20
instructor and teaching assistants, a student focus group, instructor interview and analysis
of student work aided in the evaluation effort.
Prior to the beginning to the fall 2002 semester, three meetings were held with the
instructor and several teaching assistants to identify implementation strategies and to
introduce them to the Deconstructor. Informal meetings were held throughout the
semester with class teaching assistants to assess their perspectives on the project in the
classroom and of students' progress. Two additional meetings were held with the
instructor to assess the validity of The Deconstructor in the classroom.
Throughout the semester, the class lectures and three discussion sections were
observed to gather insight into the ways The Deconstructor supported the curricular
goals. Working closely with the teaching assistants, each discussion section was observed
regularly with a particular focus into the insights that students gained from using the
Deconstructor.
Next, a focus group was conducted using a quasi-experimental design for one
hour on November 20th, 2002 through November 22, 2002. Twenty-two out of the thirty
randomly selected students participated in a focus group experiment. The students were
asked to respond to questions regarding graphical representations of an undisclosed
deconstructed film scene produced in The Deconstructor. The goal was to understand the
ways students were interpreting the graphical visualizations produced by the
Deconstructor and how explicit the patterns were to students. A discussion about their
reaction to the exercise and a survey assessing motivation and usage was administered. A
CCNMTL staff member who was not a principle investigator in this research experiment
conducted the focus group. This was done to help ensure external validity.
The Deconstructor 21
Then, student presentations, take-home exams and participation in class were
analyzed particularly focusing on how students used the language of the discipline and
how well students made use of the Deconstructor. The professor was interviewed by
CCNTML to gauge an understanding of the quality of student analysis in The
Deconstructor.
Lastly, a survey instrument was administered to students in the Documentary
Tradition fall 2003 course and the spring 2004 Introduction to the Study and Theory of
Film course after a Deconstructor training session. The purpose of the survey was to
gaining insight into ways students understood film analysis and their confidence applying
it prior to using the Deconstructor.
Results
Prior to the educational intervention, it was difficult for students in the
Introduction to the Study and Theory of Film course to analyze film in the way presented
by the instructor. This left little opportunity for students to analyze film and deduce
meaning from their analyzes.
Our results indicate that the Deconstructor successfully enabled students to
critically examine films in ways impossible prior to the educational intervention.
Individuals without prior knowledge in film analysis actively engaged in the activity of
deconstruction as a method of inquiry. Students began to isolate, describe and analyze the
elements of a film scene and construct understandings about film.
The data collection was focused the ways in which the Deconstructor offered
opportunities for student to engage in a deconstruction activity, the acquisition and
The Deconstructor 22
application of the language of film, and ability to interpret and synthesize the relations
between the elements used by filmmakers to construct films.
Opportunities for Students Engagement
The Deconstructor offers students and faculty a means to identify, analyze, and
deconstruct film in modes never possible. Students and faculty were able to precisely
deconstruct the film scenes and isolate portions that warranted close analysis. Evidence
from examining student work done in the Deconstructor reveals the average number of
scene analyses in the Introduction to the Study and Theory of Film course was four-and-
a-half. Half of those students used the Deconstructor as the primary source material for
their final projects. Students were only required to analyze two scenes, one as a training
activity and another for the midterm exam. Out of the three discussion sections, one
teaching assistant required students to present an analysis once during the semester. This
type of integration of the Deconstructor in the students’ activities enabled students to talk
about film analysis, helping students reflect on their learning, while actually engaging in
it. This was observed in the discussion sections and the lectures.
One key attribute of the on-line tool is the enormous time savings dividend. There
is enough automation and program support for collecting, distributing and visualizing
allowing the student a more efficient and in-depth engagement in the close-study of film
scenes. On average, students from the focus group estimated that they spent over nine-
and-a-half hours using the Deconstructor. The minimum time spent was two-and-a-half
hours and the maximum was as high as thirty hours. A scene analysis done using other
methods could take twice to three times as long, if students had to locate the scene and
plot and graph their analysis without automation or scaffolds to guide the analysis.
The Deconstructor 23
Application of the language of film
It appears that students learn how to re-think the way they see film much more
quickly through early exposure to the Deconstructor. In-class discussion indicates that
students are far more aware of the arrangement of shots and the relations of this
arrangement to the core narrative discourse of the film. Additionally, student journal
entries support the argument; more entries relate to phrasing and categories of cinematic
structures than to story or character issues (although these are clearly important elements
of film as well).
