Abstract:

This paper explores the use of video as a teaching tool utilising mistakes-based pedagogy. Digital technology has had, and continues to have, substantial impact on educational learning. These new teaching and learning technologies make possible the ‘anywhere, anytime’ delivery, but we need to acknowledge that teaching practical skills online can be difficult for both teachers and leaners. While face-to-face classroom teaching enables encouragement, relationship building and flexibility to help and support students to master skills during practical classes, online tutorials lack that personal observation and support if things don’t go to plan.

Making mistakes is the norm for many students, especially during skill-based activities. As Wenzel (2002) suggests, if students take time to engage in mistakes and use them as a part of a discovery process, student engagement can increase, and they move into a deeper level of understanding. In a schooling context, little or no mistakes generally indicates something was well learnt. The more mistakes made often reflected lower grades. This can trigger negative emotions like anger and fear or embarrassment, resulting in potential learning from those mistakes being lost and students to give up. To enhance mistakes in learning, Wenzel (2002) proposes that they need to be thought of as a part of the pedagogic process, suggesting that when incorporated and accepted into the learning process, mistakes and responses to them become an important problem-solving mechanism.

The fear of making mistakes or asking for help could be significantly reduced with the use of video tutorials, as it allows students’ flexibility and control of their learning, however there is a risk if they don’t get it right and help is not at hand that may give up. Mistakes Based Video Pedagogy (MBVP) is a strategy that can engage and motivate students to actively participate in their learning to successfully gain practical skills. This is a teaching approach developed for practical skill acquisition based on a student-centred learning approach. The key pedagogical perspectives are the use of video as a teaching tool, modelling common mistakes and their remedies within the demonstrations.

My previous study showed the use of MBVP in a face to face classroom context. In this current environment and the next generation classroom to come, it is imperative we explore other strategies and learning design for practical skill acquisition to be delivered completely online. I believe MBVP to be one such strategy to help mitigate issues which will inevitably arise and give students more confidence to proceed. How this is done will be discussed in my paper.

Keywords:

Teaching Practical skills, Online learning, Mistakes based pedagogy.