Frances Davidson

The work of Lev Vygotsky is increasingly cited as we reconsider the theory and practice of constructivist education. This program introduces the life, vocabulary and concepts of Lev Vygotsky. The video illustrates four basic concepts integral to his work: Children construct knowledge, learning can lead development, development cannot be separated from its social context, and language plays a central role in cognitive development. Elena Bodrova brings...

Other than Freud, no psychologist has been so discussed, critiqued and, at times, maligned as B.F. Skinner. Using both archival and new film, this video takes a new look at who the man was, and what he really said in his twenty books. Like other thinkers who broke new ground, Skinner had to invent his own vocabulary to describe the phenomena he was studying. In this film, his terms are introduced in context so the student understands how they were...

Nothing in human experience is quite so astonishing as the enormous changes that occur during the five short years that transform the newborn into the actively curious, exploring kindergartner. This film examines the work of Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget, illuminating the similarities and differences of their contributions to our understanding of the cognitive development of young children. Dr. Elkind uses their research and his own work to look at...

The fascinating interplay of genetic predispositions and experience in the development of the brain after birth is demonstrated in this film produced at the Brain Development Laboratory at the University of Oregon. Three profiles of plasticity are depicted with compelling film sequences of behavioral, MRI and EEG research into the development of visual perception and language acquisition from infancy through old age. A congenitally deaf young woman,...

The work of Jean Piaget has become the foundation of current developmental psychology and the basis for changes in educational practice. David Elkind, author of The Hurried Child and Miseducation, and a student of Jean Piaget, explores the roots of Piaget's work and outlines important vocabulary and concepts that structure much of the study of child development. Using both archival film of Dr. Piaget and newly shot sequences of Dr. Elkind conducting...

Building on the ideas of Lev Vygotsky and Jerome Bruner, the consultants for this film worked with teachers in urban schools to foster self-regulated learning. This production presents both the theoretical underpinnings of their work and its results. Viewers visit busy classrooms where students are being helped to take responsibility for their education. The film offers useful viewpoints on constructivistic practice in elementary education.

For thousands of years, humans have asked if we perceive the world accurately through our senses. Because seeing is so important for our functioning in the world, efforts to understand how perceptions are generated have most often focused on vision. Based on current research in cognitive neuroscience, this film explores the challenge of explaining visual perception. The production includes an overview of the human visual system, illustrated with animated...

Narrated by Erikson's colleague, Margaret Brenman-Gibson, Ph.D. and Ruthie Mickles, Ph.D. Using archival materials and newly shot footage, this film introduces students to the rich wisdom of Erik H. Erikson. Best known for his identification of the eight stages of the life cycle, Erikson spent a lifetime observing and studying the way in which the interplay of genetics, cultural influences and unique experiences produces individual human lives. This...

Using the resources of the UCLA Brain Mapping Center, this film illustrates the development of neuroscience from its classical reliance on information from brain injuries and autopsies through the new insights discovered with electronic microscopes, EEG equipment, PET scans and MRI machines. Examples of current research that utilize these tools are presented including a study on the role of mirror neurons in autism and the mapping of a woman's several...

Emotions color our everyday individual existence and shape all aspects of our interpersonal and intellectual experiences. In this film, animations and fMRI images introduce students to what we now know about the sub-cortical emotional circuits in the brain and chemical processes that produce our emotional responses and contribute to our decision making and mental health. Live action sequences, both in laboratory and real life situations, illustrate...