6978 Views (as of 05/2023)
  1. Susan Doubler
  2. Senior Researcher
  3. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  4. TERC
  1. Nathaniel Brown
  2. http://www.bc.edu/schools/lsoe/facultystaff/faculty/Brown.html
  3. Associate Research Professor
  4. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  5. Boston College
  1. Sadiye Guler
  2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadiye
  3. Founder, CTO
  4. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  5. intuVision

Empowering Teachers Through VideoReView

NSF Awards: 1415898

2016 (see original presentation & discussion)

Grades K-6

Empowering Teachers Through VideoReView situates professional learning in teachers’ day-to-day practice. Using advances in video analytic technology, teachers capture and study video from their classroom to gain insight into their students ideas and reasoning in science. Classroom video provides teachers with on-the-spot objective feedback that they share and discuss with their colleagues during study group meetings.

This work emerges from a need observed in classrooms, the need for teachers to have objective, ongoing, timely feedback from their classroom to better understand their students’ learning and their facilitation of that learning.

There is overwhelming agreement that professional learning is more effective when it is takes place in and from practice and with colleagues. However, current strategies for learning from classroom practice often require outside observers or coaches, and are difficult to coordinate, expensive and seldom frequent enough to have a sustained impact on student learning. Advances in video technology accompanied with current models of collegial learning hold promise for resolving this issue.

The VideoReView tool is an every-day teacher tool. It consists of a camera unit for collection of classroom video, and software to analyze, organize, and deliver an unprecedented granularity of detail about students’ science ideas and reasoning expressed during science discussions.

The VideoReView PD is sustained school-based, teacher-lead professional development. It is based on a Video Club model in which teachers select and share video “evidence” from their classroom as a basis for discussion of learning and teaching with colleagues.

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Discussion from the NSF 2016 STEM For All Video Showcase (20 posts)
  • Icon for: Katherine McNeill

    Katherine McNeill

    Associate Professor of Science Education
    May 16, 2016 | 02:08 p.m.

    A wonderful tool for professional development! I still find it amazing that it can identify entry points for teachers.

  • Icon for: Susan Doubler

    Susan Doubler

    Lead Presenter
    Senior Researcher
    May 17, 2016 | 11:04 a.m.

    Kate,

    Automatic jump in points aren’t always spot on. We tell teachers to use the jump-ins as starting points for their study. They give teachers a quick way to engage in their video. Teachers can always delete or add their own jump-ins. Some teachers use the jump-ins as time markers, “e.g., something happened just before this jump in that I want to look back at.”

  • Icon for: Susan Kowalski

    Susan Kowalski

    Senior Research Scientist
    May 16, 2016 | 02:42 p.m.

    Teacher learning through video analysis can be such a powerful tool—I’m excited that you are helping teachers overcome the logistical barriers to participating in video analysis. I’m very interested in seeing your research findings about the teachers’ participation in their video clubs.

  • Icon for: Susan Doubler

    Susan Doubler

    Lead Presenter
    Senior Researcher
    May 20, 2016 | 08:11 a.m.

    Susan, our two-year research study begins this fall. Over time, we hope to see teachers attend more and more to students ideas and reasoning before making instructional decisions. Research on teacher noticing suggests that this is often the case.

  • Icon for: Victor van den Bergh

    Victor van den Bergh

    Facilitator
    Project Manager
    May 16, 2016 | 08:04 p.m.

    Dear Susan, Nathaniel, Sadiye, and your teams,

    This is a very interesting project. The idea of empowering teachers to leverage video footage of classroom discussions in their own planning and in discussions with other teachers is wonderful and I am sure it is extremely appreciated by those who would like more time to sit and deeply analyze their students’ reasoning at their own pace or get a colleague’s opinion. I was curious whether you have had a chance to test this out with any science teachers, yet. If so, what challenges have you encountered, and if not, what challenges do you anticipate? I would also love to hear more about the nature and content of teachers’ discussions and how these have translated into insights about students’ science reasoning. Thank you for your excellent video!

  • Icon for: Susan Doubler

    Susan Doubler

    Lead Presenter
    Senior Researcher
    May 17, 2016 | 11:04 a.m.

    Hi Victor,

    Thanks for your questions. This project is in its development phase. We are currently working with 10 co-development teachers who provide ongoing feedback—suggestions, problems, what’s working and what isn’t. In the second part of the project, (beginning this fall), we’ll begin a research study with three schools/ nine teachers who are all teaching the same curriculum. When teachers teach the same curriculum, we believe, they will have more to share with each other.

    What are the challenges? On the technical side, getting the conversion and upload process right has been challenging. On the PD side, we find that a tight time fame is needed in which all teachers plan, videotape, analyze their video, and meet within a couple weeks. Review and discussion needs to happen while the learning experience is relevant and fresh in their minds.

    Regarding teachers’ conversations, early on there is a tendency to jump directly to pedagogical decisions rather than students’ ideas. This seems to shift with time, but we’ll know a lot more once we’ve done the research.

  • Icon for: Karen Purcell

    Karen Purcell

    Facilitator
    Project Director
    May 17, 2016 | 10:55 a.m.

    Hi Susan, Nathaniel, Sadiye,and team,
    Love the potential impact this project can have on student learning in the sciences. Have you been able to measure the impact specifically on underserved student learning? It seems like there is huge potential to do so. I’d love to learn more.

  • Icon for: Susan Doubler

    Susan Doubler

    Lead Presenter
    Senior Researcher
    May 19, 2016 | 10:34 a.m.