Students used the language of film in their interpretations; however, the language
was not acquired through the use of The Deconstructor, but through the readings, lectures
and discussions. Students had problems using The Deconstructor in the beginning
because they know the film vocabulary well enough. The on-demand terms and glossary
did not provide students with adequate information on how to apply the vocabulary. This
finding could be influenced by the fact that students rarely referenced these resources.
Thus, it was concluded that students acquired and applied the language of film in
primarily through the readings and lecture not directly through engagement with the
Deconstructor.
Forming Interpretations of Film
The focus group experiment verified that students are able to interpret the
graphical representations of scenes generated in the Deconstructor. A student that
participated in the focus group experiment expressed that she “… could totally interpret
what the graph [graphical representation of the film scene] was saying. But I’m not sure
if I could offer a full interpretation” (personal communication, November 20, 2002).
The Deconstructor 24
While students were able to make meaning from examining the visualizations provided in
the focus group, many noted the importance of actually deconstructing a scene to
understand the principles that can be learned. The ways students interpret the graphs
without actually doing the scene analysis was surprising. Many students did not simply
interpret the numeric information presented on the graphs. Instead students correlated the
patterns presented in the graph with a story-line. The visualizations provided in the
Deconstructor are intended to isolate the dramatic and narrative content from the
structural elements of film. However, students were using a narrative as a starting point
to form their interpretations. Reflecting on the results of the focus group the instructor
discussed,
…if they [students] can get a gestalt of, or sense of the scene, and immediately
relate it to story, that’s really good. And, maybe more sophisticated than what I’ve
been doing, which is, looking at the different element and try to come up with
what the underlying cinematic structure is. [Students may not use my approach
exactly] because they are not used to it, which makes sense because they are used
to stories. So if they see this [the graphs], and connect it to beats and stuff, which
I have harped on in class, so much the better…If they can create the story, that
would be very cool. That was what I was trying to do (L. Engel, personal
communication, December 4, 2002).
The insights offered by the instructor revealed the difficultly students approach film
analysis from purely a structural viewpoint. Instead, students use a narrative or story to
scaffold their learning of this type of analysis. Students throughout their school career
read texts, watch television and films, all guided by a narrative. On the other hand, the
majority of the students in the introductory course had limited or no exposure to
The Deconstructor 25
analyzing film from a structural viewpoint. This insight into student thinking and
construction of meaning offers potential for future study.
Usage
Use of the Deconstructor in the Introduction to the Study of Film course truly
generated a new teaching opportunity. The instructor is able to model the various ways to
look at film and require students to engage in their own analysis to form their own
interpretations of films. Observations demonstrate that the Deconstructor permits the
instructor and teaching assistants to engage in deeper conversations regarding the value
and challenges of film analysis, since students can easily analyze many scenes outside of
class. The results of the study suggest that these possibilities are a consequence of the
way in which the digital working environment, The Deconstructor, is integrated into
course curriculum.
The instructor and teaching assistants evaluated student work in the
Deconstructor, however, assessment took the form of written comments on the midterm
and verbal feedback in lectures and discussion sections. The instructor and teaching
assistance made little use of the feedback feature in the Deconstructor. This was probably
because the importance of student work relied more on student interpretations and
synthesis than the actual analysis from which the interpretations were derived.
As anticipated, the students utilized the graphical visualizations as primary source
documents in take-home exams. Students saved the image of the graph into word
processing document as a way to show evidence to support for their claims and the
synthesis of their analysis.
The Deconstructor 26
Students used the visualizations generated in the Deconstructor as presentation
material and discussion points in discussion sections. Lastly, about half the students in
the focus group reported that they were using the Deconstructor to generate material for
their final projects.
Unanticipated usage
An unanticipated use of the Deconstructor was by a student in a Film Production
class at Barnard College. This student used the Deconstructor as a construction tool. The
student used a blank clip (film scene) to create a detailed shot list. This demonstrates
potential for the Deconstructor to assist in storyboarding or creating a shot list for
filmmakers. It could allow for distinct pre-visualization of a script or concept.
Students Perceptions of the Deconstructor
In the fall 2002 Introduction to the study and theory of film, students saw the
Deconstructor as a useful tool in looking general trends within a scene. While engaging
with the Deconstructor students identify the value of the tool in helping them
conceptualize the film analysis methodology studied in the course. One student
commented:
It was helpful in that now I have a much better understanding of shot type, length,
and all of the other things we look at with the Deconstructor, but it was more
helpful in helping me understand the importance that each of these elements had
on film (Student 13, November 20, 2002).
