With advancements in technology, modern teachers have endless opportunity to convey messages to students through images, videos and other visual means. Using videos in a classroom setting allows teachers to access presentations by subject matter experts, who will most likely be able to convey topic specific messages more clearly than the teacher themselves. Khan Academy Founder Salman Khan notes that a distinct advantage that video learning has over traditional learning is that ‘’students can pause and repeat information without feeling like they are wasting someone else’s time’’ (Khan 2011). The Khan Academy is just one resource available to teacher to use to deliver content. Below is an example of a lesson from the Khan Academy delivered through video means. My personal experience with learning through visual aids came about during my undergraduate engineering studies. In one particular course I was required to analyse the power cycle of an internal combustion engine. Using the website http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine1.htm I was able to fully grasp how this system works. This website, along with others that now provide similar video content, will no doubt be great resources to use when I teach science subjects that often involve detailed concepts that are not easily explained in text alone. In my previous blog post ‘’Demonstration of Embedding Video Content’’ 20/03/17 I explain how I used video as a communications tool to solve a technical problem on my model railway. The creation of video content by students will usually be undertaken with the easiest and cheapest method accessible to them. Simple recording devices are found in mobile phones, GoPro products and digital cameras. Editing software is available pre-installed on computers (Apple's iMovie) or can be easily downloaded, usually for free, online. Videos and other visual representations could be used as useful tools to bridge the learning gap for EAL/D students. With a quarter of Australian school children now identifying as EAL/D learners it is important for teachers to develop an arsenal of methods to convey messages outside of the usual written and spoken instructions. (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway, 2013) Various activities could be undertaken using the medium of video; all sitting on different levels of the SAMR model. Below are some examples related specifically to a mathematics and/or science classroom. S – Substitution To use video technology in a class solely as a substitutional method a class could be recorded on video for students to play back later in their own time. A – Augmentation In this stage online videos and animations can be used to give further clarification not afforded to students through still imagery alone. (gifs showing how various pump configurations work, displaying dynamic graphs that represent data at different time intervals as can be seen on www.gapminder.org/world ) M – Modification In the 2 higher stages of the SAMR model learner generated visual content is created. In statistics classes students can input data into excel and present it in graphical or tabular form then by using movie creation software they can create dynamic graphs like those shown in www.gapminder.org/world. In a science class students may document various types of flora and fauna found on the school grounds by creating a video. R – Redefinition At this stage students may be recreating physical systems using computer modelling software with video output display. Students then analyse how changes in the model input changes the output of the model. Visual models such as these are used extensively in engineering where video outputs of data show clearly how structures and other pieces of equipment react under certain conditions. An example is shown below. Reference:
Khan s (March 2011) Salman Khan: Let’s use video to reinvent education. Retrieved from www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education#+-1205785 Hyde M., Carpenter L. & Conway R. (2013). Diversity , Inclusion and Engagement .Oxford University Press
4 Comments
Gary Holmes
4/2/2017 01:15:46 am
Thanks Matt. Loved your use of video to create visual representations so students can better understand the concepts. If you discuss the students that really learn best from visual images then you are demonstrating thinking like a teacher. I suggest your next post engage with the concept of using ICT to allow two way communication between various people eg student to student or student to teacher etc. The intent of ICT was to get away from a lecture type lesson to more interactive. This post needed more discussion about safe , legal and ethical challenges for teachers and students. Well done.
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Samantha
4/11/2017 02:04:46 am
Hello, Matt:
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Kris
4/11/2017 05:23:05 pm
I'm sure students might find learning Algebra easier with video than sitting in a big with a teacher rushing through the content. as that would of helped me at high school. Liked how you explained the redefinition stage with computer modelling software so that engages students. Would that type of modelling software be hard to teach students how to use? Sometimes simple is best. Good effort Matt
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Matt
4/11/2017 06:12:49 pm
For a simple beam like this I could teach the kids to use the software in 1 class. To analyse a large structure could take weeks but I would not be getting students to do that.
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Matt Le Lacheur
Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching - Maths/Physics ArchivesCategories |