Cinematographic Literacy for Audiovisual Media and Hypermedia courses at the Faculty of Arts and Design of the National Autonomous University of Mexico

Abstract

The results of this research show the potential of applying Cinematographic Literacy, -along with other innovative teaching strategies such as Project-Based Learning (PBL) or the Flipped Classroom-, in the subjects of Design in Audiovisual Media and Hypermedia of the Degree in Design and Visual Communication from the Faculty of Arts and Design of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The achievements obtained justify the approach and the teaching-learning activities that were developed during the 2022-1 school year. Therefore, the findings of this study provide useful information on how to teach Audiovisual Media following a Film Literacy strategy with 64 Design students. The data for the research is extracted from the work carried out with three different groups, the conduct of interviews and the writing of a research diary. The thematic analysis was used to review and synthesize the results, encompassing challenges, successes and the general perception of the student body after the experience. The findings revealed that students developed critical thinking around film as a complex art form embedded in a larger context. In addition, they acquired technical and theoretical skills for film production and filmmaking. These results serve to reflect on the benefits of the educational use of cinema in a university context. The study recognizes the need to broaden the focus to other areas of knowledge of the Design and Visual Communication career, as well as in other fields of higher education. Therefore, this work suggests the inclusion of Film Literacy as a didactic strategy in university education, especially in Arts and Humanities studies.