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Incorporating Animation Concepts and Principles in STEM Education By Henry L. (Hal) Harrison, III and Laura J. Hummell Since animated characters have become significant components of entertainment and advertising, using them in the classroom can become another tool for reaching students who have visual and kinesthetic learning styles. Figure 1. Illustration of a Zoetrope and its operation. http://library.thinkquest.org/C0118600/zoetrope.jpg Introduction Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of static images that creates the illusion of movement. This optical illusion is often called perception of motion, persistence of vision, illusion of motion, or short-range apparent motion (Anderson & Anderson, 1993). The phenomenon occurs when the eye is exposed to rapidly changing still images, with each image being changed slightly to mimic real motion. While the viewer’s brain processes each of these slightly changed images, the images appear to the person to become motions that are fluid and consistent. For shortrange apparent motion to occur, modern theatrical films and animations run at 24 frames per second. Animation has a long and varied history beginning with Paleolithic cave art in which ancient humans drew paintings of animals with multiple sets of legs in dynamic positions that sought to convey animal movement (Thomas, 1958). Around 1510, Leonardo da Vinci was among the first to study body movement and other anatomical studies 20 • The Technology Teacher • May/June 2010
through the use of similar detailed drawings illustrating muscle extension and contraction. William George Horner constructed the first zoetrope in 1834, which was among the first devices to create an image of a moving picture (Freeman, 2005). The persistence of vision phenomena is easily understood by using a zoetrope. Figure 1 depicts an illustration of a zoetrope and its operation. Almost 50 years later, John Barns Linnet patented the flip book, which used a set of sequential pictures to create the illusion of motion in which people could use their hands to flip through the different images. Since the early 1900s, animation has gained acceptance in the television and film industries. Animation techniques, such as celluloid and stop-motion, were among the first animation techniques incorporated into motion pictures. In stop-motion animation, physical objects are used instead of people, and objects are photographed, moved slightly, and then photographed again. This process is repeated throughout the entire scene to create an animation sequence with photographs instead of drawings (Johnston & Thomas, 1981). One of the first examples of stop-motion animation was used as a special effect in the 1933 film King Kong. Stop-motion is also the animation technique used in clay animations, better known as “claymations.” Although stopmotion animation is still used today, traditional animation or celluloid (cel) animation was the process used for most animated films in the twentieth century. In cel animation, individual characters are hand drawn and then copied onto transparent plastic-type sheets made of celluloid or cellulose actetate called cels (Johnston & Thomas, 1981). Once the images are copied to the cels, the images are painted to further define the character, and the completed cels are photographed onto motion picture film against painted backgrounds. This animation technique gave rise to some of the most prominent animated characters in the twentieth century including Mickey Mouse, Pinocchio, Donald Duck, Mighty Mouse, and countless others. The 1990s and early 2000s have seen the advent of computer graphic imagery (CGI), resulting in a new animation style and radical changes in techniques. The use of CGI has created opportunities for animation enthusiasts to produce their own animations without the need for the highly specialized equipment once required of traditional animation. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional computer animations have greatly impacted the animation industry. The flexibility and ease of use of the different animation software packages allow users of all experience levels to design and generate animations. Although computer-assisted animation had been used years before, when it was released in 1995, Toy Story was the first completely computer-generated movie. Since that time, animation studios such as Pixar, DreamWorks, Paramount, and many others have created famous characters like Shrek, Buzz Lightyear, Nemo, Sulley from Monsters, INC, and Manfred, Sid, and Diego from Ice Age, and many more (Lenburg, 2008). In recent years, animation has ventured into the education realm to help students visualize a variety of complex processes (Lowe, 2008, p. 49). Because of the interaction inherent in animated models, learning materials are incorporating more and more animations into their content. Lowe (2008) notes, however, that these animations are not necessarily superior to static graphics, and that animated graphics can even hinder students’ understanding of the concepts being conveyed in the animation due to the complexity and realism some animations include (pp. 49- 50). It should be noted that the complexity and realism of animations that may hinder students’ ability to understand the concepts/principles being conveyed in the animation could help to be alleviated if the animations included some type of user control. User-controllable animations include functions such as: presentation rate control, directional control, and scene continuity control (p. 49). It is encouraging to note that with these control attributes, research has shown (e.g., Gonzalez, 1996) that animations convey concepts/principles better than their static counterparts, although the extent is currently unknown. More research is needed in this phenomenon. Connecting Animation to the Standards All types of animations apply drawing, layout, measurement, timing, teamwork, and other various skills and techniques. These include incorporating goals, objectives, techniques, and skills from drama, art, graphic communications, computer applications, and technology education. Specifically, using animation projects, design briefs, and units in technology education courses can address Standard 17 of Standards for Technological Literacy: Content for the Study of Technology (STL) (ITEA [ITEEA], 2000/2002/2007). “Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use information and communication technologies” (p. 166). Using Animation Technologies in Technology Education Animation can enrich students’ mastery of diverse subject matter. Through various lessons and units, educators and students can use simple animation techniques to create visual, animated representations of numerous concepts. Animation has helped students solidify their understanding 21 • The Technology Teacher • May/June 2010
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