ViSuAl Project: Using Video-Supported Collaborative Learning in teacher education and vocational education

ViSuAL is a Video-Supported Education Alliance between six Higher Education Institutions (from Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, Finland, Estonia) and six educational technology companies (from Portugal, England, Finland, Switzerland). EAPRIL is an associated partner organisation in this Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliance project (2018-2020). ViSuAL project has been introduced in EAPRIL conferences. Last year in Estonia there was a spotlight symposium session called “Video Supported Collaborative Learning: insights in the experiments of ViSuAL project” led by Professor of Educational Technology Margus Pedaste from the University of Tartu.

ViSuAL project brings the powerful tool of video into education – students make videos about their experiences for reflection, for learning or for creating, together with collaborative learning pedagogy. Working together with the companies and teacher educators the aim is to develop better designed principles to improve the pedagogy for teachers so that they know how to use this powerful modern tool and pedagogy in their own teaching practice. In short, the pedagogical approach of the ViSuAL project combines learners’ and teachers’ productive video use with collaborative learning and knowledge building.

Currently the second cycle of ViSuAL experimentations is ongoing with many interesting experiments taking place. The Portuguese partners from the University of Évora have an experiment where primary school pupils use Bloco Gráfico’s virtual platform for problem solving and collaborative learning. They also use IRIS Connect in Portugal for reflection in pedagogical supervision. Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (SFIVET)runs an experiment with in-service VET teachers using interactive video tool provided by iVideo.education. The University of Tartu uses Flowbox online video platform for video diaries and IRIS Connect for reflecting on teacher students´ pedagogical practice. JAMK University of Applied Sciences in Finland has experiments with hotel managers (using Flowbox) and with music teachers and post-graduate teachers (using IRIS Connect). The Dutch partners from Aeres University of Applied Sciences Wageningen use IRIS Connect to reflect on the development of teacher students and coaching skills. They also use iVideo.education tool with floral design students.

Using Video-Supported Collaborative Learning in teacher education and vocational education has many benefits:

• Learning is not restricted by a place or time
• Re-analysis is possible
• Reflection develops self and peer assessment skills
• Strengthens the links between theoretical and practical knowledge
• Enables giving and receiving constructive and empowering feedback
• Supports the development of professional identity and agency

Based on the experimentations done during two academic years, the ViSuAL project team is co-creating an evidence-based pedagogical model for Video-Supported Collaborative Learning (led by project coordinator Frank de Jong). The model – that bridges school and practice – will be used and introduced in teacher education so that student teachers become familiar with Video-Supported Collaborative Learning as an educational tool.Currently there is under development one more model for Business-University collaboration under leadership of Experimentation team that is led by Sirpa Laitinen-Väänänen. A MOOC-course and a teacher’s manual will also be available at the end of the project. These outputs will be presented in EAPRIL 2020 in Kufstein, Austria at the end of November 2020.

ViSuAL team