The Use of Feature Films as Teaching Tools in Social Work Education

Feature films, and selected clips from them, can be extremely useful tools in social work education. The widespread use and comparative low cost of videotape and now digital videodisks (DVD) have made thousands of feature films easily available to educators, students, and the general public. This article describes how clips from feature films can be used in class to engage students, stimulate discussion, and introduce skill-building exercises. Issues related to having students view entire films outside of class are discussed and a sample assignment is outlined. Technical issues and the general limitations of feature film use are also considered. (C) 2007 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.