Edging Ahead…

Project Title: Effective Discussion Behavior
     Project Team:
           Member 1: HS ESL Department Head
           Member 2: HS Modern Languages Mandarin Teacher
           Member 3: HS Librarian

Project Parameters: 20 minute team planning period (before lunch) and a 2 hour production period, followed by group presentations of results. With our disparate team makeup  and collaborative project topic,  our goal was also to complete the project (aside from individual reflections) in the f2f session.

Blog Assignment: Upload the completed project. Reflect on the process of creating the digital story. How could digital storytelling be used in your classroom/subject area.

During the 20-minute planning period we learned that the ESL department had handwritten notes in hand for a planned discussion of “Effective Discussion Behavior” and since each of us engage in some form of “storytelling” in our disciplines, we decided we could build a shared presentation/project using available digital tools.

We then used a FlipVideo camera to grab clips of discussions in progress. We downloaded the ensuing 21 clips and individually assessed them (MP4 files played directly in  Windows Media Player) to see which might illustrate elements of effective discussion identified in the ESL notes. 

Comparing notes, we agreed that eight of the 21 clips effectively illustrated one of the core elements of effective discussion behavior. These elements were;

1. Plan for Discussion (read: Topic of Discussion or problem to be resolved)
2. Putting plans into (immediate) action
3. Practicing Active Listening
4. Actively Participating
5. Attending Fully
6. Paraphrasing
7. Enunciating Clearly (my paraphrasing) with Appropriate Body Language
8. Offering a Solution

With the ESL plan in hand and the demonstration clips selected, the project needed only be assembled in a stand-alone presentation format. We decided to use Smart Recorder to capture screencasts of the relevant demonstration clips, interspersed with title frames of the core discussion elements done in Powerpoint, possibly backed up by an Audicity soundtrack. All three team members were quite comfortable with Powerpoint, somewhat familiar with Audacity, largely unfamiliar with Smart Recorder, and totally new to the FlipVideo Camera.

Result:
With the written plans in hand, the 8 relevant clips isolated and titling a simple task using Powerpoint, assembling the items seemed doable in the allotted time. We quickly found, however, that the tools we had chosen were limiting in several ways, at least for our novice production team:

• FlipVideo camera default appears to be 15 fps, resulting in herky-jerky pans rendering several clips unuseable. We did not have time to investigate 30 fps options and reshoot.
• Sound capture with the FlipVideo cameras included a high level of background noise on most clips. We had only our “one-take” footage to work with.
• Running Full-screen titling slides from Powerpoint hid the Smart Recorder controls, which meant that we had to capture Powerpoint titling in Slide Sorter mode, resulting in extraneous visual elements. (Windows Toolbars, Smart Recorder Controls, etc)
• Smart Recorder Controls are simple but slow. Our “quick & dirty” recording method was to play the WMP clip, then hit Record on Smart Recorder.
• Smart Recording from a playing WMP file appears to have been not very “smart”. The resulting Smart Recording of our project included the following features making it unuseable for instruction or presentation;
  o Transitions between title and subtitle frames and video are unacceptably choppy
  o Image quality of the captured WMP playout is unacceptable due to
          * Dropped video frames resulting in “Keystone-Kops”-like movement
          * Video frames have a “solarized” appearance suggesting incomplete capture
  o Audio frames are either dropped or chopped, resulting in illegible or no sound
  o Transitions between silent Powerpoint Headers and random-sound WMP playout is jarring

What did we learn (or relearn) from this exercise? We learned that;

• Digital production tools must be selected with the same care for desired outcomes that any teaching/learning tools must be chosen.
• Digital production tools, even of the “plug ‘n play” variety, demand expertise in their use in order to be used effectively.
• The time necessary to develop expertise in the use of any of the digital tools presented in this course is beyond the scope of the course.
• It is clearly not “best practice” to simply use digital tools because they are available, if a better tool is already available. In the case of this project, promoting effective discussion would probably be better done using realtime discussion on topics of interest to the target audience.

How could digital storytelling be used in my classroom/subject area?

Although this particular project would, by most standards, be judged a practical failure, as a HS librarian, I see digital storytelling as having major potential for;

• Appealing to students to get involved with the library, its programs and the selection of materials, resources and services it offers
• Creating awareness of ranges of services and materials available in the library
• Developing  awareness of alternative genres (students tend to stay within a reading “zone of comfort”) for independent reading
• Introducing new materials, systems or services in the library
• Promoting interest in and circulation of new titles (and old standards)
• Reviewing Research Skills in a novel and interesting way

Now – if we can just get our hands on a “Round Tuitt”…