Abstract:

The affordability of technology in conjunction with a broad range of software and applications, make feasible the production and hosting of digital video on the web via sharing services such as YouTube (Snelson, 2011) and Vimeo (Sturges & Reyna, 2010). Video production know-how is becoming a ‘desirable’ skill in the 21st century. Social software platforms such as Facebook (West, 2013), Instagram, and Vine (Salomon, 2013) are examples of how people document their everyday activities using digital video.

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are designed to facilitate teaching activities and the delivery of content, but do not foster student’s engagement and active learning (Quinton, 2009). In this regard, authentic assessments using LGDM can create an opportunity to upskill students in the use of technology and to help them ‘learn by doing’ and further engage with their subjects.

Digital media presentations in higher education have been reported as a way to deploy content for blended learning (Bonk & Graham, 2012) and, most recently, to ‘flip’ classrooms (Bergmann & Sams, 2012). Learner-generated digital presentations emerged more than a decade ago in the field of education (pre-service teachers) (Crean, 2001; Hoban & Nielsen, 2013; Kearney & Schuck, 2005; Ludewig, 2001) and it has been incorporated recently into other disciplines. It has been documented that digital presentations provide opportunities for the improvement of student’s skills like problem-solving, cooperative learning, critical thinking, and self-motivation (Malita & Martin, 2010). Other skills developed by participating in the process of designing, creating, and presenting digital presentations include different types of literacy like digital, technological, visual, and global literacy (Frazel, 2010; Malita & Martin, 2010; Robin, McNeil, Cook, Agarwal, & Singhal, 2011). Teachers are using these technologies as a valuable tool for motivation, collaboration, expression, and authentic assessment (Hazzard, 2014). Learner-generated content has been shown to have the potential to add value not only in hands-on experience but also peer-driven learning (Berardi & Blundell, 2014).

This research paper reports the experience implementing LGDM as an assessment tool in Science Education using a novel theoretical framework that considers:
(1) pedagogy and rationale;
(2) student support with digital media;
(3) hosting and distribution of digital presentations;
(4) marking scheme;
(5) group work contribution;
(6) student’s feedback, and;
(7) evaluation.

Keywords:

Digital presentations, learner-generated digital media, digital video in science education, digital storytelling.