In this article I will introduce :
1. What is Dvolver?
2. The process of making a movie in Dvolver
3. The advantages of using it in ELT
4. The limitations of employing it in ELT
5. The application of Dvolver in ELT
6. References
7. Useful links
1. What is it ?
DvolverMovie Maker is super fun, let’s enjoy a Dvolver movie about Valentine before we get to know more!
Please click this picture for watching
Dvolver Movie Maker is a popular website where people can create
their short animations for free.
2. The process of making a movie in DvolverThere are seven steps of creating an animation uniquely your own! Let’s start~
- Step 1: Select a background & a sky
Scroll down the
list and choose your favorite background and the sky that you need, then click next
- Step 2: Select a plot
Choose the plot
you want,
there are four kinds of plots:
·Rendez-vous: characters enter into the screen from each side, and then speak
·Pick-up: two characters enter from opposite sides, then speak and leave together
·Chase: two characters chase each other, then make a conversation
·Soliloquy (eg: monologue): Only one character speaks
- Step 3: Select the characters
Here you can
choose one or two characters in your movie
- Step 4: Type in the charaters’ lines
You can type at
most 100 charaters in each line
- Step 5: Select the backgroud and the music
Choose the music, you can choose to add another scene or continue to finish your
product.
- Step 6: select movie title design
Choose the title design and type your movie title and your name. J
- Step 7: Preview the animation and send
Write down your
email and deliver it to your emailbox
PS: when you
discover something wrong in the movie, don’t worry! Just click back, and correct
the mistake.
It is very easy to operate and efficient! Try it yourself J
3. The advantages of using Dvolver in ELT
- A time saver Dvolver is a free website that requires no sign up. In an effective class, time management is important. Comparing with other websites which needs sign up and providence of private information, Dvolver consumes less time and preserve more privacy. When teachers and students go to this webpage even for the first time, they can immediately start the creation of their movies.
- User friendly The instruction of different steps is simple and clear, which allows even younger kids to make one of their own without experiencing frustration in operating the tool, because the design of the movie making progression is simplified. Comparing to some video making software, such as AVS4you, and Corel VideoStudio, which professionals needs months’ training to learn to manage, Dvolver avoids almost all the complexities in creating a movie. Consequently, students focus more on their ideas for designing the plots and the lines.
- Interesting With the visual effect, students can find their practice for making a dialogue more interesting. The characters can trigger students’ creativity and engagement in making a dialogue scene.
- Accessibility The movies can be accessed from emails or can be embedded into blogs or websites. As long as there is internet, Dvolver can be applied into classroom practice.
- Record of student learning progression The comparison of students Dvolver movies can be a way of assessment for students’ learning process.
4. The limitations of using Dvolver in ELT
- There is NO sound! An animation without sound is a real deal-breaker for many aspects in teaching. What makes animation different from cartoon books is sounds and movements! If Dvolver can add sound effect, it will be much better! If it allows movie makers to input their own voices, it will be extremely fun, especially for practicing speaking! Students will unconsciously spend more time in practicing speaking through engaging themselves in adding perfect sound effect.
- Limited number of participants in the movie Students can only choose one or two characters in the scene. Therefore, students in the classroom can not make a multiple conversation. This means it is impossible for making a play with more than two characters. If teacher divides students in a class into groups to construct multiple dialogue by using Dvolver, their creativity is constrained, due to the lack of choice.
- Limited lines and limited scenes The maximum lines are six only, which means that the conversation is short and can not be developed into a long conversation. For advanced learner, no matter for writing task or for speaking task, it can not meet the needs for an extending dialogue.
- Problem with line appearing length The appearing of line is equal in time, which means when the line is longer, students may not have enough time to read through the context
- No control of playing the video There are no “Play, Pause, Rewind” buttons to control the video and no volume control. When teachers want to explain the grammar, the music can become a headache. Meanwhile, it is impossible to pause the movie, and teachers have to wait until the movie finishes to explain language points.
5. The application of Dvolver in ELT
From the discussion of the advantage and limitation of Dvolver, I will apply Dvolver in these situations in English language teaching:
- Teacher talks If teachers have to give short notices for students in a humorous way or make an encouragement for students’ work, they can use Dvolver, regardless of students’ levels.
- Peer interactions Dvolver is more suitable to be used for fundamental level students. No matter in grammar, writing or speaking class, teachers can pair students to create dialogues by employing Dvolver. For example, teachers can give instruction for students to do half open dialogue making works, which requires students to apply the newly learn language points into their movies.
- Enhancement of students’ autonomy Younger students can find it more appealing to write their conversations with visual effect than write it on a white sheet of paper. Therefore, Dvolver can be used as a new media for homeworks.
Reference
No direct citations are used in thise article
Further reading
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