Abstract
This thesis explores how video recordings as a medium and a tool can qualify and improve assistant professors’ competence level, through reflection of own teaching practice, and how it is influenced by personal and organizational practices and policies. The theoretical foundation behind the thesis is Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics, Wenger's social learning theory, and Kolb and Jarvis cognitive learning theories. The study is based on two assistant professor cases, supplemented with two professor cases, and the location is at the Department of Continuous Education (Efter- og videreuddannelsesafdelingen). A qualitative study will be conducted containing: Participatory observation and video recordings of seven teaching sessions and one counseling session, where there will be synchronous video recordings from two parallel angles of interpretation; eleven semi-structured interviews with assistant professors, professors and key informants; and three formal conversations supplemented with informal talks. The study provides a context-specific perspective on the research question (Flyvbjerg, 2010).
Informants are positive about using video recordings to observe own teaching practices, because they become aware of own habits, blind spots, and teaching style is clarified, and professional status and progression become evidence-based. Video recordings must be used with care, because it is vulnerable to be filmed, intimidating to hear and view your own teaching style, and emotionally hard to be pushed out of your comfort zone. This is a barrier which has to be overcome, and it will be, the more you participate.
Video recordings seem to reactivate feelings and experiences that can be conceptualized and attributed meaning through reflection (Kolb, 2012). As a multimodal medium, it is the basis for a divergent knowledge (ibid.) with a large variety of possible focus objects. Video recordings serves as subjective, evidence-based memory, and as the basis for a critical / analytical process (Jarvis, 2006), which can be related to didactical theory. Video recordings seem to be an objectification (Wenger, 2004) and a figurative representation (Kolb, 2012) of the assistant professor and his or her practices. Didactic focus parameters should be selected before the video recording begins. Video recordings seem to be able to: Display acute adjustments in the situation; show didactical progression over time; illustrate the teacher's didactic space; and form the basis for comparative analysis and reflection of their own teaching before, under and after the recording.
Guidance based on selected video sequences can qualify the assistant professor’s reflection and evaluation, and support the assistant professor’s zone of proximal development (Kolb, 1989). Guidance with video sequences as medium must be composed, so roles, processes and didactic focus objects are clearly defined. Video recordings which are shared with others function as reified participation in negotiations in a community (Wenger, 2004).
Video recordings appear to initiate a cognitive reflection process (Kolb, 2012), to be mediating for assistant professors’ learning process and to facilitate a cognitive, emotional and practical transformation with can lead to personal growth (Jarvis, 2006). Video recordings therefore form a basis for competence improvement through increased action potential (Wahlgren, 2010).