Teachers entering special education need extra support in order to have a sense of high self-efficacy in their new position. Through the use of Studiocode and Edpuzzle, we can strengthen preservice and new inservice teachers through professional development with structured video observation and critical self-analysis, raising their confidence and capabilities.
In a detailed review of video analysis research, Nagro and Cornielius (2013) concluded that video analysis as a professional development tool has a promising evidence base, when using screening criteria from WWC. Aside from instructional practices, studies of the use of video technology has also noted a high level of teacher reflection (Calandra, Gurvitch, & Lund,2008; Capizzi, Wehby, & Sandmel, 2010), even suggesting that teachers observation of classroom interactions are strengthened through the observation of classroom videos (Sherrin & van Es, 2003). Specifically, research acknowledged a change in noticed behaviors and the interpretation of these behaviors, when teachers observed videos of their students (Sherrin & van Es, 2005).
Scwartz and Hartman (2007) supported the potential for learning through video observation when outlining the four outcomes of learning resulting from a designed video. A designed video is defined as a video containing components designed with a specific purpose by the author. As suggested by the researchers, designed videos may result in one or more of the following learning outcomes: 1) seeing, 2) engaging, 3) doing and 4) saying. Seeing is described as video assisting in noticing events that tend to go overlooked. There are two different aspects to seeing; familiarity helps to first introduce events that are unknown and discernment assists in noticing details that may go unnoticed. Engaging Is described as the potential for video to keep the observer interested and involved in watching. The authors suggested, “video is superior at creating engagement and setting the stage for learning, even though the video itself may not contain the new information people are supposed to learn”(p. 339). Essentially, through engaging video inspires individuals to learn. Doing involves the observer completing some sort of action, whether it is adapting attitude or developing a skill. Video can result in doing when the observer is shaping his or her attitude through modeling video behavior or required to complete a performance task. Lastly, video observation can result in saying when the observer explains the occurrence and association between facts evidenced from video.
The current proposal examines the impact of a professional development, for both face to face and distance learning programs, that uses two computer-based video observation and coding tools: Studiocode and Edpuzzle. Both programs are used with videos of participants in the classroom, either in their first year of teacher or in their student teacher experience. Participants used Studiocode, a computer-based program for coding videos in real-time. Through a set of Studiocode ‘buttons’ that were designed by the research team, teachers were able to watch their own videos while coding for engagement, student response, instructional practices, and disengagement triggers. . Teachers assume the role of researchers when they code videos of themselves through the structured observation guide. In turn, the teachers conduct a critical self-analysis which monitors fidelity, as well as impacts instructional implementation through the use of data-based adjustments. With Edpuzzle, teachers are able to critical self-reflect through a voiceover feature, when watching their own videos. In addition to using these structured observation tools, participants were asked to conduct an unstructured video observation, for the purposes of comparison. Video from both programs are submitted to professors/mentors and reviewed, prior to a team reflection of the videos with the participants.
Findings indicated that during unstructured video observation, teachers have a tendency to observe a pattern of immediate thoughts, personal reflection, and the formation of generalizations. Further, the unstructured observational content mainly focused on disability characteristics and instructional critique, as opposed to the strructured observational content of identifying and reflecting on specific social tendencies. Although teachers believed both video observational approaches promoted reflection, encouraged knowing the student, and were more beneficial than live observations, participants found the computer-based structured observation approach to improve focus, reduce bias, and increase reflection rooted in video data. Despite technical issues affecting usability, the computer-based structured observational approach was noted as being an effective professional development tool that encouraged the integration of data into instructional reflections.