Mind the Gap animation course (Animate Learning): five facilitated family workshops creating an animated film with an explicit metacognitive focus¶

Design · All designs
Evidence · 2 claims (1 for, 1 mixed) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The animation project is the parental engagement component of Mind the Gap: "five sessions (10 hours in total , 2 hours per week for 5 weeks ) where children and their parents worked together to create an animated film", usually after the school day and coordinated by a CfL-trained practitioner who helped participants reflect on how they were learning. Sessions covered story planning, modelling, trialling equipment, animation techniques, filming and editing, with goal and reflection sheets standardising the metacognitive elements. The child invited a parent or guardian via a 'wanted poster', targeting fathers or male guardians.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

A practitioner employed and trained by the Campaign for Learning coordinates the sessions; where possible a class teacher is also present
Schools need the required IT hardware; delivery for up to 15 families costs in the region of £1,950, roughly £130 per child

Constraints¶

The requirement for a class teacher to be present was not always met, due to varying levels of commitment and capacity
Fidelity challenges arose from changes in school staff and school-specific factors such as scheduling, the allocated staff member's role, the classroom environment, and communication about the project

Target Learners¶

Year 4 pupils and their parents or guardians, targeting fathers and male guardians, in schools in areas of socio-economic deprivation

Learning Goals¶

metacognitive awareness and learning dispositions
home-school relationships and family learning
literacy and digital literacy skills

Claims¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

Dorsett, R., Rienzo, C., Rolfe, H., Burns, H., Robertson, B.-A., Thorpe, B., & Wall, K. (2014). Mind the Gap: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary. Education Endowment Foundation. https://www.educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk

Page metadata

Field	Value
`type`	`design`
`id`	`animate-learning-family-animation-course`
`title`	`Mind the Gap animation course (Animate Learning): five facilitated family workshops creating an animated film with an explicit metacognitive focus`
`description`	`The animation project is the parental engagement component of Mind the Gap: "five sessions (10 hours in total , 2 hours per week for 5 weeks ) where children and their parents worked together to create an animated fil...`
`status`	`review`
`generated`	by `process:settle-candidates` on `2026-11-02`
`trust`	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
`sources`	1 — `dorsett-2014`

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