    Hi Karen, The focus on students ideas and reasoning we hope would have a positive impact on underserved learners. This innovation, however, isn’t far enough along to address that question. Our current research questions are: *Does use of the VideoReView system improve teachers’ attention to and interpretation of students’ thinking, and pedagogical decisions based on students’ thinking? *Does use of the VideoReView system improve teachers’ facilitation of discussions to promote students’ learning? *Does students’ conceptual understanding improve as teachers use the VideoReView system? Thanks for asking about the research. Sue

  • Icon for: Karen Purcell

    Karen Purcell

    Facilitator
    Project Director
    May 19, 2016 | 12:14 p.m.

    Thanks for the clarification Susan. Can’t wait to see how this develops.

  • Icon for: Rebecca Lowenhaupt

    Rebecca Lowenhaupt

    Assistant Professor
    May 17, 2016 | 01:23 p.m.

    This seems like an excellent tool for facilitating collaborative, peer learning. You are designing a powerful tool to scaffold conversations among teachers about instruction, something that is a challenge for many teachers. It’s great to think about how this intersects with our project, Instructional Leadership for Science Practices, which takes a similar approach, but from the angle of leadership and supervision.

  • Icon for: Susan Doubler

    Susan Doubler

    Lead Presenter
    Senior Researcher
    May 19, 2016 | 11:06 a.m.

    Rebecca,
    Yes, I too see the connection. This is tricky as there is vulnerability in sharing video. We focus solely on students and their ideas and reasoning. The teacher has his or her back to the camera to help maintain the student focus. The challenge is how to create a safe environment for sharing and working together on hard questions. When peers share video, the playing field is level. All have the same vulnerability and are thoughtful in their comments.

  • Icon for: Rebecca Lowenhaupt

    Rebecca Lowenhaupt

    Assistant Professor
    May 19, 2016 | 11:13 a.m.

    I agree, it is important to create a safe space for examining practice. I guess I’m curious how those peer conversations might influence the dynamic when it comes to more evaluative supervision. One would hope it would be a positive impact, as teachers become more skillful at analyzing and discussing practice.

  • Icon for: Betsy Stefany

    Betsy Stefany

    Coordinator STEM Literacy Community of Practice
    May 18, 2016 | 11:20 a.m.

    Hi,
    As a follow up on Rebecca’s entry into the discussion, I, too began to think how the tool would work into our project, Exploring 3 I PD’s element regarding student evidence. Are there specific age/grade levels where you find the system especially effective or have you interviewed students to capture their interests in this process?

  • Icon for: Joseph Wilson

    Joseph Wilson

    Facilitator
    Managing Director
    May 19, 2016 | 07:43 p.m.

    #teamSusan – I love video clubs and the collaborative PD approach you all are taking for enhancing teacher understanding of student scientific learning. I know that this was within the context of a science class, but how do you envision this could be implemented in a math or computer science class at the PK-12 level? Thank you for the excellent project video, research, and work!

  • Icon for: Susan Doubler

    Susan Doubler

    Lead Presenter
    Senior Researcher
    May 20, 2016 | 08:12 a.m.

    Joseph,
    The tool could be used in any context. The one component that is specific to science is the Science Lens. Teachers use the lens to focus on identifying student ideas and how they are reasoning. The lens tags are—
    *Shares an idea related to the learning goal
    *Supports ideas with experience
    *Makes sense of data
    *Reasons with evidence or scientific principles from investigations
    *Critiques and merges own and other’s ideas
    *Applies an idea to a new context

    These tags might work for many curriculum areas, particularly if the focus is on student discussions as ours is. The tool is designed so that other lens could be created and implemented easily.

  • Icon for: Betsy Stefany

    Betsy Stefany

    Coordinator STEM Literacy Community of Practice
    May 22, 2016 | 09:42 p.m.

    Thanks for sharing the lens tags. The use of the term “Science Lens” is one that I can related to and implement as we work with the teachers to practice documenting their own classroom projects as students become engaged and extend in their own thinking. The term “lens” can explain that in certain situations changing lenses works to build a different view. Could be an interesting way to build teams and cohorts as well as gain community and student group outreach. Anchoring the general term is as a “lens” allows a step beyond the teacher while also setting it as the shared view of expectations. Great project that enables growth without losing its…own focus!

  • Icon for: Betsy Stefany

    Betsy Stefany

    Coordinator STEM Literacy Community of Practice
    May 19, 2016 | 07:53 p.m.

    Rebecca and others,
    I went out today to answer my own question, trying out the use of video in a spontaneous opportunity in both a 7th grade classroom that happened to be running a stream table activity and also a 9th grade working on wave lengths. These two teachers were in the MSP project that now continues as a Community of Practice. I used my usual visit to collect end of the year digital data…to expand my own new use of video student evidence. I came away with great videos and student evidence of past Professional Development.
    Thank you for sharing your project as it has provided me with the chance to try to apply it…and a successful evidence that others can achieve what you have showcased to their own…and student advantage.

  • Icon for: Susan Doubler

    Susan Doubler

    Lead Presenter
    Senior Researcher
    May 20, 2016 | 08:07 a.m.

    Glad you were able to try out your idea. We are only using video to capture students’ science discussions as we believe this is where ideas come together. Videotaping a science activity is always revealing. We were worried about capturing sound when all students are actively engaged in small groups.

  • Myriam Steinback

    Guest
    May 20, 2016 | 08:34 a.m.

    It’s the best way to learn: to see and hear what has happened or is happening in the classroom and what sense students are making of the science ideas – what a great project! How feasible is it for this tool to be available to many? Thank you for sharing.

  • Icon for: Susan Doubler

    Susan Doubler

    Lead Presenter
    Senior Researcher
    May 22, 2016 | 10:55 p.m.

    Miriam,
    The hardware and software need more refinement. But, in the future the system could be made widely available. We imagine it would be comparable to purchasing a smart board for the classroom.

  • Further posting is closed as the event has ended.