By Amanda Powling Course Leader PGCE MFL
This year we have been piloting an online platform called Video Enhanced Observation which has been developed by Newcastle University and used around the world in a variety of settings.
This is a secure platform onto which the student teachers can upload film of their teaching and use it for evidence and for analysis.
We decided to use this platform early last year when we were already in lockdown and teaching had transferred to online. We realised that it had potential even if the online teaching didn’t last long, as of course we had no idea that 15 months later we would still be working remotely!
Initially we used it to upload already created videos of teaching from various sources (OU clips, previous trainee films of their teaching, teachers tv etc) so that, instead of the taster sessions in schools our students would have had, they were able to access some examples of lessons. These showed various aspects of teaching that they could unpick using a unique tagging system.
This particular session from readily available OU material, analysed teacher talk and questioning in the classroom.
We also used it for small test clips of microteaching before going into placements, developing the students’ confidence in being filmed and using performance.
However, it has really come into its own for the final assessments and progress meetings where either whole lessons or clips from lessons are being uploaded and give us the ability to see examples of classroom practice and for the students to use as evidence of their teaching. It has a powerful role in going back over actions and reflecting on how they could have been changed or improved.
Fortunately, schools are becoming more used to using film in the classroom and, although concerned about safeguarding, once they realise that we don’t film any children, only the student teacher, it becomes apparent how useful this evidence is. Particularly for informing feedback and informing discussions about the teaching.
We are just at the early stages of this new development and will be reflecting on how we have used it under such extreme circumstances. We already have a lot of ideas as to how to use it in a more holistic way next year. In addition, the platform itself is evolving and will have new additions to its flexibility.