Category: Nigel Class

Reflection on Unit 3: Thesis Proposal Development

In this blog, I reflect on what I learned throughout Unit 3 and how I developed my thesis proposal during this period. In Unit 2, I first learned the basic structure of a thesis proposal and what should be considered when writing it. I also studied how each section should be organised and what kind of academic thinking is required. Based on this foundation, I reviewed my learning from Week 1 to Week 9 and organised my progress, focusing on how I approached each stage of the writing process.

During the development of my thesis proposal, I also had several one on one feedback sessions with my tutor. These discussions were extremely valuable for helping me understand the weaknesses in my work and what point should be improved. For example, I realised that my topic was too broad and needed to be more focused and narrow down precisely. I also receieved that there were two main themes in my research such as educational animation and visual metaphor at the bigging od stage, and that I should narrow it down to one clear direction. From this advice, I changed my theme and focus on educational animation instead of visual metaphor. In addition, I received important feedback regarding my literature review, particularly that I needed to include more academic sources to better support my arguments. And he advised to improve my referencing style, including consistency in my reference list and correct formatting, such as the use of italics when citing films.

Through this feedback, I realised that my academic writing still needs further development. In particular, I understood the importance of building a stronger literature base and supporting my ideas with more reliable academic sources. I also learned that clarity and simplicity are essential in academic writing. precise and focused topic helps the reader understand the argument more easily, and prevents the writing from becoming confusing or too broad.

In next step, I plan to carefully reflect on these points during the summer break. I will read more academic literature and continue improving my understanding of the topic. I also want to regularly revise and refine my writing by receiving feedback from others. At this stage, the content of my chapters is still developing, but I aim to strengthen both the theoretical and practical aspects of my research.

In the future, I hope to combine academic research with more practical exploration, so that my thesis becomes not only theoretically strong but also meaningful in practice. Overall, this unit has helped me understand the importance of structure, focus, and continuous improvement in academic research.

Chapter 1: Defining Educational Animation

In this blog, I summarize the steps of my research by breaking it down into chapters. In Chapter 1, I focused on defining what educational animation is. I explored different ideas by looking at key studies, especially the work by Ruiz, Cook, and Levinson (2009) and Mayer (2009). Mayer’s theory on multimedia learning explains that meaning in media is created not by just one element, but by the combination of visuals, language, sound, and editing. However, I felt that these studies didn’t fully explain what makes this structure effective, so I used my background in both 2D and 3D animation to develop my own analysis criteria.

Chapter 2: Analyzing Animation Works

In Chapter 2, I applied these criteria to real animation works. I analyzed a range of pieces, such as Pakkororin, Shimajiro no Wow, WALL·E, Shaun the Sheep, and Inside Out. I used several criteria for the analysis: narrative structure, character design, metaphorical visuals, audio-visual structure, and language dependence. The results showed that each work uses these elements differently, which gave me a clearer understanding of the unique structure of educational animation. I also found that by creating my own analysis framework, I was able to get closer to the essence of each work. That said, I realize that more data from larger surveys or other methods would help confirm these findings.

Chapter 3: The Role of Dialogue in Educational Animation

Finally, in Chapter 3, I went deeper into the role of dialogue. I examined how dialogue contributes to meaning in animation and how it compares to visual elements like body language. I did this because I wanted to understand how much dialogue shapes meaning. What I found was that dialogue is just one part of a bigger system—its impact depends on how it is combined with visuals, sound, and other elements. My reflection is that while dialogue matters, its strength lies in how it works together with other storytelling tools. This gave me a deeper understanding of what makes educational animation so powerful, not just in its words, but in how all the elements come together.

Literature Review and Research Method

In the studies I looked at, for example, Bateman et al. (2014) explain that meaning in visual media isn’t created by just one element, but by the interaction of multiple factors—like visuals, language, sound, and editing. Similarly, Mayer (2009) emphasizes that combining language, audio, and visuals boosts learning. But these studies mostly focus on how people process information. They don’t really dive into the creator’s intentions or how animations are actually structured. That’s where my approach comes in: I’ll build my own criteria based on these theories to analyze how animations are designed and how they create meaning.

