Using Video to Guide
Instructional Decision Making
By Stephen Best, SIGPL Director
We know that the numeric data that we often look at in our “data analysis efforts” is limited in nature, in that it only gives us limited snapshots or glimpses of ourselves, or our students. Sure, they are useful, but 90% of the time, that data tells us things that we already know and observe in our instruction. But, what about the things we miss in class because we are too busy, have too many students, and not enough eyes and ears in the classroom? That is where video comes in - recording your classroom basically allows you to revisit and reflect on student learning and understanding AND your instruction. And, rather than interpreting what some number might infer about your students or teaching, video is going to give you the chance to revisit things directly. And, you only need to wait until the end of the lesson or day to review it - you don’t have to wait a year to see the numbers.
20 | IS VIDEO DATA?
In academic terms, video recordings of your classroom provide an opportunity for qualitative analysis of your classroom. This area of research has gained traction in educational research over the years because it allows us to examine qualities and nuances of instruction that aren’t easily quantified. Quantitative analysis - the number- crunching and data collection approach that comes from the natural sciences and statistics - can point out problems or differences, but it rarely answers WHY the problem exists - for that, we need to see what really goes on in classrooms and in students’ thought processes. And that is where video comes in. In fact, many researchers and educators are recording classroom instruction as a way to analyze a number of things in classrooms. Here are a few examples of what you can look at with video:
See WHO gets involved in class, and whom you call on or talk to during a class period. Many teachers who reviewed video found that certain locations in the room, or certain students received far less attention for a variety of reasons.
See what a student is thinking. Instead of recording just what the teacher says and does, you can record near a group of students to hear their comments or discussions, and find out what misconceptions they might have about a topic or activity.
Make decisions about your instructional decisions and curriculum. Many teachers use video to record instruction
Spring/Summer 2011 | MACULJOURNAL
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36