This comment illustrates on the value the student places on language as it is applied in a
real context. More importantly, this student presents an understanding of the impact and
results of the careful arrangement of cinematic structures. To emphasis a common theme
The Deconstructor 27
shared by students, another student described the impact of the technology as a way to
help “… understand the complexities and planning a director must look at when
designing a shot” (Student 53, November 21, 2002). The sediments of this student
illustrate an understanding of the director’s deliberateness in constructing a single shot.
A general comment from one student described the Deconstructor as an insight
into the complexity of an ill-structured domain such as film. “The Deconstructor truly
revealed a new level of cinema that I didn’t believe existed” (Student 49, November 20,
2002). This student revealed that the Deconstructor presents learners with a new way of
looking at film. This sediment was consistent with the course goals.
In the fall 2003 Documentary Tradition course and the spring 2004 Introduction
to the Study and Theory of Film course, students saw the Deconstructor as a helpful
mechanism for film analysis, language, filmmaker’s impact on the viewer, and
organization of scene of analysis. The surveys revealed that students had a fair to good
understanding of the language of film used in structural analysis before the engaged with
the Deconstructor. Students were only neutral to confident in applying their knowledge in
the tool. A follow-up survey will be administered to students in the spring 2004 to gauge
their confidence after having some experiences with the technology. These preliminary
results reveal that students need more ways to support their learning of film analysis prior
and during the use of the Deconstructor.
Educational Importance of this Study
The first implementation of the Deconstructor in the Introduction to the Study and
Theory Film course provides evidence that students are able to successfully engage in the
The Deconstructor 28
active dissection, identification, and analysis of film, and form their own interpretations
and perspectives about film.
Extending Use to Other Disciplines
The Deconstructor in this study was only used in the film context, but there are
also opportunities to extend the use to other disciplines in higher education. For example,
to look at the pieces that comprise a piece of music could offer students new perspectives
on the art. Other areas that where the Deconstructor could be repurposed is in philosophy,
art history, writing courses that focus on the image, sound, text or video.
The Deconstructor can serve as a model for instructors who want their students to
look critically at compositions as a way to make interpretations and form new
understandings. This model could be especially helpful to students who are new
analyzing compositions. Text that warrant close-study may benefit from the basic
framework of the Deconstructor. If the text owns the temporal element as is the case with
film, video, and television, along with dance and music, the duration analysis alone may
be of significant help in better understanding the text. If there is movement, again
suggested with the domains listed above, the motion categories may also be of value,
although in the case of dance and music the specific categories may need to be redefined.
If there is a particular compositional or static element (perhaps with dance, or outside
these aforementioned domains, photography, the visual arts, and sculpture all have both
compositional and movement elements to them), then with some redefinition of terms
and values, the Deconstructor will allow for systematic analysis. Any discipline that has
its own language or syntax can be used like the Deconstructor to quickly bridge gaps
from novice to expert.
The Deconstructor 29
For instance, if a student wishes to analyze word usage in the nightly news
reporting of a particular subject, fields could be created for those words or key phrases.
For texts using words only, either prose or poetry, the Deconstructor would be a possible
tool for syntactic analysis. Word usage, imagery, and thematic elements along with
grammatical structures could all be part of the Deconstructor’s modified category set.
Improvements
For future implementations of the Deconstructor, there are a variety of issues that
require close examination. This study only reflected a portion of the questions we have.
There are plenty of opportunities for further study into the ways in which students
actually learn from the technology. The study was shortsighted in the ways that it did not
distinguish much from the lectures or discussion sections. However, evidence pointed to
discussion sections as the main source of student interaction. Futures studies will look
closer at the ways in which students are truly acquiring the language and framework for
analysis with an emphasis on developing strategies to assist in their learning.
A study of particular interest to the authors is the effects of students working in
pairs versus those working alone in a deconstruction of a scene. Preliminary evidence
suggests that collaboration could be the optimal scaffold for learning the vocabulary of
film and developing a strong framework for analysis while students work in the
Deconstructor.
The Deconstructor 30
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Author Note
Kristen A. Sosulski Gordon Campbell, Columbia Center for New Media Teaching
and Learning, Columbia University and the Department of Math, Science and
Technology, Teachers College.
Lawrence Engel, School of the Arts Film Division, Columbia University.
Gordon Campbell, Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning,
Columbia University and the Department of Math, Science and Technology, Teachers
College.
Lee Davis is no longer at the Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and
Learning.
We would like to thank Liliana Pinto for conducting the focus group and her
consultation on the educational intervention, research design and data collection. Also,
we would like to thank Phillip Yaeger, David Cinquegrana, and Ryan Kelsey for taking
the time to review and edit the proposal for this paper and the final paper. Their
suggestions were invaluable to the authors.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Kristen Sosulski
via email at [email protected].