Information, Education and communication: Flimstrips and Slides


Slides:

Slides are a flexible training aid. Each slide is an independent unit. A slide is a film transparency contained in either a 2" x 2" or 2i" x 2t"'mount. Lantern slides are 3(1/4)" x 4".

A slide projector is an instrument designed to project 2" x 2" or 2(1/4)" x 2 or 3(1/4)" x 4" mounted transparencies; slides may be shown by individual handling or may be placed in a slide cartridge and operated by manual or remote control. Projectors which accept only 3(1/4)" x. 4" slides are usually referred to as lanterns slide projectors. The most typical slide, the 2" x 2" transparency, is made form a strip of 35mm film with a width twice that of a filmstrip. After processing, the slides are mounted in cardboard or glass mounts for easy use and for protection.

Advantages:

  1. The sequence of slides can be altered to meet specific needs.
  2. One can control the length of time each one is shown to allow for explanation, questions from the audience, or discussion of the problem at hand . The audience will focus its attention on the one slide being shown.
  3. Slides are easily made with an inexpensive 35 mm camera. Copying materials with the same camera is a relatively simple task. Local Photographic facilities can Often be used in making slides, and even colour film can usually be processed at seas reproduction centres.
    One can easily learn to make satisfactory slides picturing the details and process of programmes for which they are responsible. Slides produced locally have the added advantage of showing new techniques in familiar settings. Exposed 35mm film usually comes back from the processor in 2 x2 inch card-board slide mounts ready for project ion.
  4. Can be held on screen as long as needed.
  5. Can be arranged in any order to suit the specific need.
  6. Can be easily revised and updated.
  7. Easily handled, stored and rearranged for various uses.
  8. Increased usefulness with magazine storage and automatic projection.
  9. Can be combined with laped, narration for greater effectiveness.
  10. May be adopted to group or to individual user.


Disadvantages:

  1. Can get out of sequence and be projected incorrectly if slides are handled individually use of the never automatic projectors will alleviate this problem as the secquence can be worked out and loaded into the special car bridge before presentation.


Filmstrips:

Filmstrip is a length of 35 mm film containing a series of still pictures intended fro projection in sequence one at a time. Some filmstrips come with a tape or disc recording that contains the narration. When the proper equipment is used, a low frequency signal activates a mechanism to advance the filmstrip one frame. (The filmstrip is sometimes called a strip film and a slide film).

A filmstrip projector is an instrument designed to accept 35 mm filmstrips. It is often equipped with an adapter to accept 2 x 2 slides. Models are available with manual advance and remote control.

A filmstrip contains a series of still pictures in color or black and white on film which is 35 mm wide. The film is perforated along both edges for movement through the projector. Each picture in a filmstrip is called a frame. Commercially prepared filmstrips vary in length some are as short as ten frames, while others may contain from 70 to 80 frames or more. The filmstrip format is less expensive than a set of individually mounted 35 mm slides containing an equal number of pictures. It is far less expensive to print a series of pictures on a strip of film than it is to print, cut and mount the same pictures in a set of slides.

Advantages:

The filmstrip is a widely used instructional medium because of the many advantages.

  1. Provide a logical; pre-arranged order fro presentation.
  2. The sequence of pictures is always the same. Careful planning has preceded the production of each filmstrip.
  3. Present an idea or process not involving motion.
  4. May be supplemented with captions or recordings.
  5. Information can be presented either through photographs or through art work depending on which tells the story better.
  6. Individual pictures can be held on the screen for discussion for as long as desired and is therefore easy for group and individual study.
  7. Pictorial or graphic materials can be used alone or in combination.
  8. The small size of the filmstrip permits easy storage and handling.
  9. Sound filmstrips insures the recording with suitable voice accept and dialect. Speed of projection is governed by the recording so as to suit the purpose and target audience.
  10. Filmstrip equipment is relatively inexpensive, light-weight, small, and easy to operate.
  11. The room need not be extremely dark for projection.


