The School of Communication held its 13th Academic Salon on 17 Apr. Dr Gordon Gray, Visiting Scholar of the School of Communication, was invited to be the speaker of the Salon. The topic of the Salon was “Film and Media Studies: Engaging Creative and Critical Thinking”.
As part of the Sin Wai Kin Chinese Culture Promotion Scheme, the Salon conducted by Dr Gray was organised to enhance our teachers’ understanding of the film industry in the Greater China and the Asia-Pacific region, and provide a different perspective for observation and thinking in teaching, learning and research activities of the School.
With ample experience as a media and culture professor at Berea College in the US, Dr Gray shared his personal experience of using films as a pedagogical tool. He pointed out that as film is a medium beloved by many, discussing films in classes could easily attract students’ attention. Through analysing various settings and elements in films, and how they related to culture and history, students’ creativity and critical thinking could be effectively provoked in the process. Attending teachers were so fascinated by Dr Gray’s sharing that a heated debate was initiated among them. The audience all felt that they gained a more in-depth understanding of film studies and the development of the film industry.