Move, Stop, Learn: Illustrating Mitosis through Stop-Motion Animation

ABSTRACT

Learning about microscopic things, such as cells, can often be mundane to students because they are not able to see or manipulate what they are learning about. Students often recall learning about cell division through memorization—thus they find it tedious and dull. Few opportunities exist that allow students to explore and manipulate cells or the process of cellular division. This activity attempts to combat the monotony that is often associated with learning mitosis by engaging students in creating a stop-motion animation video using iPads. Our students found the activity fun, enjoyed it more than learning mitosis through traditional methods, and believed making the video helped them understand cell division.

KEYWORDS:

• biology
• modeling
• secondary
• technology/computers

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We would like to acknowledge Dr. Diana Ivankovic from Anderson University (Anderson, South Carolina) for sharing her activities and supporting the completion of this manuscript.