University of Hawai‘i at Hilo associate English professor launches new book
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo — in association with The Arts in Society Book Imprint from Common Ground Research Networks — announces the launch of a new book authored by a Hilo campus faculty member that explores how documentary filmmaking can support research, education and storytelling.
“Gathering the Story: Designing Education Through the Docu”mentary Lens is written by Patsy Iwasaki, associate professor of English, that examines the critical yet understudied research and information-gathering stages of documentary filmmaking, providing a systematic design process that transforms professional techniques into a dynamic guide for educators, creators and audiences.
“Every documentary begins long before the camera starts rolling — with the research that shapes the story,” Iwasaki explained. “By integrating social science theory and instructional design with the arts and humanities, my work applied a systematized framework to cinematic research.”
She added that the innovative, interdisciplinary approach provides an optimized methodology across the fields of education, learning sciences, arts, humanities and digital humanities.
The documentary film genre is a powerful medium for knowledge dissemination and societal impact.
“While documentary filmmaking is increasingly accessible through technological advancements, limited attention has been given to subject research and data collection as foundational stages of production,” Iwasaki said. “This study addresses this gap by synthesizing the practitioner expertise of 12 Asia-Pacific professional filmmakers, resulting in five actionable recommendations for emerging documentarians.”
These findings were operationalized into an interactive instructional website Five Tips for Filmmakers: Documentary Film Research and Data Collection.
Guided by the “Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate” (ADDIE) design model and “Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction” (ARCS) motivational framework, the project followed an iterative, four-phase process: distilling practitioner insights, designing the module, student implementation and industry validation with the original professional cohort.
“The results confirmed a significant, positive educational impact, providing practical guidance for students navigating documentary research and creative production,” Iwasaki said. “This research contributes an original pedagogical resource that translates professional knowledge into an engaging, educational digital experience.”
Iwasaki is also author of “Hāmākua Hero: A True Plantation Story,” which is a graphic novel set in 19th-century Hawai’i and focuses on labor advocate and martyr Katsu Goto. She also is producing a documentary film about him.
The English professor has conducted research, published literature and presented globally about these topics.
“Gathering the Story: Designing Education Through the Documentary Lens” is now available for purchase online.
