1. Brief Description: DVD and streaming video are variations of Motion Visuals which are technological advancements from film but follow similar principles in function. DVD, or Digital Video Disc, is an optical disc that has digitized video and audio information embedded on it via a laser and can be viewed with a specialized player. Streaming video is digitized video that is stored on a server and then accessed through the internet via a computer, tablet, smartphone, or other web-enabled device. Their digital format has several advantages in the form of equipment stability, longevity of the media (celluloid film is known for degradation over time), quality of the images, and control. As with the other motion visuals they represent an extremely powerful tool in education when properly integrated into the curriculum, as they can allow users to visualize three dimensional concepts, abstract ideas, and physically impossible images in a low-risk environment.
Class of media: Instructional aid
Characteristics: Motion visual
2. Standards and Goals: (when, how and where to use for instructional meaningful connections, how would this be used in the real world): DVD and streaming video are best used as an educational aid to augment curriculum where movement, interaction of components, or graphic representation of abstract ideas can assist learners in building understanding of concepts. A video of an individual talking would not be the most appropriate use of this medium, however if the subject is the interaction of rotating gears or how the motion of surf and tides creates erosion of beaches, video may be quite effective. The key to remember is that the motion aspect should be an essential element to the learning and the topic.
3. Application to types of learning:
a. Cognitive objectives: (Prior knowledge, reading ability, vocabulary levels): Video tends to be most effective for learners with limited prior knowledge as significant prior knowledge of the topic may interfere with the effectiveness of the aid based on the learners’ preexisting understanding of the subject matter. Video can be used to teach recognition and/or discrimination of relevant motion stimuli. It can be used to teach rules, principles, and it is possible (although not economical) to display words (Bergeron, 2019). Reading ability has little impact on video unless the learner has hearing impairments or the video is in a foreign language which requires the reading of subtitles. Vocabulary levels used in the media should be appropriate for the education level of the learner.
b. Psychomotor objectives: (interpretive movement, physical and perceptual abilities): While the learners do not need any specific psychomotor skills to watch video, it is a beneficial medium to visually demonstrate interpretive movement or physical abilities/processes (Bergeron, 2019). Perceptual abilities will be key to proper understanding of displayed content. Visually impaired students will need to rely on audio transcriptions.
c. Affective objectives:(senses, what attentive needs and abilities, value/emotion requirement, motivation to learn): Video can be beneficial when content is meant to raise awareness of cultural understanding or to insight emotions to spark conversation.
4. Strengths: When compared to text or still images, videoallows the learner to see physical movement and the relationships of objects to other items which can be essential when teaching processes or mechanical interfaces. Other strengths include
- Risk-Free Observation – Potentially dangerous processes can be watched without the risk of injury to the learners.
- Dramatization – Historical figures and events can be viewed as if they were in the classroom and engaged in activities.
- Affective Learning – The emotional impact of film can help shape attitudes, both personal and social.
- Problem Solving – A dramatization or open-ended film can allow learners to discuss possible solutions or alternatives.
- Cultural Understanding – The ability to see how other cultures live and interact from a near-first hand perspective can build understanding and appreciation for other value systems.
- Commonality – A common base of experience from a film can allow groups with different opinions to begin to work together towards solutions. (Smaldino, Lowther, & Mims, 2018)
- Availability – Vast quantities of educational streaming videos are available through both free and subscription-based services and can be viewed virtually anywhere you have internet access.
5. Limitations: While the action and relatively constant change contained in video can increase student interest in the instruction, there are also significant limitations which must be considered before employing them in a learning environment:
- Fixed Pace – Although streaming videos and DVDs frequently have the ability to pause, back up, and move forward, when in a group environment they act much like film in that they are usually played at a constant pace which may be too slow for some learners and too fast for others.
- Talking Head – Many videos consist of images of someone talking, i.e. a “talking head” which is a relative waste of the capabilities of the medium as the same content could be passed via audio or text.
