Digital Video Used in The Classroom

We live in a multimedia world and students have the opportunity to experience the vast variety of technology in their learning environments. Students find a mixture of text, still images, sound and video much more interesting and engaging that the old chalk and talk approach. The chart below gives an indication how much information a person remembers(Lightbody, 2007).


Videos allow the teacher to not only tell students what they need to learn from specific tasks but illustrates to help develop student understandings. (Synergy Broadcast Systems, 2008). In addition to this by allowing student to participate in and or produce their own digital videos the Learning Manager is encouraging higher order thinking (Lightbody, 2007). Lightbody (2007) adds that teachers and lecturers have found that students find videos motivational and enjoyable; they have greater control over their learning (being able to start, stop and replay video segments). The use of digital videos in the classroom provided Learning Managers with more resources to effectively advocate for individual learning styles.

Possible uses in the classroom:
-Creating learning resource videos
-Prepare educational segments on instructions and or information
-Assist non-English speaking students (other languages)
-Record students for specific purposes e.g. assessment and reporting
-Record school performances, excursions, events, special guests
-Record science experiments for further analysis and evaluation
-Compile still images and video clips to explore movie making
-Assist in the introduction of mainstream tasks to disable students
-Show skills that are easier to learn by observation
-encourage attention, hook and engage students into new or complex topics or concepts
-encourage post discussions

Some Advantages of Digital Videos in the classroom (Larkin, 2010):
-Provides educators and students with an opportunity to be creative
-They can apply skills they have gained in planning, writing and art in a new area
-Storyboarding and digital video production can assist in student cognitive development
-Encourages motivation and engagement
-Provides empower opportunities for students (Designing, Decision Making and Creating)
-Complex processes or concepts can be illustrated and become more manageable
-Accommodates for diverse groups of students
-Creates meaningful, supportive and authentic learning environments
-Provides a wide range of experiences in the use of technology
-May employ prior knowledge and experiences

Here is an insightful and remarkable quote that I found during my research.

"...video production in the classroom enables the development of media literacy, higher order thinking skills, project based learning experiences, real world relevancy experiences, and a deeper connection to the curriculum being explored. But while all this is essential, it represents only half of the potential of using video in the classroom.

The other half to all the skills and experiences being developed is the experience that students receive in communicating their own original ideas to others, and in listening to others communicate their ideas to them. It’s that speaking and listening thing." Nikos Theodosakis, 2002


References

Larkin, J. (2010). Digital Video in the Classroom. Retrieved August 19th, 2010, from www.larkin.net.au: http://www.larkin.net.au/024_podcasting/02_vodcast/02_Storyboarding.pdf

Lightbody, K. (2007, March 5th). DIGITAL VIDEO IN EDUCATION. Retrieved August 19th, 2010, from Keith Lightbody's Technology in Education Web Site: http://www.zardec.net.au/keith/digvideo.htm

Synergy Broadcast Systems. (2008). Using Video in the Classroom. Retrieved August 19th, 2010, from SlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/synergybroadcast/using-video-in-the-classroom-1075794