Abstract:

The videorecording of spoken interactions in language classrooms has been seen to provide two advantages in assessment: It allows repeated viewings which help promote fairness and reliability in assessment, and it allows the learner to play a key role in the assessment process (Christianson, Hoskins & Watanabe, 2009). A communication skills course for student teachers in Singapore first introduced videorecording and guided analysis by students of their oral presentations in 2009, a time when smartphones, video culture, and digital self-portraiture were in the early stages of development. At the time student teachers responded positively to the developmental value of recording and analyzing one’s presentation for self-development (Macknish, Wilkinson, & Hanington, 2013).

The current study seeks to update these findings. In 2014, almost every student teacher at the National Institute of Education, Singapore, brings a smartphone, tablet, or laptop to tutorials, and thus there is a pervasive ability to capture video and images. Given the pervasiveness of the video-capture culture, do student teachers still find value in viewing and analyzing digital files of their presentations? Or are they sufficiently aware of their on-screen personae that such guided learning activities have become less useful?

This study examines student feedback on end-of-course surveys across several years of responses. It examines responses to both quantitative and qualitative questions on the value of guided self-analysis and the usefulness and suggestions for improvements in the course.

The findings from this study will be used to help refine the design of meaningful tasks for students to improve their presentation skills, with reference to evolving trends of personal video culture.