TECHNOS

August 21, 2008

Learning from video is NOT watching TV

By Joann Flick, AIT’s Broadcast/Training Professional

Even as motion picture technology debuted in the early 20th Century, the potential of motion media (movies, TV, video, DVDs) for instruction were observed, but the importance of the instructional environment and of the activities surrounding viewing were not. Thomas Alva Edison mistakenly predicted that motion pictures would soon replace teachers altogether.

It wasn’t until the third quarter of the 20th Century that the role of the instructional design of media and the corresponding role of the instructor’s method of teaching with the media came to be more fully understood. Now we know that all children learn better when a variety of media are used in instruction and when related activities help them process and assimilate new information. There is a distinct difference between instructional media and commercial entertainment media. However, recently there have been many more “edutainment” programs available through cable television and home video outlets. How can a parent or teacher choose materials that are appropriate and will assuredly help children to learn?

This article points out the elements that parents and teachers should look for when selecting video products to use for instruction.

1. Instructional Design

Length. Is the length appropriate to the amount of information presented? Instructional programs are usually shorter than programs created for entertainment. The shorter length takes into account the need to do more than just watch the program in order to facilitate learning. Since video is such a rich medium, the brain requires a change in stimulus in order to process all the information and to connect what is presented on screen with previous knowledge and experience. Longer videos can result in over-stimulating the brain, causing viewers to become more passive and not to engage in trying to process what they are viewing.
Natural pause points. Look for a program that has obvious breaks or segments that allow learners to pause from viewing to discuss what they have just learned or to predict what might happen next. Videos that help the learner phrase questions about the subject often do so with embedded pause points.
Engages the viewer in active viewing. The video should present information in a way that is just not easily done through a hands-on experience. It should offer a window to a world beyond the child’s experience and explore new information in a way that inspires learning and inquisitiveness. The traditional entertainment form of motion media is a narrative story with a tidy ending, but really good instructional media presents information and challenges the viewer to learn more on his or her own.
Provides helpful analogies taking advantage of the visual medium. The unique properties of motion media where visuals and sounds are combined should be used to benefit the instruction. Look for extraordinary graphics and maps, special effects that explore a concept in a unique way, or editing that relates information so that it is more easily understood.
Context: Select materials that place the information into a broader, real-world context.
Language and Style: Avoid videos that display inappropriate language and style for the age of the learner.
Review: Look for materials that provide opportunities to review and to see the information explored in a new way.
Learning Objectives: Select programs in which the learning objectives of the video are clear and are aligned with classroom objectives.
Modeling: Good programming supports and models an investigative approach to learning.
Programs to Avoid: Any materials that reinforce stereotypes or model destructive or dangerous behaviors should be avoided. Viewing a bunch of kids having fun with skateboards, but not wearing protective gear, creates a powerful and dangerous message, even if the program is about a science or math concept.

2. Technical Quality

Audio. Is everything clear and easily understood?
Scripts. Is the main idea evident? The presentation of information should follow a logical path from simpler ideas to more complex ones. The information should be correct and neither omitting critical details nor overstating the facts.
Video. Are the pictures on the screen useful in presenting the information, or is most of the program taken up with incidental material? Is the style of the video appropriate and effective? Is it easy to see details when they are important?
Characters. Characters and setting play an important role. Learners’ experiences with entertainment television can often lead them to become lost in the story and miss the important instructional elements. Therefore, it is important to notice who in the video is given the primary voice and whether or not what that character or narrator says is appropriate to the subject and the age level of the learner. Reject videos that present any cultural stereotypes. Look for materials where the characters are also appropriate role models for your children.

3. Ancillary Materials

Teacher’s guide. If the video does not come with a printed or printable teacher’s guide, it is probably not designed for instruction. The teacher’s guide should include a synopsis of each program, key words and concepts, and suggested activities to accompany viewing. Many teacher’s guides include bibliographies and worksheets. Look for authentic assessment tools, as well.
Student’s guide. Some instructional videos include a student’s guide which provides worksheets, background information to read, and directions for hands-on activities or investigations.
Web site. Often, a Web site may accompany the video and will include all the information found in a teacher’s guide along with links to additional resources, scripts of programs, and even some online learning activities.

4. Purpose and Intent

Who produced this content, and who funded the production? Do they have a stake in the message of the material that might fuel a bias in the program? Is the mission of the production company primarily a neutral, education-oriented mission?
Is the primary purpose and intent to inform and instruct? Select materials that clearly present content in a useful way to promote understanding. Avoid materials that fail to challenge learners to process information presented in the video.
Is the content represented with an appropriate voice? Has the producer given a fair and authentic representation of that content, or are you just learning about it through filters such as a host and narration?

Most of the criteria listed here should be judged in relation to the whole. Even good videos may not fully meet every criterion. A few criteria, however, should be considered “deal breakers.” If the video doesn’t meet it, it should not be used. Instructional materials should be rejected if they:

Reinforce cultural stereotypes
Are funded or produced by an entity that has a clear stake in how the information is presented
Display dangerous behaviors

Motion media are remarkable tools for learning—of that, Thomas Edison was correct. But, teachers and parents continue to have an important role in managing these tools and using them wisely.

Click here for a printable checklist to evaluate your instructional media.