The students in similar subject matter groupings ar range for blocks of time in which they present their les sons. They prepare a lesson plan and all other materials which they will need to teach a particular concept. Due to the lack of readily available secondary students, each student gives his presentation to a small group of his fel low students, his instructor, and the television camera. The lessons presented vary from 10 to 15 minutes in length and take several forms. Many are straight lec tures but many students rely on discussions as well. The wide variety of multisensory aids employed and the quality of the demonstrations have been impressive. The small class reacts to the teacher by asking ques tions, by answering questions posed by the teacher and by helping the instructor evaluate the teacher's skills by filling out the evaluation form and by giving the teacher advice on improving his techniques. Each student in the small class takes his turn presenting a lesson and cri tiquing others. After each student teaches, his presentation is re played. All present are encouraged to comment on the performance giving both encouragment and suggestions for improvements. Each participant is encouraged to talk about his own performance, to make comparisons with his own tech niques and those of others in his group and those he has seen in his observations. He is asked to tie in his per formance with the theory he has been receiving in his education classes and to use the small group situation as a sounding board for his own ideas. With this infor mation in mind each person is then encouraged to incor porate his new insights into his next videotape presen tation. When each group finishes, an informal evaluation period is held and suggestions for improving the taping sessions are discussed. Later the groups are reconstituted and each student prepares for another presentation in front of a different group, thus encouraging a wider variety of experiences for each participant. The taping sessions are shot in a small classroom used exclusively for video taping. It is equipped with a minimum of equipment: blackboard, an easel, a desk, podium, and chairs and desks for students. All audio visual equipment is obtained from the university and all other instructional materials must be developed by the student making the presentation. While several instructors have limited the taping ex perience to one session per semester, I personally feel that a minimum of two sessions should be included per semester so that skills that were identified as being lack ing during the first taping session can be developed for the second session. Two sessions allow for a feeling of accomplishment, a sense that deficiencies that were iden tified can be improved. For those of you worried about the use of compli cated video tape equipment, let me assure you that it is no problem. I was at home with the camera and recorder in less than an hour. The machines can be handled with a minimum of distractions by either the instructor or students.
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Mar 24, 1987
Stephen S Farmer 
Open Access