Laura Taylor and Liz Dunne April 2010

USING

FLIP CAMCORDERS

TO SUPPORT LEARNING

IN LARGE CLASSES

LITERATURE REVIEW

‘It's just a basic camcorder, but the Flip has captured the imaginations of millions... Not bad for a gadget that costs less than an iPod and that looks like it's been designed by a child’. (Telegraph, May 2008)

‘I have never seen a group of students become so enamoured with a piece of technology’.

‘The results have been phenomenal’; or

‘I have begun to take my Flip with me everywhere. I truly feel that everything I experience is now a learning experience I can share with my students’.

(Quotes from the USA)

WHAT IS A FLIP CAMCORDER?

Today’s pocket sized camcorders

RESEARCH SAMPLE

Phase 1 (85 students) provided a pilot that was experimental and exploratory and provided pointers for improvement and reorganisation.

Phase 2 (274 students) allowed incorporation of changes, and insight into student perceptions and outcomes.

THE CONTEXT

Theory of Management moduleUniversity of Exeter Business School

New module run by a newly appointed teaching fellow • academic content • a sense of community and strong group relationships• professional skills as young managers.

Groups range normally from 4 to 6 students, with a mix of nationalities.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE VIDEO? For each group…

i) to review their own presentations and improve their skills

ii) to review other group presentations to analyse skills of others

iii) to have a number of academic presentations to revise subject content and to learn from each other’s academic research.

No editing of video is required; no judgements are made on the quality of the video per se.

WHAT IS VIDEOED BY STUDENTS?

1. Initial presentation ‘to convince all the other groups that actually you are in the best group’2. Academically focused presentation

PURPOSES OF THE STUDY

1. to review technological, organisational and pedagogic issues in the use of Flip camcorders by students;

2. to ascertain whether, and how, student-led use of Flip camcorders can support learning in large and diverse cohorts of students;

3. to support the incremental refining of practices by making use of student feedback;

4. to provide resources and recommendations for future use of Flip camcorders.

Attendance at the videoed sessions ran at 98%, far higher than in other taught sessions.

Students claimed they i) genuinely enjoyed the sessions ii) did not want to let down their peersiii) knew their attendance could be easily

tracked via the video presentations.

FEEDBACK GAINED VIA:

-Focus groups

-Observation of classes

-Ongoing feedback from the tutor

-Questionnaire survey designed and run by a student group

FINDINGS

Student feedback‘I am not quite sure I would use them personally. I don’t like watching myself in a video’

‘I don’t mind watching myself, it’s quite useful to see the style that you present in. Other people might tell you, but if you can see it it’s better.’

Tutor feedback‘Videoing the student presentations had a dramatic impact in terms of attendance, behaviour, style and standards’. Students are becoming ‘used to the idea that they are visible to other people. Videoing technology enables them to look at themselves from other people’s perspectives’.

ISSUES

Technological and organisational issues

Logistics

Recharging

Memory can’t be expanded

Picture and sound quality

No external microphone socket

Sheer amount of time needed for tech support – From recording to uploading to VLE

In-built editing software is not great

Mini tripods can’t replace having a good cameraperson

RECOMMENDATIONS

Ensure you obtain the relevant permissions

Think about where you publish the material and

any restrictions you may need to place on its access

Have a back up camera

Consider location for recording – light and sound quality

Set up a system for managing the equipment

Work towards the tutor and students taking ownership, for long term sustainability

Use keen technologically minded students to help you

Brief staff and students about how to take good video and provide a handout of top tips in order to avoid…

… Bloopers!

NEXT PHASE AND THE FUTURE…

- Huge increase in student numbers

- High number of international students

- Use keen and enthusiastic students as “Student IT Champions”

- Problems of large amount of data storage needed

‘It was an exhilarating experience as it provided us a unique opportunity of looking back and reviewing the mistakes… Despite the difference in culture and language I have been fully supported by all of the group’. (Vietnamese student)

‘When I was presenting my first presentation, I was too nervous even to make a sound… I am now able to contribute ideas and discuss opinions with my group’. (Chinese student)

TO CONCLUDE