In concreate, I first read the key literature to build my analysis criteria. Then, I apply these criteria to compare different animations like educational animation series such as “Pakkorin” and “Shimajiro no Wa!”, and as entertainment animations like “Inside Out,” and no phrase and dialogue animation such as “WALL-E,” and “Shaun the Sheep.” After analyzing them, I’ll organize the results in tables so it’s easy to see how each animation works and how they has different. Through this, I hope to get a deepen understanding of what educational animation is.

Introduction & Research Question

Research Title
Structural Analysis of Educational Expression in Animation: A Study on the Definition of Educational Animation and the Role of Dialogue

Research Question

• What is educational animation?

• How do educational animation and entertainment animation differ?

• What role do dialogues play in animation, and how do they contribute to educational understanding?

Why I chose this topic and theme

In recent years, animation has become an increasingly popular artwork in worldwide, with large and diverse fan communities, especially in Japan. Animated television series and films are released every week, and animation culture itself has a long history of around 80 years. Over this period, many types of animation and variety series have been created by different creators. All of them, entertainment animation has become the most popular and famous style.

However, this study does not focus only on entertainment animation. Instead, it explores the relationship between educational animation and entertainment animation as the main theme. The motivation for this research comes from my own background. I previously worked as a high school art teacher, where I sometimes used animation as part of my teaching practice. I found that students responded very positively to these learning experiences, which made me interested in how animation can function in education.

At the early stage of this research, my aim is to understand more clearly what animation is, and more specifically, what educational animation means. I am currently studying 3D animation in the UK, and I also have experience with 2D animation, especially Japanese animation styles from my undergraduate studies. Because of this background, I am interested in comparing different types of animation, including both Japanese and international works, as well as both 2D and 3D animation.

Through this research, I hope to develop a deeper understanding of educational animation from both theoretical and practical perspectives. In the future, I would also like to create educational animation that can support learning and help audiences, including children and adults to discover new ideas and perspectives. I hope this research will contribute to a better understanding of how animation can be used in education.

This week is the same contents as last week. And I try to find new topic and genre for thesis.

After talking with my professor, I have a clearer vision for my research. I decided to combine my original ideas with my professional strengths.

Focusing on My Background

As someone with experience in both 2D hand-drawn animation and 3D CG, I want my research to reflect this unique background. Instead of a general study, I will focus on the technical and artistic side of animation.

Choosing a Specific Masterpiece

To make my research more practical, I have decided to analyze a specific work. I am a huge fan of Disney and Pixar, so I will choose one film from their collection as my main case study.

By looking at a world-class film, I can study:

• How they use visual storytelling to connect with children.
• The balance between traditional 2D principles and modern 3D technology.

This week, I had a meeting with my professor to discuss my research plan. It was a very helpful session, but I realized that my original idea faced some problems and challenges.

Why I am changing my topic

Through our discussion, I discovered two main problems:

• Difficulty of Proof: It is very hard to scientifically prove exactly how animation changes a child’s brain. This requires a lot of time and medical data.
• Accessing Schools: Contacting kindergartens and schools for surveys is more difficult than I expected. There are many rules about privacy and safety, so it’s hard to get enough data as a student.

The Next Step: A New Topic

Instead of giving up, I have decided to reset my topic. I am now looking for a theme that is more practical and fits my skills as a 3D animator.

I want to focus on something I can analyze myself—like the design, movement, or the “how-to” of making great educational content—rather than just studying the psychology of children.

My Reflection

I realised that my weak point through one on one tutorial today. It is very helpful because I could understand how to go next step and strategy and so on.

I am currently brainstorming new ideas. I’ll share my new research topic with you very soon!

Research Strategy: How Educational Animation Supports Child Development

I am starting a new research project to explore the impact of educational animation on children’s growth. Many people think animation is just entertainment, but I believe it is a powerful tool for learning.

1: Literature Review (The Science)

First, I will study existing academic papers and books to understand the relationship between animation and the brain. I will focus on three key areas:

• Cognitive Functions: How visual elements and movement stimulate a child’s brain.
• Language Acquisition: How repetitive phrases and catchy songs help children learn new words.
• Emotional Understanding: How storytelling teaches empathy and social skills.

2: Comparative Analysis (Media vs. Physical Play)

Next, I will compare animation with physical toys (like blocks or puzzles). While toys are great for motor skills and hand-eye coordination, animation offers unique benefits in storytelling and emotional engagement. I want to find the “sweet spot” where digital media and physical play work together for the best learning experience.

