Applying Dewey and Piaget’s Learning Cycle: New GET Members Master the Art of Camera Angles and Storytelling for AsiaCALL
Cirebon, August, 20th 2025 — Lala Bumela, Ph.D., Director of the International Office of Universitas Islam Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon, stood as the leader behind the second take of AsiaCALL’s promotional video, bringing together three generations of the Global Engagement Team (GET) in a collaborative experiment of theory and practice. The third generation—Bilqis Syifa Shoraya, Keysha Aulya Febrina, Nok Dini Wulan Ramadani, and Cindi Aulia—took the role of learners eager to master camera angles and cinematic storytelling. Supporting them was Indah Fitri from GET Gen 1 as the scriptwriter, while Muhammad Azkiya Bahtsulkhoir from GET Gen 2 provided editing guidance, and Bryan Setiaji, also from Gen 2, embodied the performance as the talent. With this multigenerational synergy, Lala Bumela, Ph.D. reminded his team, “Learning is not a straight line, but a cycle—born from experience, deepened by reflection, and renewed through action.” Yet, as the cameras rolled, a pressing challenge emerged: could such an abstract concept as Dewey and Piaget’s Learning Cycle truly come alive through something as practical as a video take?
The second day of filming revealed that the answer lay in the process itself. The GET Gen 3 members immersed themselves directly in the Concrete Experience of handling camera angles, experimenting with shots often inspired by social media trends. As they reviewed their footage, Reflective Observation guided their discussions—what worked, what failed, and why. From these reflections emerged Abstract Conceptualization, connecting their creative decisions with Dewey’s experiential learning and Piaget’s constructivism. This understanding propelled them into Active Experimentation, where each new take embodied growth from the last. As Keysha reflected, “We realize that every angle is not only a technical choice—it is part of a cycle that makes us learn, adjust, and try again.”
These reflections resonated with the leadership of Lala Bumela, Ph.D., who responded with clarity and vision. “What you are experiencing is the essence of true education,” he explained. “Each cycle of trial and error is not failure—it is the pulse of learning. Theory only becomes alive when you dare to practice it.” His affirmation transformed the participants’ efforts into more than creative play; it framed their process as a living embodiment of pedagogy.
The collaboration among GET generations reinforced the iterative nature of the cycle. Indah’s script became the blueprint for reflection, Azkiya’s editing expertise provided the abstraction of theory, while Bryan’s performance opened avenues for experimentation in each take. This structured interaction mirrored Dewey and Piaget’s vision, turning what seemed like a simple filming project into a real-time classroom. Lala Bumela, Ph.D. captured this transformation with his statement: “AsiaCALL is not only a platform for scholars—it is also a mirror for our students, showing the world that learning, when applied, becomes art.”
The impact was evident in the way participants carried themselves after the takes. The GET Gen 3 members gained not only technical skill but also intellectual confidence, understanding that mistakes were catalysts for growth. For UIN SSC, this process became a showcase of how the International Office nurtures not just international partnerships but also the intellectual maturity of its students. By transforming camera work into a practice of the Learning Cycle, the team proved that academic theory can guide even the most creative forms of expression.
In the end, the AsiaCALL promotional video stood as more than a product of collaboration—it became a narrative of education itself. Guided by the visionary leadership of Lala Bumela, Ph.D., and supported by the layered contributions of GET generations, the students demonstrated that learning thrives in cycles of doing, reflecting, conceptualizing, and trying again. The moral is clear: education finds its deepest meaning not in static knowledge, but in the courage to apply, to revise, and to grow. Through this project, the International Office reminded the world that when theory is embodied in practice, students do not merely learn—they live the knowledge that prepares them to lead globally.
Author: Muhammad Azkiya Bahtsulkhoir