How Smartphone Natives Can Learn Animation Principle: Introductory Animation Class for Students with No Art Background

Abstract

This paper presents a four-year case study on animation education within an Information Media department, focusing on smartphone integration. Although animation is commonly associated with fine arts departments, its use in various visual communication contexts on digital devices has expanded. Despite the conventional premise that animation is for students with art backgrounds, Kanagawa Institute of Technology (KAIT), Department of Information Media considers it essential to teach animation basics, even to students without art backgrounds. To address this, stop-motion on smartphones is adopted as a teaching tool for its low learning cost. The paper discusses how this approach, initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic, improved the efficiency of animation education. Notably, the use of smartphones extended beyond remote learning, enhancing the outreach of animation education even in face-to-face classes. The students who participated in this course not only had high learning enthusiasm, but also submitted excellent works. The paper concludes by confirming the potential of mobile technology to enhance learning.