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Videotaping for Classroom Assessment

Purpose

The UTLC’s videotaping service provides instructors with a simple way to assess their classroom performance. Both experienced teachers and novices have found videotaping useful for improving their teaching skills, identifying areas for improvement, and developing innovative classroom techniques.

Procedures

The procedures for using the service are simple. You can call 334-5078 and arrange to have a staff member videotape your class for assessment purposes. There is no charge for assessment videotapings. Please call a week in advance to schedule a technician to do a videotaping. On the day of the class, a technician will set up a small video camera in a corner of the room and try to capture as much as possible of the interaction between you and your students. At the end of the session, the technician will give you your videotape and the attached checklist to help you analyze your performance. You may keep the cassette at no cost to you.

If you prefer, you may schedule a video camera and tripod for your on use. By placing the camera in the back of the room and starting the taping just before the class begins, you can successfully tape your own presentation.

Suggestions

• If you haven't been videotaped before, you may find that you don’t look or sound the way you think you do. In order to overcome your initial impressions of the stranger on the screen, don’t try to critique your performance on the first viewing - simple get acquainted with yourself as a TV personality. You probably won’t need to watch the entire tape just to get over the novelty of the experience.
• On the second viewing, you can begin to evaluate your presentation style using the teaching analysis form. Before you watch the tape, you may wish to review your class notes and refresh your memory about the content you were trying to convey and the way you intended to present it.
• The teaching characteristics that appear on the analysis form are based on extensive research studies. Please remember that few instructors exhibit all of these characteristics in every class; the purpose of the list is to provide a target for performance that can help you become a more effective teacher. It is helpful to look over the form and familiarize yourself with it before you try to analyze the tape. Cross out items that don’t apply to your teaching situation (for example, if you never lecture, several of the items in section A could be dropped).
• As you watch the tape, look for evidence of each of the teaching characteristics on the list and check the boxes beside the items that you see yourself using. It will be easier for you to view the tape in five-minute increments and work through the checklist one section at a time. However, some of the items can only be checked after you have viewed the entire tape.
• When you have completed the form, first look over each section for boxes that you haven’t checked, since these items provide a starting point for improving your teaching effectiveness. Second, review the items that you did check and decide if you could perform any of these techniques better. When you have finished your analysis, list the elements that you intend to work on in the “teaching goals” section of the form. It is a good idea to work on a few techniques at a time rather than trying to improve everything at once. You can also be videotaped again to check on progress toward your teaching goals.
• Teachers often tend to be over-critical of their performance on tape, so we suggest that you also watch the tape with a colleague whose teaching is known to be effective. Getting an independent opinion can help you put your performance in proper perspective and provides a rare opportunity to talk about your teaching concerns. Also, you can request a consultation with a UTLC staff member. Simply call 334-5068 or come by our office on the first floor in the McIver Building to arrange an appointment. All consultations are confidential.

**This document was adapted from information supplied by the UNC Center for Teaching and Learning.

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Page updated: 23-Dec-2008

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