Using video to prepare for undergraduate assessment in initial teacher education
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Case Study
Background
As a Senior Lecturer in Education, I was constantly reflecting on my own practice and trying to innovate learning and teaching to further enhance student satisfaction. The aim was to support students’ preparedness for university assessment. The research that underpinned this project used video as a dynamic multi-media interface to both communicate the expectations of assessment, and to provide choice in the way students access assessment information via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
Students expressed through the research a preference in the way they received information about assessment. This research was timely in its exploration of ways to innovate assessment in HE, given that the COVID-19 Pandemic had levered institutions to move teaching and assessment online at pace. The research that led to this innovation highlighted the specific need to provide alternative assessment formats that could be adapted and delivered online or in a blended environment to benefit all students. This research indicated that it was possible for the HE sector to evaluate the direct or coincidental impact that assessment format had on student achievement, experience and satisfaction.
Activity
The assignment guidance video, was recorded by the Lecturer using an integrated laptop camera. It was valued by the students for being ‘real’ and highly accessible via the VLE. The video shared a range of media to support making the information accessible and the intended outcome of assessment clear. The person recording the video had license to say and perform as they felt fitting on the video. From the viewer’s perspective they were interpreting a multi-modal format in the way that suited their individual learning needs. It is important to note that video was one of three formats provided from 2018 onwards (following the two-year research period) these were
- Guidance in a word format in module handbooks;
- A flow chart format with indicative wordcounts for assessed sections and;
- A video. This enhanced the choice previously provided to students in Teacher Education.
Impact
Students were canvassed via questionnaires (ethics granted from University of Hull) - the main reasons students cited video as their preferred format was the ease of access, stating it was available 24/7 and could be paused and revisited many times. Some stated that video was like having a face-to-face tutorial with the Lecturer without having to leave the comfort of their place of residence or study. They felt that listening and watching video was easier to understand than having to interpret a large amount of text. There seemed to be a relational aspect to a video the word ‘real’ or ‘relatable’ used frequently in reference to the video. It is also important to note that no negative aspects or perceptions were shared regarding the video unlike the other formats.
Reference:
Dockerty, K. (2021). Using video as a form of artistic communication: preparing for undergraduate assessment in Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Research on Education and Media, 12(1), 22-33. https://doi.org/10.2478/rem-2020-0004