At the University of Southampton we recognise the powerful roll video recordings can have in developing our trainees’ practice. So when our trainees are on placement, they digitally record themselves teaching and use the footage to support their reflection on the lesson. A process which we call Video Enriched Reflection.
When teaching, it can be difficult to recall every detail relying solely on memory. Reviewing a video recording of their own teaching offers trainees a powerful opportunity to pause, rewind, and observe themselves in action. They can relive the lesson but with time to notice, consider different perspectives and acquire clarity and deeper insights into teaching moments that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
McCullagh (2021) notes researchers who have suggested that the use of video helps trainees to:
Activate
Accessing beliefs and prior experience, and arousing interest and curiosity in teaching.
Acquire
Developing an understanding of teaching, and its relationship with learning, through analysing and deconstructing practice.
Apply
Rehearsing, developing and enacting practice in different settings.
This series of articles on Reflective Guidance is devoted to providing guidance for trainees on how to create video enriched reflections for their ePortfolios that demonstrate they are meeting the Teachers’ Standards.
The Reflection Process
The following diagram outlines the process that supports the formation of video enhanced reflections which should be followed trainees and their mentors.
References
McCullagh, J. (2021) Using Digital Video in Initial Teacher Education. St Albans: Critical Publishing.