Critical Reflection Webinar
I used Canva and Adobe Premiere Pro to produce a screencast instructional video for the Critical Reflection Seminar for instructors in a language learning program.
Overview
Need
Currently, the program requires the instructors to submit teaching reflections to enhance their ability to provide an inclusive learning environment for diverse learners. However, the supervisor of the program has noticed a lower level of reflection only containing flat statements about the lessons and brief, vague alternatives to improve their lesson. As research suggests that critical reflection could be a tool to reshape thoughts and behavior in teaching practices, instruction on how to critically reflect is necessary for instructors to enhance their ability to reflect and learn from their practice.
Learner
The target learners of this instruction are language instructors in a language learning program in the United States. Observation and interviews with the target learners revealed that they regard writing reflections as trivial as they have an understanding that reflection is just a description of what had happened in class. It was clear that they are mostly unaware of the purpose of reflection or they are aware but they do not know how to reflect for their own good.
Goal
At the end of this training, the instructors will be able to identify the features and the process of critical reflection.
Strategy
- Example & Non-example: In the beginning, I introduced an example and a non-example of the concept so that the learners could clearly understand the features of the critical reflection.
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- General -> Specific: I started by laying out general features of the concept and went into the specific details of the concept, for instance, the process of critical reflection so the new pieces of information could be learned more effectively.
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- Modality Principle: According to Clark & Mayer (2017), learners learn better with visuals and spoken text, which is why I adopted a voiceover to create this video. I kept the text in the presentation minimal to balance written and spoken text so as not to overload the learners.
Material
Canva was used in this webinar video since they have visually appealing templates and visual elements that I can use to support my audience’s understanding of the content. Also, Adobe Premiere Pro was used to add captions, cut out unnecessary footage, and improve the sound quality of the audio.
Visual Consideration
Limited Color Scheme
I used a limited number of colors as a color scheme so that it can create a balance and maintain visual aesthetics throughout the instructional video.
Relevant Image
I used relevant images to convey the meaning of the content more effectively.
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Signalling
I highlighted keywords in the examples of the concept so I could direct the learner's attention and have them notice the key features of the concept.
Formative Assessment
My process of designing the storyboard went through multiple revisions to enhance engagement with the learner. As this was a YouTube video of a one-way transfer of information, I had to design the structure in a way that the learners could get curious to watch more of the video. First, I laid out all the information about the concept I’m introducing, what it is, and how you do it based on previous research. But then, I realized there’s no hook for the learners to be interested in this and want to learn more about it. To address this issue, I added a part where they could see the concrete example of the concept first. Also, I added the subtitles using the caption function in Adobe Premiere Pro as I noticed the accessibility issue on the first draft of my video.
Summative Assessment
"I was surprised at how I can apply emotion in teaching reflections. It helped me distinguish critical reflection and low-level reflection as well."
- Learner A, Language Instructor
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"Very well done. I like this. Lots of information in the presentation. Your voice is great. No ums or ahhs. You come across as very positive and energetic. I also like the pace of the content. It moves quickly but not too quickly. You talk to the slides and you don't read them! Nice work.."
- Craig Davis, Instructional Designer