VIDEO RESEARCH IN EDUCATION

Arttu MykkänenUniversity of Oulu

Learning and Educational Technology Research Unit (LET)arttu.mykkanen@oulu.fi

Todays Content

• General notions about video research

• Approaches to data collection

• Approaches to analysis

• Presentation and transcription styles

• Pros & Cons

Video research in general

• Catches the enactment of the person under

observation and the environmental factors.

– cf. paper-pencil observation.

• Video observations can be utilized as main

method or as a complementary method for other

methods (Surveys, Interviews).

– What occurs in the situation?

– Do people act like they claim they do.

Video research in general

• It can be used in various situations and different kind of contexts.

• Allows many various analytic approaches.

• Gives an restricted view of the situation.

– You are always pointing something and leaving something out.

• Very usable when studying microlevelenactment.– Gestures

DATA COLLECTION

Data collection – theoretical starting points

• Data gathering should be planned carefully,

especially the fact how the data will be analysed in

future.

• Forming the theoretical framework

• Understanding the theoretical starting point helps to

understand the data when approaching the collected

data.

• Selection in the analysis

• Theory as a practical tool; directs the research and

analysis.

• Theory should be ”materialized” somehow in the

data.

• By some product or activity.

Data Collection – Planning the set

• Tell to participants as thoroughly as possible the

different phases and aims of your study.

• The research permission should include

information as a much as possible about:

– Who owns the data and how long.

– How data is stored.

– Use in different contexts.

• Inform the participant about their rights and

flexibility.

Data Collection – Planning the set

• Do you want to follow one or more participants?

• Classroom or some other more peaceful room?

• How many cameras are used for filming?

– What is the specific purpose of every camera.

• Do you use ”free” camera in addition to stable

cameras?

Data Collection – Where to focus

• Teacher’s enactment

– Speech, teaching methods, tool used for

teaching, instruction

• Students’ enactment

– Participation to classroom activities, task

performance

• Interaction

– Teacher - student, student - student

• Content of the lecture

Data collection – tips

– Vary your research ”traditions” as little as possible.

– Stay close to the object that your are filming.

– Use external mike if possible.

– Think about illumination.

– Use several cameras if possible.

– Piloting• Do not conduct the whole data gathering at one time. Try

different executions, for example, change the place of themike, different room.

– If you use more that one camera, make a distinguishable noise before you start

• Helps you to syncronize the films.

– Do not get ”friendly” with the participants.

Data collection – sorting the data

• Don’t leave anything unsorted.

• Mark every event with some kind of a code

– Place, class, people…

• If you work in school or such place give an

overall feedback after data gathering. After

analysis personel and students might have

changed.

• Take backup copy from everything!

ANALYSIS

Analysis

• Starts by concretizing the situation and making

clear what happens in the event.

• Iterative interpretation of the data.

– Picking and selecting the ”essential” events

from the data.

• Scrutinizing these events as thoroughly as

possible.

– Try to find patterns or a behavior from the

data.

• If possible use data ”brainstorming” with your

collegues to check your interpretations.

Analysis – meaningful parts

• Interaction, communication and behavior follows

usually somekind of pattern. (Mehan, 1979)

– What’s the time Denise?

– 2.30

– That´s good Denise!

• The structure of previous interaction is ”hidden”

behind the single frases.

Example of a coding scheme

Whitebread et al. 2009

Inter-coder reliabilities

• Is made in order to carantee the reliability of thecoding scheme and categories.

• Usually two independent coders.

– Cohen’s Kappa.

– Can be done in Nvivo for example.

– Usually only part of the data is coded due thelaborious nature of video data.

• Brainstorming the coding scheme / events with a research group or community.

– This is not a reliability check!

Examples

• Marshmallow

• Luokkahuone

• Kiintymys

• Think what could be

studied for these

examples .

– What would be a

suitable grain size /

event for analysis?

– How to crop an event

from the data?

– How to describe your

results?

PRESENTING THE RESULTS

Transcripts

• Represents on what is happening in the situation

and interaction between participants.

• Transcripts also represents what researcher

wants to emphasize.

– What are you transcriping and what you are

leaving out.

• You must decide how much you are going to

include to the transcript.

– Gestures, expressions, speech sounds etc.

Different options for transcription

• What’s the time Denise?

• 2.30

• That´s good Denise!

Different options for transcription

23. (Teacher) What´s the time Denise

24. (2,3)

25. (Denise) ehmm

26. (0,6)

27. (Denise) Halfpast two

28. (0,5)

29. (Teacher) That´s good Denise

”If you want to show

something from the

data, just do it”

Melander, H, & Sahlström, F, 2009

25

26

27

Different software for video research

• Different tools for different phases

– Rough editing: Movie Maker

– Transcriptions: Inqscribe ja Express scribe

– Analysis and categorisation: Nvivo tai Elan

– Final editing: Movie Maker

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Amout of the data– Captures the situation

ubiquitously• In comparison to paper

and pencil

• Permanent– Can be analysed

countless times

– Allows different kindanalysing methods.

Cons

• Technical problems– Disruptive presence of

camera and theresearcher

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Sustainability– Gives time for reflection

– Can be used as additionaltriangulation for othermethods

– Allows collaborationbetween peers

• In comparison to observation– Details are really hard to

capture ”on fly”• Details might be

unimportant in the moment

Cons

• Too easy to produce toomuch data.– Amount of data can be

ovewhelming.

– Laborious analysis.

Interesting research environment

• Leaforum

• Lastu

Few references to start with

• Derry, S. J., Pea, R. D., Barron, B., Engle, R. A.,

Erickson, F., Goldman, R., Hall, R., ....Sherin, M.

G. (2010). Conducting video research in the

learning sciences: Guidance on selection,

analysis, technology, and ethics. The Journal of

the Learning Sciences, 19(1),3–53

• Goldman, R.,Pea, R.,Barron, B., & Derry, S.

(eds.) (2007).Video research in the learning

sciences.Mahwah, NJ: Erlbau