After Effects Lesson Resources
After Effects Learning Resources Self-Initiated
Tasks: Concept, Design I’ve been slowly creating a series of basic After Effects learning resources that I can use during my work as a sessional teacher at Swinburne University. Students are supplied with an already created After Effects project that contains several ordered compositions with limited tasks.
This setup both aids the learner by applying Micro Learning methodology to the interactive format while also freeing up the lecturer to provide individual aid in real-time.
The ordered tasks both simplify each concept as well as contextualise it for the student. They are also designed to limit higher level concepts that can confuse a beginner - Introducing them in later tasks. This allows all students to progress at the speed correct for them and enables the inclusion of additional tasks designed specifically for the most advanced students.
Many concepts in tasks recur in later tasks with diminishing explanation to reinforce learning. Visuals are also designed with metaphors or other carefully chosen examples to increase student understanding.
Of the two examples above, the one on the left asks the student to move existing animation to a different position (revisiting parenting techniques), and the one on the right asks them to negate the rotation at the wrist as the arm sways (forcing them to consider parenting’s effect on rotation).