Representing and Learning from Classroom Processes

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Innovative video-based techniques are opening new windows on the processes involved in teaching and learning. Yet experiences with using video examples as a method of providing instruction about teaching suggests that there are important obstacles to be overcome before this technology can serve as the basis for improving education. This proposal will address the problems involved in developing effective ways to use video records of classroom processes as a means to help teachers reflect on the processes of teaching and learning. The research has two major related goals: 1) studying the cognitive processes involved in learning from video and developing effective combinations of materials and tasks that promote teacher understanding of classroom processes, and 2) developing new methods for producing and disseminating video records of classroom processes that overcome some of the major limitations of current techniques. The proposed studies will describe the problem space of video materials and viewer tasks to find an optimal set of procedures for effectively using vignettes taken from classroom video as an educational technique. To promote generalization of results, the proposed studies will include children at two grade levels (1 & 4) and focus on two central topics in elementary school mathematics (learning about number representation and place value in grade 1, and learning about fraction representation and equivalence in grade 4). The system will be tested for its impact on teacher understanding, teaching practices, and student learning. The system will use the Internet to develop and implement teacher learning communities. Experience in developing and testing these materials will also facilitate extending the approach to other grades and domains.