- Still Phenomena – Ensure you use videos for concepts that involve motion or where the motion would enhance the understanding of interactions. If a detailed study of a still visual like a photo will provide understanding, then it may be better suited as such.
- Misinterpretation – Documentaries and interpretive videos can present a complex or potentially biased viewpoint on an issue. Things like satire may be taken as serious or misunderstood by younger or more naive students. (Smaldino, Lowther, & Mims, 2018)
- Time, Cost and Equipment – While most smartphones are capable of capturing digital video and audio, producing or watching certain types of video for educational purposes may require substantial investment on the part of the developer, school, or teacher. These costs must be weighed heavily to ensure the videos are appropriate for the topic and any identified advantage is worth the expense. Additionally, videos (especially DVDs) can take time to set up and watch. If the video only strengthens a single point, it may not be worth the time consumed as apposed to a still visual, text, or verbal explanation. (Bergeron, 2019)
6. Special Features/Creative ideas: Videos have the ability to show entire processes, provide vivid imagery of distant locations, and can help learners conceptualize abstract ideas through the animation of components and visualization of items that are impossible to see in the real world, such as forces acting on an object or subatomic particle motion. DVDs and streaming videos have the ability to stop, start, replay, and modify the speed at which the motion is displayed which allows learners to repeat key items or areas where they may be having difficulty. Enhanced DVDs and videos can also be highly interactive, including aspects like quizzes and student-directed learning. By combining aspects like real life items/people, animated characters or representations, audio tracks, and interactive features, designers can build a captivating learning tool which will enhance the instructor’s content.
7. UDL/ Accessibility requirements: Key items to add will be adjustable volume and closed captioning for the hearing impaired, adjustable image size for visually impaired learners, playback speed and repeat ability for students with learning impairments, and monitoring colors, activity levels, and image flashes which may trigger unintended responses from students with other impairments such as autism or traumatic brain injuries (Jeffs, 2009).
Provide Captioning and Audio Descriptions for universal design and accessibility requirements.
Learning is impossible if information is imperceptible to the learner, and difficult when information is presented in formats that require extraordinary effort or assistance. To reduce barriers to learning, it is important to ensure that key information is equally perceptible to all learners by:
1) providing the same information through different modalities (e.g., through vision, hearing, or touch);
2) providing information in a format that will allow for adjustability by the user (e.g., text that can be enlarged, sounds that can be amplified). Such multiple representations not only ensure that information is accessible to learners with particular sensory and perceptual disabilities, but also easier to access and comprehend for many others.
8. Technology Resources/websites:
Video Capture Devices: Smartphones, Digital SLR Cameras (Nikon, Canon, Sony, etc.), Digital Movie Cameras (Canon GL2, Canon EOS C700, Sony HXR-MC2500, HasselbladH6D-400c)
Video Capture/Editing Software: Screencast-O-Matic, Camtasia, Adobe Premier, Movavi
DVD Burning Software: Roxio, Express Burn, Cyberlink Power2Go, Wondershare DVDCreator
9. Examples of DVDs and Streaming Video:
Streaming Video: www.teachertube.com, www.youtube.com, www.netflix.com, www.curiositystream.com
DVDs: https://www.tmwmedia.com/productlisting/series/calculus-tutor-series-learning-by-example
3Play Media for captioning and audio descriptions: https://www.3playmedia.com/
10. References:
Bergeron, C. (2019, April 9). Re: Motion Visuals [Online course wiki page comments]. Retrieved from https://cyberactive.bellevue.edu/ultra/courses/_483792_1/cl/outline
Jeffs, T. L., (2009). Virtual reality and special needs. Themes in Science and Technology Education, 2(1-2), 253-268. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1131319.pdf
Smaldino, S. E., Lowther, D. L., & Mims, C. (2018). Instructional technology and media for learning (12th ed, pp178-186). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org
MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE 