Abstract:

In Denmark, the 3,5 years professional BA programs of Nursing, Biomedical Laboratory Science and Public Administration all have a curriculum including both theoretical and practical/professional intended learning outcomes. The intended learning outcomes are divided in terms of knowledge, skills and competencies. This study focuses on students obtaining skills and competencies. Competencies is defined as situated, personal and social skills, qualified through reflective processes. Furthermore, to have learned competencies it requires self-reflection – individually or in groups.

There is little known about video reflection as a method for mediating learning of skills and competencies. This study aims to explore the research question: In which way can student-produced videos of simulated professional actions mediate and consolidate students’ reflection in order to learn skills and competencies?

A qualitative study was conducted to explore the students’ experience and learning from the video reflection. The method is based upon a concept called “video-on-video”. It is based on students’ video recordings of themselves performing (simulations of) professional actions. Critical moments from the video recordings - regarded as holding learning potential - are shown to students during focus group interviews. By dwelling with these moments captured on video, tacit knowledge and practice-based actions are becoming the subject of reflection as well. Thus, when students see the video recordings, it is our hypothesis, that the recordings will support students’ reflection-on-action and thereby help consolidate their learning of skills and competencies. Data from the study consists of videos of the students seeing sections of their video recordings (video-on-video). In an interview-workshop the students were asked to comment on the videos regarding if and how the videos supported reflection and learning of skills and gaining competencies. The interview-questions were designed referring to the three levels of reflections regarding the actions performed: premise, product and process. The recordings of interview/workshops are analyzed using thematic analysis.

Preliminary findings show that students can be inspired to reflect on their actions. The students’ reflections on skills and competencies shown in the video seems to derive from both their knowledge as professionals as well as how the assignment is framed. Furthermore, the students’ collaborative video-production seems to produce a new practice-based and a social learning environment. In this learning environment students themselves have to use their professional judgement to decide, what they will present and how they will present actions on video.

Finally the students also reflect upon how the video recordings are used pedagogically, supporting future learning designs that includes students video recording themselves simulating professional actions as a way of bridging theory and practice and putting practice-based skills and competencies on display.

Keywords:

Video, reflection, acquisition of skills and competencies.