Singapore, March 2015- ‘Rapid display of images in order to create an illusion of movement of something’- more or less, that is the meaning of animation. More frequently, animations are linked with cartoon characters dancing around on television and the silver screen, the ones one would usually watch during the weekends or school holidays. Animation in Singapore by other fields and businesses. Animations in the past had always traditionally been an entertainment form for children; more often than not most parents would discourage their children from watching cartoons with the rationale that cartoons will rot their young, feeble minds. This tradition however, will be taking a very huge turnaround with the application of animation in the education field for primary and secondary students in these recent years.
Tapping into its potential is e-learning in Singapore, using the charming powers of simple animation to anchor children’s attention, which in turn makes the dreaded learning fun. The educator has the flexibility to use this form of e-learning either online or offline, which makes it easier to use in a class during school lessons, in tuition classes or at home as homework or learning supplement. One example for such is the Genio series. Genio is an interactive educational television animation series produced for SingTel’s mioTV. This series was conceptualised and produced by one of the studio-cum- production house in Singapore – Grid_Synergy.
Using animation as a form of interactive visual as well as the usual live-action acting and teaching, the series will assist students to better understand concepts and formulas, as the moving images allow them to concentrate and visualise the concept while the live-action acting and teaching will further explain the concept to students for them to grasp it further. This in turn will make it easier for the students to remember the concept and facts of the subject. After all, there was a research back in 2004 that indicates the usage of colours in making notes for studying (which is prominently used in most animations) makes it 80 percent easier for the brain to store it in the short-term memory storage, rather than seeing or reading something in just plain black and white, like the traditional chalk-and-talk used in schools.
With the ability to be able to be downloaded and kept in portable pendrives or compact discs, the educational material can be reviewed again and again by the students and the teachers alike. With this, one can study repeatedly and be able to memorise the facts.
Although educational videos and animations are very convenient if used correctly, educational video production is blood, sweat and tears. In addition to the limited numbers of experts in video production in Singapore it might be taking a much longer time before all schools in the country will implement the wondrous and interesting teaching tool of animation.
ABOUT GRID_SYNERGY
Grid_Synergy is a creative content provider that offers creative content across multiple media platforms. They can be contacted via phone at +65 6779 1815 or mail at 71 Ayer Rajah Crescent, #07-19/20/21, Singapore 139951. Their website is http://gridsynergy.sg/
