Target destinationAt the end of Part I you should be able to: - define instructional video;
- discuss some of the strengths of instructional video;
- distinguish between instructional video and broadcast television and
- identify some myths about instructional video production.
Total time required: 50-60 minutes 1.1 What is instructional video ?We assumed earlier that you are interested in the possibility of designing a television program for use in one or two educational courses. If you are planning to use video as a means of disseminating your program, then this would constitute an instructional video. Instructional video is a television program designed to enable the user to achieve a set of pre-determined, specific learning objectives. It may or may not be part of a larger package comprising other forms of instructional media. What distinguishes it from broadcast television is that it is utilised and generally disseminated in the form of a video cassette. Throughout this unit we shall use the term broadcast television to refer generically to educational programs which are transmitted instantaneously at scheduled times to target viewers. We shall not be considering the video disc here although design issues are the same for both discs and cassettes. This is because, at the time of writing, the cost of mass producing video discs far exceeds that of the ordinary video cassette. Also, the hardware required for video discs is still not as widely available as that for cassettes. 1.2 Strengths of videoVideo incorporates all the features of film and broadcast television in that it combines sound with moving visuals and colour. These are important attributes in an instructional medium, particularly one that is used in distance learning courses. The first activity in this unit is centred around Program 1 in the video. Before you begin, make sure that you have pen and paper ready to note down key points during viewing. Please read through Activity 1 before you begin so that you will know what to focus on. Activity 1 - In Program 1-0.00 we will discuss and illustrate some of the main strengths of video as an instructional tool.
- As you view the program, briefly note down these strengths in your journal. Feel free to stop the tape at any point and re-play parts that you may have missed at first viewing.
- Review the notes you have compiled. This is not a comprehensive or exhaustive list. Think of other television or video materials you may have viewed in the past. What other strengths can you think of?
- Think now of one or two areas in your work in which you are currently considering developing an instructional video. Go through your checklist again, ticking those strengths which you consider to be particularly relevant.
Time allocation: 15 minutes We have now started you thinking about what video can do for the courses that you are currently developing. The key strengths of video as an instructional tool are summarised below. You may wish to compare your answers in Activity 1 with this list. Key strengths: - It personalises distance learning materials by introducing the tutor to the student.
- It is able to control the viewpoint and direct the attention of the student to the relevant material, for example using techniques such as close-ups, image freezing, masking non-essential visuals, pans and tilts. Irrelevant cues may be minimised by shooting and including only the essential elements of a process or situation.
- It is able to show motion, which may be very important in demonstrating operation of machines, movement in dances etc,
- It is able to clearly demonstrate different stages in a process, for example manufacturing processes and assembly line operations.
- It is able to capture interviews with leading authorities in various fields, thereby adding a human dimension to the learning process.
- It is able to combine various sounds with a range of visuals such as animation, stills, graphics, outdoor scenes and studio shots to stimulate and motivate the learner.
- It is able to manipulate time with time lapse photography, slow motion and freeze frames.
- Open-ended video segments may be used in problem solving situations, either to trigger group discussion or for individual assignments.
- Video permits safe observation of phenomena that might be hazardous to view directly, for example dangerous scientific experiments and demonstrations.
- Video is especially suitable for teaching skills as learners may require repeated observation.
- It is able to dramatise events, which makes it suitable for instruction in social sciences and humanities.
- It is able to combine concrete images with words to illustrate difficult, abstract concepts.
We have looked at the many strengths that video shares with broadcast television, and indeed film. As an instructional medium video has additional advantages that result from its utilisation and distribution characteristics. 1.3 Instructional video versus broadcast televisionThe following are some advantages that instructional video has over broadcast television. - Instructional video frees students from rigid broadcast schedules and gives them the flexibility of viewing the program at times most convenient to them. This is particularly pertinent to distance learning courses where the students are often working adults who cannot commit themselves to the fixed schedules of full-time study.
- Instructional video allows the student to review segments to extract more information or to clarify concepts, as well as to skip irrelevant or understood parts. The more sophisticated video players today allow the viewer to watch a scene in slow motion, and to 'freeze-frame' a scene.
- Broadcast television has the advantage of being able to reach a wide audience, however this is only cost efficient if there is a sufficiently large group of students to justify the expense involved. 'Air time' is expensive and unless there are economies of scale to be gained, it is generally cheaper to distribute instructional programs by cassette, mailed directly to students or made available for loan in resource centres.
Video has the same strengths, motivational quality and dramatic impact as broadcast television. There are also other advantages which relate to the way the programs can be utilised and disseminated. The next logical question that comes to mind is this: If instructional video is so good, why is it not used as widely in distance learning courses as it could be? Note in your journal some reasons that you can think of. 1.4 Some common misconceptions about instructional videoActivity 2 - For various reasons, many teachers of distance learning courses are reluctant to produce video components in their learning packages. Despite advancements in the technology and the proliferation of home video cassette recorders, primary reliance is still on the print medium.
- What would you cite as some of the reasons for this?
- Think about your own experience with using this medium. If you have designed and produced instructional videos in the past, what are your current feelings about producing more of them? If you have not had the experience of designing videos for your courses, think about why this has been so.
Put your thoughts and ideas in your journal before proceeding to Activity 3. We shall refer to them again in the next activity. Time allocation: 5 minutes. Activity 3Please refer to Reading 1, 'Audio and video: uses and possibilities or The worm that turns' (McMillan, R. and Fenwick, J.) The writers discuss some common misconceptions that people have about designing instructional video and attempt to dispel these myths. As you read, refer to your own list of thoughts and ideas compiled in your journal in Activity 2. Delete any earlier ideas which you consider no longer valid in the light of what is discussed in the paper. What remains is a list of genuine concerns which hopefully will be addressed in the rest of this unit. Note: In this paper, reference is made to the concepts of integration and segmentation. At this stage do not be too concerned about how the design of your video will be affected by them. They are key issues that will be dealt with later on in greater detail. Time allocation: 15 minutes. So now you have some idea as to what video can do. You have also examined some common misgivings that educational developers and writers may have about using video. Hopefully, Activity 2 started you considering your own feelings about the medium. Most common reservations people have relate to the following areas: - Process—that the development and production process is long and complex, involving mysterious 'whiz-bang' special effects, techniques in animation and computer graphics.
- People—that video production requires an inordinate amount of labour and technical expertise, quite beyond the domain of a course writer or educational developer.
- Resources—that videos are very costly to produce.
It is true that instructional video production is a systematic process that requires special technical expertise, however as a course writer your major contribution is in the developmental rather than technical side of the process. As you work through this unit it will become evident that the development of instructional video is a systematic design process, similar to that for any other instructional medium.
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