Digital Video in Education

Abstract

Use of technology to support education is by no means a new concept. Educators have for centuries looked for tools to help stimulate the senses and enhance their students’ learning. Though lectures are still the predominant means of delivering material, multimedia is pervasive in educational institutions. For clarity, multimedia is considered the combination of text, graphics, audio, animation and video through electronic means (Vaughan, 1998). This chapter is concerned primarily with video. The methods for creating videos and the means of delivery continue to change with technological advancements. The earliest educators brought sample objects or hand drawn representations to the classroom in order to provide a visual perspective and enhance understanding. In the mid-1900s, educators began to use analog video signals to show tapes or live shows that were again intended to enhance students’ understanding. Today, computing systems are capable of storing and presenting video content on a one-to-one or one-to-many bases. The key issue is whether the expense and effort associated with multimedia, and specifically, digital video is worthwhile. In this chapter, we discuss the use of digital video in the modern classroom with a focus on learning. Specifically, we base the discussion on Felder’s Learning Model, Bloom’s Taxonomy , and Kolb’s Learning Cycle. First, the Background Section briefly describes these theories and provides some basic information on digital video. Second, we describe a classroom that was constructed to support digital video and detail performance issues. Finally, we discuss the synergy of video in education. The underlying questions that will be explored are (1) How should we use digital video? and (2) What are the technological constraints?