Renaissance Man Movie: Educational Implications

There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
Hamlet, Act II, scene ii

In this movie the behaviorist, conductivist and constructivist learning theories are used to teach a group of soldiers to comprehend and think critically. These students were lacking reading comprehension skills and analytical abilities. One technique the professor tried to use was to let them choose the reading topics they prefer (constructivism), but when they saw the book he was reading, Hamlet by Shakespeare, they asked what was the book about. He got them engaged by using the chapters main ideas, i.e. incest, murder, dishonesty, etc. Once they began reading, their prior personal experiences were contrasted with the story's characters situation and then they were able to understand the meaning of what they read. According to Bruner, (constructivist theory) this is the way in which learners construct new ideas or concepts, based upon their current or past knowledge. This is the learning schema that the student will later on use to make decisions and understand new concepts.
One of the constructivist theory principles is the use of rewards and punishments. In the movie, the professor rewarded the students with a trip to see a play, Hamlet, which would make them appreciate and further understand the concepts they were learning.

Another theory used by the professor was the behaviorist theory. He made each student read aloud portions of the play (characterization technique), and when one of them could not intonate adequately, he read first the portion and made the student imitate his intonation and pace. In another scene, he modeled how to read each character's part.

On the other hand, the conductist theory, which was the approach the institution used to teach their soldiers, was also utilized by the professor. The professor contributed to the change in behavior of the students by giving them praise and letting them know that they were responsible of their choices and decision in life, specifically with the one that was arrested for dealing with drugs. This soldier sent him a letter that demonstrated how he had learned a new way of conducting himself. Basically all of the students showed a change in their attitudes after the course was completed, being able to graduate from their basic training was their final accomplishment.

As teachers, this movie made us realize the importance of teaching our students to think, comprehend and most of all construct their own learning by using their experiences and changing their attitudes. One o the best demonstrations of how this was accomplished was when the students sang and performed a hip-hop version of the novel. To me, this is what learning is all about: to be able to use what you learned and what you know to live.