Video-based Research in Education

Anna Sfard, Professor, Education, The University of Haifa

The use of video is widespread these days both in research and in teacher training. In terms of extent and intensity the actual use is well ahead of any theoretical considerations regarding the epistemological/ontological underpinnings of this or of its outcomes. Books that reflect on this use are urgently needed. The book is quite universal in its theme and has an international authorship (admittedly, with Australian majority). David Clarke, the most senior of the editors, is one of the best known, most highly esteemed and most productive members of the international community of learning sciences coming from mathematics education. In particular, he has an impressive record of creating international research networks and of book writing and editing. In result, he has years of experience in collecting and analysing video-recorded data from all over the world. The two other editors are young and promising as scholars. The team, as a whole, may be trusted to do a good job. The applications of the cutting-edge video technology (as well as means for working with video recordings) and the wideness of the perspective and of domains of application seem to be the particular strengths of this book. Also, the different chapters build on the rich experience and theoretical considerations collected so far and thus make an important contribution, well beyond what has been said on the topic in the past.

Gabriele Kaiser, Professor, University of Hamburg, Germany

As the possible editors have pointed out in their description research based on video is strongly and rapidly growing research field all over the world. It has become of high relevance, because it allows deep insight into classrooms or other research fields. The advantages of video compared to research with other observational instruments are its replicability, which allows more valid scientific results. Due to the wide applicability of video-based research in nearly all educational fields, there is a strong need for a book describing the possibilities and limitations of video-based research. The book has as strong advantage that it is an edited book with collected papers covering many areas of research expertise and tackling the theme video-based research from several broad perspectives, especially from a methodological point of view.

Fritjof Sahlström, Professor, Åbo Akademi University, Finland

• Is there a real need for this book?

Yes , there is. The main heading is good. The subtitle is not as compelling. I would consider skipping the agency part, and just go for cross-disciplinary perspectives.

• Is the author a recognised authority in this field?

Yes, indeed, especially the editors. Chapter contributions vary with respect to authority.

• Is the book’s coverage of the subject adequate and appropriate to the level aimed at?

Yes, I do think so. My only major concern is about the lack of screens and internet in the volume. A considerable aspect of today’s sociality, in different settings such as Education, is screen-mediated. There are some quite developed tools for integrating different versions of screen interaction in video research. For the book to be even more up-to-date, I would consider how to deal with screen-mediated sociality.

Editor’s response: The team does not feel there is a need to include an additional chapter on screen-mediated sociality. While there are certainly some interesting research in this area, we do not feel this is a really significant missing aspect of video research or a gap as such. The intention was not to "cover" the subject of video use but rather to provide points of view on the use of video, present a selection of ways to do this and offer examples of actual use. Both Reviewer 1 and 2 felt the scope of the book is satisfactory and appropriate and we also noted Reviewer 1’s comment that the broadness of the perspectives chosen has the potential to turn the book into a handbook for video-based research. This indicates that the coverage of the book is appropriate in its current form.

For the present-day educational researcher, the video camera is what the newly invented microscope was for the 17th century scientist: an instrument for discovering new worlds. This book will make the reader aware of the video’s power to disclose the hitherto unnoticed understandings, sensibilities, and prejudices that reside in the minuscule building blocks of our actions. Since it is through these highly-loaded but almost never reflected-upon little moves that we make even the biggest things happen, watching the world though camera lenses means rewriting the traditional stories of teaching and learning and, in fact, revolutionizing our vision of all human actions. The multi-vocal, multi-perspectival reflection on the video-assisted storytelling to be found in this volume will open the reader's eyes to the depth and breadth of this change and to its numerous gains and challenges. This book should therefore be of interest to anybody who seeks improvement in either educational research or practice.

Professor Anna Sfard, Department of Mathematics Education, University of Haifa