3: Fieldwork & Surveys (The Real World)

Finally, I will move from theory to practice. I plan to visit kindergartens and schools to conduct surveys and interviews with teachers and parents.

• What changes do they see in children after watching educational content?
• How do educators balance screen time with other activities?

Goal of this Project

My goal is to provide a clear guide on how to use animation as an effective educational tool in the digital age. I will share my findings and data here on this blog as the project progresses.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Academic Support

Log in | Academic Support Online

I can use a various academic support in ual.
In particular, there is included such as Communicating opinion, Cohesion in writing, Connect with learning resources, Researching archives online, etc.

In padlet : Here is my first thesis idea

I would like to investigate how educational animation influences children’s cognnitive learning and emotional understanding. Since digital media is widely used in education in recent years, it is important to critically examine its educational value rather than assume it is always effective. The study will evaluate educational animation through literature review, interview, survey, and content analysis, and compare it with other learning methods (such as educational toys). The aim is to understand the role of animation in educational contexts and to develop my expertise in supporting children’s learning and emotional development in the future.

In my idea, this is a effective way to analyse two educational item, ( Animation and Toy).

Useful website for following the harvard style and quate the documents

ATLAS.ti: https://atlasti.com/

Qualitative and Quantitative Research methods are two established research traditions that underpin all academic articles.

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research is an empirical approach that uses numerical data and statistical analysis to test theories and explain or predict phenomena.

Use of Numerical Data: It involves measuring research variables and collecting data strictly in the form of numbers.

Statistical Analysis: It relies heavily on mathematically-based methods—specifically statistics—to analyze the collected numerical data.

Testing and Prediction: The primary goal is to empirically test theories to determine if they can accurately explain or predict social phenomena or human problems.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is a complex, multifaceted approach that produces findings without relying on statistical analysis or numerical quantification.

Complex to Define: Because it is rooted in many different theoretical frameworks (paradigms), qualitative research has multiple dimensions, making it difficult to capture in a single, simple definition.

Non-Numerical & Non-Statistical: The most practical working definition is based on what it is not: it is any research where the conclusions and findings are generated entirely outside of quantification (meaning it does not use math, numbers, or statistical procedures).

Epistemology: (a) Which paradigm or worldview will inform the study design?

Theoretical perspectives: (b) Who or what will be studied?

Methodology: (c) Which research strategies will be used?

Methods: Which research methods or tools will be used to collect and analyse data?

Topics including the arts, entertainment, media or technology can be viewed from one or more of these perspectives.

World Views

Environmental/ecological issues

Gender representation

Ethnic representation

Cultural heritage/Exchange

Cultural appreciation and appropriation.

Diversity

Colonialism

Ethical issues

Education

Industry/Vocation

Equality/Human Rights

Community/Social Issues/Social justice

Politics/Government Hegemony https://www.youtube.com/shorts/B9h1wz4NaXo

Media Sectors

Experimental or Commercial

Emergent Practice

Screen based / Expanded cinema

Installation

Interactive

Augmented

Virtual reality

Broadcasting

Games

Cinematography

Production design

What is a literature review?

A literature review is an objective, critical summary of published research literature relevant to a topic
under consideration for research. Its purpose is to create familiarity with current thinking and research on
a particular topic, and may justify future research into a previously overlooked or understudied area.

Why write a literature review?

A literature review is important, as it provides an overview and an analytical analysis of what is known about a
particular topic. It establishes and identifies:

1. An understanding and knowledge of a topic.
2. The current research in this area.
3. Gaps in the literature that helps justify your research.
4. The context for your research and illustrates how it relates to the wider research landscape in this area.
5. The key authors writing in this field

How to approach the literature review

One way to approach a literature review is to start out broad and then become more specific. Think
of it as an inverted triangle, or a funnel.
Using the funnel comparison, find:

1. The background information to your topic. This will identify the broader issues and research
   related to your topic and help you orient it, in the wider subject context.
2. Narrow downyour focus and identify the research that is closer to your area of research.
3. Focus on specific research that is directly related to your topic

Funnel approach to literature reviews

Structuring a Literature Review

Introduction: Sets the stage by defining the core theories and main ideas of the research topic.

Main Body: Organizes sources logically, moving from broad background information down to specific studies. It also points out what is missing or flawed in the current research.

Conclusion: Briefly wraps up the findings, explains how past studies support your work, and suggests next steps for future research.