CINEMIMMUNOLOGY: THE POWER OF MOVIES IN IMMUNOLOGY EDUCATION

Abstract

Films can be a powerful educational tool, and this is known as cinema education. We at the College of Health Sciences and Pharmacy applied this universal learning method to the first and second-year pharmacy classes of basic immunology. Two workshops were introduced to the course, and the student’s assessment pre- and post-workshop were analyzed. We used two Hollywood blockbuster movies, i.e., The Incredibles 1, The Incredibles 2 and The Boss Baby, to enhance pharmacy students' grasp of basic immunology concepts. The students watched movies. The main plot was that the immune system is like a family with a dad, mom, girls, boys, and babies. Giving due credit to Brad Bird, the writer and director of The Incredibles. In his words (changed within brackets), he is quoted as follows: The characters of “The dad is always expected in the family to be strong, so we made him (T cell) strong. The moms are always pulled in a million different directions, so we made her stretch like taffy (B cell). Teenagers, particularly teenage girls, are insecure and defensive, so we made her turn invisible and turn on shields (Antibody). Moreover, ten-year-old boys are hyperactive energy balls. Babies have unrealized potential. So, we made babies as cytokines.” Our results showed a significantly enhanced conceptual learning and long-term retention of immunological concepts. Even students with severe learning difficulties and disabilities who struggle with academic curriculum can often relate to film. It was also an example of associated learning using standard movies with a high-performance yield within a short period. We recommend the use of such strategies in immunology education. The commonly accepted education method is known as cinemeducation for imparting medical education, and when we used it to teach immunology, we called it cinemimmunology.

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