Limitations:

  1. The fixed sequence does not permit easy flexibility.
  2. Filmstrips lack the attention-compalling qualities of the motion-picture and television which are more familiar to student.
  3. Filmstrips are relatively difficult to make in the local place and therefore selection is confined to materials made by outside sources.
How to use the filmstrip and the projector:

Most filmstrip and slide projectors are equipped with a blower fan to prevent scorching of the film. If yours does not have such a cooling fan, be careful not be hold the film in the apenture gate too long.

Clean your projector just before each use. Use a soft camels hair brush or a soft lint-free cloth dampened in carbon tetrachloride, acetone or alcohol and clean water (hale and half). Clean the lenses and two glass plates through which the filmstrip passes. Dust particles and bits of film emulsion on the glass plates will scratch the film.

Always handle the film only by its edges. Finger marks will show up badly in projection. Clean your film, if it becomes dirty, with a soft cloth dampened in carbon tetrachloride or acetone.

35 mm filmstrip projects are normally equipped with a 5 focal length lens. They should be placed slightly further back from your screen than your 16 mm motion picture projector. When using the projector for slides, since the slide film is larger, your projector should be moved closer to the screen

perating details for filmstrip projectors:

  1. Feed the film upside down between the glass sandwich. See that the words read backwards when you look at the film while threading. Be sure that film perfcrations are properly engaged by transport mechanism.
  2. Frame this picture correctly by moving the framing handle up or down. Focus sharply by turning the lens.
  3. Advance the strip, frame by frame, by turning the film advance knob. If your are projecting from some one else who is doing the talking, arrange foolproof signals so that you advance each frame at the proper moment.
  4. Rewind the film so that the beginning is outside after each showing. Wrap carefully and place it in its proper storage box or cane.
  5. To change from filmstrip head to slide head, loosen thumb nut, remove filmstrip head, insert slide head and tighten the nut.
  6. Have two slides in carrier at all times to prevent white glare on the screen. Turn the projector light off while last slide is in the machine. Have a colleagure turn room lights on at the same time.


Selection of filmstrips

Filmstrips should be selected and used with definite purposes in mind. Instructors should select filmstrips that:

Are applicable to the subject being taught are accurate, truthful and up-to-date present material at a level suitable for the audience encourage audience participation.

Prepare yourself:

You must preview the filmstrip before showing it to an audience. During the preview you should not the sequence and content of the filmstrip and consult the accompanying teaching notes, if available. Determine the main teaching points. Develop a list of three or four key questions. Note several key frames that will require detailed explanation. As you preview the film-strip, plan the activities that will follow the showing.

Prepare your audience:

When filmstrips are just shown they seldom contribute much to learning. You can do a number of things to help the learning process. You might begin asking questions about the topic covered by the filmstrip. A filmstrip on the prevention of cholera might be preceded by such questions as: Do any one of you know what caused cholera? How can cholera be prevented?; What are the first symptoms of cholera?. The showing of the filmstrip then becames a means of verifying audience discussions.

Another method of preparing your audience is to tell them the title of the filmstrip and summaries its contents. Make clear how the material relates to them, the audience. For example: (Five causes of cholera have been reported in this district). Then state the major points that the audience should pay particular attention to and indicate that there will be a followup discussion.

Audience participation:

Every effort should be made to encourage audience discussion during the showing. If the audience is literate, and capable of reading the captions, they should not be read by the instructor. Rather, you should enlarge upon the captions by presenting additional information.

Thinking can be stimulated by asking pertinent questions and calling members of the audiences to comment on certain frames. If questions arise concerning frames already passed, dont hesitate to turn back and review them.

Follow-up Activities:

The showing should always be followed by some kind if follow-up discussion or activity. Discussion will help to clear misunderstandings. It provide you with an evaluation of how much learning really took place. The audience must be questioned on material presented. They should also be given an opportunity of criticisi the filmstrip. If you feel that certain points still need clarification the filmstrip should be shown again.

If appropriate, the audience should actually practice skills demonstrated in the filmstrip. A filmstrip, How to vaccinate against smallpox?, should be followed by student practice in vaccination.