EDU 642 Reflection: Analyzing and Designing Instructional Media

#EDU642 #Week2

The second week of the course focused primarily on the analysis of video content, as well as its subsequent creation. As a high school science instructor, I oftentimes incorporate educational video clips into my weekly lesson plans. These short films help to depict certain phenomena that can be used to examine a topic more in-depth or reinforce concepts that have been previously taught in the classroom. Many of the resources that I utilize are readily available on the internet and merely a quick search away. However, if an educator chooses to create their own video content, they are not only able to ensure that the instructional material is being presented in a way that meets the exact needs of their students, but they are also able to foster a sense of social presence within their (perhaps virtual) classroom.

When it comes to designing your own pedagogical media, there are many different important factors to consider. Instructors need to thoughtfully examine the storyboard or template that they will use, as well as the environment in which they are filming. You do not want students to be distracted by a cluttered office space or a household pet roaming in the background. What's more, you will have to contemplate course design principles and ways to make the video more engaging, all the while ensuring that the cognitive processing demand of your film is not too great. Likewise, if you happen to implement resources from another individual or reference another's work, it will have to be thoroughly researched and cited appropriately in order to avoid plagiarism or perhaps even copyright infringement.     

All in all, one of the biggest things that I took away from this week was that, while the tools that you create may not be perfect, they can have a meaningful impact on your students and their learning process. To elaborate, I happen to be a bit of a perfectionist. At times, this can hold me back from trying new thing in the classroom because I am unsure of the outcome or how something will turn out. While I have only made a few recordings in the past, I am always hesitant to do so and end up mapping out the content that I want to address somewhat excessively. Most of the time, I end up going off script and, as a result, I have to make at least three to four different recordings until I get one that is just right. This week has helped me realize that that is okay. After all, messing up a recording is not something to be fearful of because you can always make another! Besides, your students don't have to know how many attempts it took you to get the video just right. All they get to see is the end product.