Week 9 Its Tube Time!

Monday, October 25, 2010

It seems as though that technology advancing learning uses YouTube, TeacherTube, and Shared Online Video. What do these all mean?

This week we started out the class with having two of our fellow classmates present on the topic of using video for Education. First Elliot presented with evidence that using videos for teaching has been an increasing phenomenon. It has been done so on all education levels and in all subjects. He brought up many foods for thoughts in which I even had overlooked or didn't really think too deeply into but they are very important. What are the barriers to using these videos? What if they are copyrighted? What if they cost? If they do not currently cost, is there a "catch"? What if we cannot find what we need or if we do, what issues arise from the information embedded in these videos? Elliot brought up some good points that made me ponder. Then Hesham presented his views on videos being used for educational purposes. Right away he started with statistics as to how number of views viewed on the Internet as increased drastically over a one year study from 2008-2009. Imagine how much it is currently being vied in 2010. Videos have been increasingly viewed and used at all educational levels however then have been quickly more viewed in higher education. I remember watching videos mostly at the primary level and they were almost nonexistent a the secondary level unless we had a substitute teacher or the like. I never thought of them as educational purposes however looking back now, this makes complete sense.

Next, Dr. Bonk shared his views on this online video's rise through a very intriguing lecture. He started by talking about Elliot Masie views on Learning Trends. YouTube, Podcasts, Video Reports, Learning Modules videos, Skype, Webinar Video Elements, and High Definition Video Conferencing are a few of the Learning Trends that education has been taught/viewed through. For example, when YouTube first arrived, there were views but none like today.  In the article by Downes (2008), he listed YouTube as one of the places to go on the Internet. In fact, YouTube is the most popular site on the web to date (Bonk 2010).

We have been told that video is an important educational tool and it has to make ideas clearer, but why exactly do we use video? First, we learn that 64% of Internet users have downloaded or watched a video online and only 14% have posted a video(Purcell 2010). Of those that posted a video, 41% they were surprised that any watched the video less alone the number of those that did watch the video (Purcell 2010). Over a two year study, ranging from 18-29 year old and 30-49 year olds, both male and females were equal in uploading videos (Purcell 2010). What does this all mean? This continues to show the importance of online videos for educational purposes. 


In Bonk's lecture (2010), he states 8 reasons for using video:

1.Importance of shared online video: educational psychologists such as David Ausubel (1978) argued that knowledge was hierarchically organized.

2. New learning concepts and ideas to be subsumed under or anchored within prior learning experiences.

3. Ausubel suggested that new information is going to be meaningful if it is anchored (i.e., attached or related) to what learners already know and understand.

4. YouTube videos can help in that regard. A key part of this effort is finding ways to link prior learning experiences to new concepts and ideas.

5. Advance Organizers: Provide a context, richer learning, can be replayed for key concepts, bring students to the real world, discussion, reflection, common experience, and the potential for higher order thinking skills.

6. Dual coding theory (learning information verbally and visually is more richly stored): Alan Paivio.

7. Anchored instruction and macrocontexts: John Bransford and colleagues.

8. Multimedia theory: Richard Mayer.

These are all great reasons but there are three that stand out the most to me as a College Student in Higher Education. First, new learning concepts and ideas can be easily uploaded, streamed and edited by used of video to a large audience internationally. Secondly, Dual coding theory is exemplified through the video streaming conference. We can take what we read, what we get via a traditional lecture, and get a visual perspective through videos. Thirdly, multimedia theory to me goes hand-in-hand with the dual coding theory as it adds another way to learn.

Presented in class, we learned of over 50 links to various Shared Online Video Resources and Portals. These links ranged from YouTube to Monkey See to EduTube just to name a few. These links provided additional links to educational videos, how to videos and more. In our technology advancing learning society, we have gone beyond in class discussion, articles, books, movies, blogs, Wikis, and more to video streaming.  Shared online video can be used by just about anyone such as Instructors starting the class with a video as an ice breaker, formal learners being encouraged to find and share a video applicable to the topic at hand, as well as informal learners just browsing and watching instructional videos (Bonk 2010) just to name a few.

Though online videos can be helpful and educational, they can also be destructive. Alexandra Juhasz stated in his blog I Proclaim the Stuff on YouTube to be Leprous. Just like with any other resource, it can be helpful or hurtful. YouTube and other Online Videos are what you make of it. When using these for educational purposes, it is important to remember to:


1.When using shared online videos, consider the learning theory or approach makes them more powerful than other media.
2.Assign students to reflect on why or how you used them.
3. Length of video for activities should be less than 10 minutes and preferably under 4 minutes.
4. Considering offering online video creation as an option—can foster student creativity.
5. Instead of finding all course videos, offer the student the chance to find and show 1-2 free online videos.
6. Watch and approve all videos before selecting.
7. Test videos online (or, if FTF, in the room you will use) to check for link rot or video removal.
8. Have back-up videos in case do not work or are taken down.
9. Have a guidesheet, job aid, or scaffold to help students evaluate the validity of sources (issues of credibility/authority, quality, design, etc.)
10. Many unconventional videos might be used to emphasize key points from class (e.g. old television programs or other non-educationally produced) (These 10 Advice and Guidelines are from Bonk 2010).

If you are able to remember and meet these ten advice and guidelines, then online video education will be free of problems. This is most definitely easier said than done.

 References

1. Alexandra Juhasz blog posts: “I Proclaim the Stuff on YouTube to be Leprous,” Media Praxis (February 29, 2008), http://aljean.wordpress.com/2008/02/29/i-proclaim-the-stuff-of-youtube-to-be-leprous/

2. Curtis Bonk (2010). Week 9 PowerPoint: The Rise of Shared Online Cideo, the Fall of Traditional Learning. Monday, October 25, 2010.

3. Stephen Downes (2008). “Places to Go: YouTube,” Innovate: Journal of Online Education, http://innovateonline.info/pdf/vol4_issue5/Places_to_Go-__YouTube.pdf
4.  Kristen Purcell (2010, June 3). The State of Online Video. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Pew Internet & American Life Project.http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2010/PIP-The-State-of-Online-Video.pdf