Video Annotation Tools: Technologies to Scaffold, Structure, and Transform Teacher Reflection
Source: Journal of Teacher Education, Volume 60 Number 1, January/February 2009. p. 52-67
(Reviewed by the Portal Team)
Video has long been used to capture microteaching episodes, illustrate classroom cases and practices, and to review teaching practices. Therefore, recent developments in video annotation tools may help to extend and augment teacher self-reflection.
Such tools make possible the documentation and support self-analysis using verifiable evidence as well as to examine changes in development over time. Video annotation tools offer the potential to support both the reflection and analysis of one's own teaching with minimal video editing as well as the ability to associate captured video with related student and teaching evidence. In this article, the authors compare and contrast emerging video annotation tools and describe their applications to support and potentially transform teacher reflection.
The authors identified studies wherein teachers used a video annotation tool to record, annotate, and reflect on their own teaching.
Finally, they selected literature related to several candidate tools that might meet their criteria for inclusion: (a) was used for analyzing one’s own teaching in an authentic
situation (i.e., not microteaching), (b) supported video annotation, and
(c) was currently available.
Although the authors have emphasized support for reflection, video annotation tools have been used to address a wide range of teacher preparation and development concerns,
including board certification, e-portfolios, detection of active student engagement, and teacher and administrator assessment and evaluation. Clearly, the potential for broad application is significant, and in an era of accountability, both the general public and education communities will likely expect or demand that we become increasingly sophisticated in how we implement and assess our practices.
To address these expectations, nascent technological developments such as video annotation tools provide core capabilities that will undoubtedly continue to grow in scope and refine in sophistication and ease of use. The tools reviewed remain under development; they do, however, portend important changes in both the nature and sophistication of the education enterprise. Video annotation tools offer teachers the ability to see, as well as to analyze and refine, practice prior to, during, and following formative field experience.