Center for the Promotion of Excellence in Higher Education

Kyoto 606-8501, JAPAN

Center for the Promotion of Excellence in Higher Education

Kyoto 606-8501, JAPAN

 

In this poster presentation, we report the principal concepts and the interim results of Web-based Class Observation System (W-COS) which is developed to organize online learning community of university teachers. This system enables authorized members to upload videos of their classes so that they can discuss on them with other members utilizing BBS (Bulletin Board System). This system also provides teachers an experience of CSCL (Computer Supported Learning) which cannot be dismissed in the wide spread of ICT (Information Communication Technology) in Higher Education. W-COS is designed to make the best use of proper characters of online to construct a quite new circumstance for Faculty Development. One of the major findings is that this system is very effective for helping teachers to be more reflective on their perspectives, as they can compare and discuss on their cognition and interpretation of shared video clips of class.

      Of course, there already exist some similar projects such as “Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL)” by Carnegie Foundation and other CSCK communities for teachers. But W-COS differs from these projects in two major points below: 

      1. W-COS is not a mere “tool” for constructing learning community, but a “field” of self action research by teachers on teachers’ development in CSCL. Members of this community design and improve this system by themselves through evaluation of output of this experimental practice. As the basis for this self research community, CPHEK has taken the initiative in peer class visiting for these 10 years, in which faculty members at Kyoto University mutually observe their classes for FD. Depending on and comparing with this preceding experience, the proper character of teachers’ online learning is to become clear.

      2. W-COS is not regarded as substitution for face-to-face situation but as another circumstance for teachers’ mutual leaning. It constructs quite a new “reality”, hence the policy of its development should not be to make quasi face-to-face situation but to construct another proper environment that is effective for teachers’ learning.

      Based on the concept mentioned above, we currently construct a system as follows:

1. Video: Tow horizontally arrayed synchronized pictures are displayed. The left picture focuses on instructor, while the right one catches classroom totally. The left image should be taken from relatively fixed angle, while the right one is taken freely by camera operator’s perspective. This disposition of pictures is based on the fact that the right sphere is more active than left one for right handed person. This two parallel picture method has many advantages such as 1) Students’ behaviour is observable as well as instructors’. 2)  The perceived vividness of images is dramatically enhanced than using only one picture. Consequently, one can concentrate on videos much longer. 3) As viewer’s attention can shift more freely, more diversity of interpretation comes possible.

2. Voice and Sound: Voice and sound is decisive in one’s comprehension of situation. With clear sound, the perceived detailedness of pictures is increased. Therefore, we mix sounds from four channels of microphones in a classroom.

3. Upload on the Web: Each class’s video is divided into 10-15 minutes’ units, and uploaded in WMV format. The instructor selects one focused scene that s/he wants to discuss on. It is desirable that the selected scene include a kind of crisis of the class. This means that there was some challenging situation, which the instructor noticed and tried to solve. In addition to videos, other materials such as handouts syllabi etc can also be uploaded to help comprehension of the context of class.

4. Web board: StandardBSS (Bulletin Board System) are used for the discussion on videos.

5. Authorization of user: Only authorised members can access W-COS. For each session, users are required to enter her/his ID and password, and should accept the policy to protect teachers’ and students’ privacy. The access log is recorded for father analysis.