Information Technology Systems & Services
Videomaking in the University Classroom
- 2007 Techfest Presentation
- By David Beard
Four Reasons to Use Video
- Students MUST learn multimedia literacies.
- Students are invested in multimedia activities.
- Multimedia activities are assessable learning tools.
- Multimedia activities need not distract from content learning.
1. Students MUST learn multimedia literacies.
“Video is an immediate and familiar medium with which to address diverse audiences, academic and non-academic alike, calling on a common visual vocabulary. …
“Popular televisual forms, made possible by new digital editing systems and computer- generated animation, [are] very effective at capturing and holding viewers' attention.”
Source: Sarah R. Stein, “Multimedia as Persuasive Agent”
Effective communication today involves “design, composition, color, style, and navigation...
“In addition, students must understand how various media can be integrated as well as the limitations and shortcomings of media integration.”
Source: Anthony A. Olinzock & Mabel C.P.O. Okojie, “Writing an Electronic Multimedia Paper”
“To prepare our students for a [multimedia] workplace, we need to acknowledge … a verbal and visual pedagogy.”
Source: Geoffrey A. Cross, “Recontextualizing Writing: Roles of Written Texts in Multiple Media Communications”
2. Students are invested in multimedia activities.
- Videos are time consuming. I estimate one hour of editing for every minute of a student video - plus time writing and shooting the footage.
- Yet: students leap into videomaking projects nonetheless.
Anecdotal Claim
- In my classes (Advanced Writing for Engineering, Business & Organizations, and Honors), students feel that videos allow creativity.
- Students produce a product that is consumable by friends and family as well as teachers.
- As a result, students feel a measure of pride in their work.
3. Multimedia activities are assessable learning tools.
- Students must still write, (scripts, storyboards) and their skill at writing is assessable.
- Students must still read course materials and, where appropriate, conduct research. Their knowledge of those materials is assessable.
- Students must still organize information using textual and video strategies. That organization is assessable.
- Students must understand the uses of intellectual property. Their compliance with intellectual property law is assessable.
- Video projects can be taught collaboratively.
- Those video projects allow students to practice the project management skills and collaborative techniques valued in the workplace.
4. Multimedia activities need not distract from content learning.
- Without doubt, a teacher using a multimedia project needs to reflect on its place in course design before assigning it.…but…
- The Multimedia Hub in ITSS gives students excellent group and individual training to students.
- You do not need to drop course content to “teach the technology” any more than you need to drop course content to teach word processing!
Conclusion
- For more information about multimedia projects, visit the multimedia hub in ITSS at UMD.
- Or email David Beard at dbeard@d.umn.edu.