Week 4: Reflection on Videos

Introduction: A reflection of Miller’s ‘Multimodal composing in classrooms: Learning and teaching for the digital world’

Student interest and engagement is integral to improving student academic success and learning outcomes. To ensure this interest and engagement, students must maintain the belief that learning experiences are meaningful and useful to them in their later lives. Disconnectedness with this concept can leave students such as Zachary in Miller’s scenario, questioning: What is the Point?

The implementation of digital pedagogy and multimedia tools such as images, audio and video can help teachers move into the digital world, better engage students in their classrooms, develop both their digital and print literary skills and provide learning experiences which are more relevant, useful and meaningful to students in preparing them for the complexities of the globalised, modern world.

The multimedia tool chosen for further investigation is video.

Technical Aspects: An Overview of Videos

Videos are a powerful technological platform to display information as they could support all of the three major types of multimedia tools – images, audio and video into one comprehensive, innovative and informative presentation. Videos can be created using a range of platforms including downloadable and pre-installed computer software such as Windows Movie Maker, and online programs such as Animoto and WeVideo. Videos are also easily playable across a range of pre-installed to freely downloadable platforms, including Windows Media Player, ITunes, QuickTime Player, VLC Media Player and Real Player. The establishment of this software and these players make both creating and playing videos a relatively easy and simple process, with no extensive prior experience needed to either use or operate them successfully. Video file-size is easily manipulated with the ability to change video quality and resolution. This ensures for easy upload-ability as most software can save in a variety a file sizes and file types to compensate for file types and restrictions on most popular video-sharing websites including YouTube, Daily Motion, Facebook and Instagram. Furthermore, the ability to share video files readily and easily allow the possibility for both single and multi-authorship amongst several users. Privacy can be easily maintained for stand-alone video files simply by limiting where the file is located in a system and who has access to it. However, if the video is uploaded to a website, privacy will be counter-dependant on related website’s privacy settings. In the realm of customisation; it will generally depend on the software used for video creation as to the degree that customisation can be made. However, most software programs generally allow the user a range of opportunities for customization. For example, Windows Media Player allows users to customize background colours, text fonts and sizes, visual effects and transitions.

Application of Videos in a Classroom Context

What learning outcomes can videos support in a classroom?

Videos can be implemented as powerful learning and teaching tools within a classroom context. They can support a variety of learning outcomes, including:

• The ability to develop and/or improve students’ ICT and digital literary skills, particularly in their competency to use digital technologies such as video cameras and/or their competency to use creating and editing software such as Windows Movie Maker or iMovie
• Develops students’ ability to comprehend, analyse and evaluate information in a new, exciting way
• Develops students’ ability to reflect upon their own learning in the creation of videos
• Develops students’ ability to locate, arrange and organise information to create their own videos
• Develops students’ ability to either learn and work independently or as part of a collaborative team

What sorts of materials/activities can websites support?

A range of materials and resources can be embedded into a video, including:

• Text – Passages from textbook readings and important terms and definitions
• Audio – To quote relevant information and/or accompany the text
• Images – Photographs or diagrams
• Other video – To support arguments and explanation of concepts

Furthermore, videos can help teachers to facilitate and students to complete a range of activities including:

• Analysing and evaluating information to complete in-class activities or reflecting upon learned concepts
• Finding additional resources to help improve and support learning
• Working individually or as part of a collaborative team
• Presenting, arranging and organising information by completing discussion questions or as a platform to complete assessment tasks

How can videos be applied to my pedagogy and used within a classroom?

In a classroom environment, the utilisation of videos as both a learning and teaching tool have the power to completely transform my pedagogy and enhance both teaching processes for teachers and learning experiences for students. The SAMR model below gives an indication of the varying degrees to which videos can be used within a classroom to achieve these means.

The SAMR Model:

Substitution	Videos are used purely as a substitute for traditional teaching methods to display content that is readily available in hard-copy format. For example: In an english classroom context, this may include creating a video with textbook literary terms and definitions to aid student learning of key terms and concepts.
Augmentation	Videos are used to support students’ learning where teachers can share and students can access additional resources relevant to the teaching content, which were previously not available without the implementation of videos and ICT. For example: In an accounting classroom context, this may mean that students can access step-by-step videos to help explain complex accounting concepts and processes.
Modification	Videos are used to enhance students’ learning as a platform which allows teachers to redesign learning experiences and assign tasks to students. For example: In an english classroom context, this could allow teachers to facilitate students to reflect on their learning through the creation of a video response to discussion questions, such as “Who was Shakespeare?”
Redefinition	Videos are used to transform students’ learning as a platform which allows teachers to create revolutionary new tasks for students that would have not at all been possible without the invention of video technologies. For example: In an accounting classroom context, this could allow teachers to use video creation as the basis for assessment tasks, where students would have the opportunity to be able to use their creative skills and analyse, evaluate, arrange and organise information to create video responses on a particular topic such as internal control or e-business.

Evidence of Technical Proficiency: Models of an Image, Audio and Video

This a model of an image taken with a digital mobile phone and manipulated, resized and edited using online photo and image editing software, PicMonkey.

  This is a model of an audio file, created using the interactive online audio creation software, Voki.

This is a model of a video, created using downloadable video creation software, Windows Movie Player. It corresponds to the highest level of the SAMR model, redefinition and is an example of the types of works students can create using video technology in an english classroom context.