Video+Production

= Video Production = = = Jennifer Tewksbury

=Description and Uses of Technology=

=media type="custom" key="15451416" align="right"= Video production is the use of video technology, specifically electronic media, to capture moving images for the purpose of portraying a message. Electronic media can take the form of video tape, direct to disk recording, solid state recording (tapeless camcorder), or live streaming. Video that can be played back on a portable video-capable device is often called a "vodcast" instead of digital audio files known as a podcast (Shumack & Reilly, 2011).

Often schools use this technology to record events like concerts or sporting events. However, with the increase in availability of hand-held devices, students are also using them to record school projects that are assessed by teachers. These include, but are not limited to creative projects, music infusion, story retelling, interviews, video conferencing and debated topics. Instructors are also taking advantage of the technology available in video production by making simple recorded lectures available for the class to review as needed for difficult material in the form of a digital library. In science classes, teachers are assigning vodcasts to help students prepare for the next day's lab. Physical education teachers are using videos to record techniques and safety tips (Schreiber, Fukuta, & Gordon 2010). Colleges are also utilizing more videos within the increasing number of online classes to engage students, facilitate learning, and provide more effective instruction (Mullins-Dove, 2006).

Young people have become more skilled in the use of digital technology with the daily use of cell phones, the internet, and cameras. Common devices for video production include camcorders, cell phones, and "flip" recorders. While camcorders have come a long way in size and capabilities since first introduced, they are still bulkier than a cell phone with videotaping capabilities and flip camcorders. Flip camcorders like the Flip MinoHD is about the size of a cell phone, weighs even less, and can easily be transported in a pocket. It will hold one hour of video and it has a USB arm built in that "flips" out to transfer video to a computer in order to recharge the battery (Shumack and Reilly, 2011).

The availability of production software has also increased the use of videos by making the videos easier to produce. Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, and Camtasia are three examples of available software that allow for video creation that includes music, pictures, transitions, text, and video. Videos that are created are easily shared by publishing to websites like YouTube, iTunes, and even a teacher's personal website (Shumack & Reilly, 2011).

Important Findings on Student Outcomes
Teachers have used the introduction of video production in their classrooms to engage students, assess their progress, and to stay connected to their learning. Video production has been an effective tool in reaching more students in heterogeneous classrooms because it capitalizes on the strengths of students with a varitey of learning styles. Research suggests that the best approach for including video production in the classroom is to ensure that the technology, processes, and skills involved do not detract from the opportunity for students to be active learners. Students have to be creative, collaborative, and link the subject concepts to their own previous knowledge, experiences, and interests. This requires careful planning and the integration of tasks and activities. Moreover, learning outcomes must remain a focus so that the process doesn't overtake the content (Glegg, McDonald, & Unwin, 2008).

In a pedagogical sense, there are many ways that a vodcast can impact learning. There is an assumption that students process auditory and visual information separately and that learning is enhanced when both are activated; which they are by a video. A second assumption is that learners have a limited capacity of working memory, therefore, there is a benefit to pausing and rewinding a vodcast. Finally, vodcasts allow students to use active processing in which they interact with the material to make sense of the information, combining new information with previous knowledge (Schreiber, Fukuta, & Gordon, 2010).

An early study on distance learning student satisfaction showed that students appreciated the use of Web-lectures in video form because it gave the same feeling as a classroom. It also placed the pace of learning in the control of the student because students were found to rewind and replay content as needed. This increased the access to learning for a greater audience including the physically disabled (Mullins-Dove, 2006). In one study of medical students, when given a choice, the majority picked a live lecture over a vodcast for the delivery of their lectures due to the level of engagement. They appreciated the convenience of the vodcast and its ability to be reviewed, but they still preferred a live lecture. It is important to note that their knowledge gained was not significantly different whether they were present for a live lecture or a vodcast (Schreiver, Fukuta, & Gordon, 2010).

Studies have shown that significant gains in student achievement are a result of using video streaming service. Dynamic guest lecturers that are available often give students in a traditional classroom the best possible learning experience, but they are not always available to provide a presentation in person to the students. Streaming video is making the more dynamic lecturers available to more students (Mullins-Dove, 2006). In a California study that measured the effectiveness of video streaming and student achievement, there was a 13% increase in the group of students that had access to the videos. Perceptions of the video use was positive by both teachers and students with the students indicating that the videos helped them with difficult concepts, increased their motivation and participation, and their performance on course assessments (Mullins-Dove, 2006). Students indicated that the videos were easier to remember when answering exam questions and that the videos helped by breaking large amounts of information into more manageable amounts (Glegg, McDonald, & Unwin, 2008).

Emerging Trends and Open Issues
Video streaming will continue to emerge as a way to connect with learners. It is relatively inexpensive for educational institutions to use and is convenient for downloading, copying, and viewing videos. However, producing the videos themselves can often be a time consuming and cumbersome process. Not only is managing visual interference and equipment such as microphones important during the filming process, but the time spent editing footage while using production software can be very time consuming.

While advantages of video production in classrooms have been noted, there are roadblocks as well. Teachers have reported that the lack of student skills, out-dated hardware, lack of appropriate software, and technical difficulties as the most common issues with creating a technologically integrated classroom (Bauer, 2005). In addition, concerns of teachers being "baited" into negative reactions which are recorded and promptly uploaded to YouTube or other readily accessible media persist. Permission from parents for filming should be acquired before filiming as well. Lack of permission and digital rights are concerns with experts in the global realm that are now readily accessible online as well (Mullins-Dove, 2006).

Additional disadvantages of vodcast use include the reduced interaction between lecturer and student which may inhibit the interaction segment of the learning process. The lecturer cannot register feedback from non-verbal clues and questions. Disengagement is the concern in this case (Schreiber, Fukuta, & Gordon, 2010). There is also concern that students will lose the meaningful engagement of current socioeconomic issues and dilemmas because they are focusing more on the cutting and pasting of video production than working collaborating with their peers to creatively solve the problems (Glegg, McDonald, Unwin, 2008).

While there are difficulties that arise with any change in technology and teaching tools, we are starting to move past the initial stages of experimentation with video production in the classroom towards a clearer understanding of best practices. Studies conclude that there are many benefits to using video production in the classroom, but like any lesson, careful planning and the integration of tasks and activities result in the most effective instruction.