The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-04
VALUE OF S|LENT
 DRAMA ID EDUCATE CHILD Is TESTED
$10,000 Being Spent to De- termine Educational Value of Movie Noted Pro-
 lessor in Charge
Rr Associated Press

Chicago, June s3.-Tcn thousand dol lars Is to be spent in the next 12 months in an effort to determine just what value the motion picture has in the education of children.
 It is claimed that the most extrava- gant promises have been made by en- thusiasts for this means of imparting information to the young. while de- tractors haveS classed the films as practically valueles5. Where the truth lies between these extremes, Dr. Frank N. Freeman of the University of Chicago will endeavor to learn. Granted s1O.oOO
 pr. Freeman, professor of educa- tional philosophy. and connected with the school of education of the Univer- sity of Chicago, has been granted S10,000 by the commonwea fund of New York, an endowment formed for research work In various lines. Va rious sums are granted upon applica- tion, and after investigation discloses the worth of the object sought. and are for period of one year. At the expiration of that time report must be made on the results attained.
 There seems to be two general problems presented for solution" said pr. Freeman. One is to determine what can best be taught by moving PiSsuA OS anu tO QtNIse HltdHS Ol ell larging this field, and the second is to find ways of improving the pictures themselves.
 Literary Nature
 Some of the films in use in the schools are of a purely educational, character, but more of them are in the nature of literature in that they are partly entertainment They are of course biological and nature study pictures that might be classed as strictly educational. There are also in this class the animated diagrams showing the circulation of the blood, nerve action, etc.
 Visual education, at present, is not systematized. The situation re- minds one of an enthusiastic friend who went to Mexico to take pictures. He shot everything in sight and then when he got back it took a geogra- pher to cut and paste and get an un- derstandable story out of the films.
 Part of Cprriculum
 Motion pictures will not spread over the whole curriculum but will be incorporated as a part of the school work. What is best to show is a matter for much study. Some sub Jects, of course, lend themselves very readily to the film, as the matching of salmon and orange culture. Pictures or the various stages in these indus tries are. I think, readily understood by the children. Getting vicarious experienced one man called it.
 Valuable results are obtained in the presentation of objects which the child never has seen. If, for in- stance, the child never had seen a shin or picture of one. film of a vessel moving over the water would convey much more meaning thau oral infor- nation"
 Experimental work is now going on in the University of Chicago, at the University of Illinois and in at least two cities where there are large school systems. Pictures are being taken, shown to the pupils and the re- suits observed. One test is to deter mine whether it is possible by motion pictures to show the child the proper way to sit while writing. another will be on the proper use of tools, the pic lures being made in the school shops.
 Lack of System
 Due to the lack of precise infor- nation on the film in the educational field,' said Dr. Freeman, films some- times are much too long. Again they are too short. How much film a child can absorb Is a matter for ex- pertinent. There is grievous lack or system, too, in the matter of cap tions. l have seen films that were more than SO per cent captions, Is this the best length, or should they be much shorter, or should there be no captions at all and such matter left to oral exposition after the manner of the illustrated lecture?
 T am of the opinion that the film IS not so far superior to other meth ods as to be substituted in a whole sale way. but that it has its definite iieid and IS excellently adapted to certain things seems beyond doubt i"