Video Pedagogy - Trigger videos

Posted by Janne Länsitie

Video itself doesn't lead into learning. Just like teaching activity doesn't directly lead into learning. The learning process always requires learning activity. Learners have to undertake these learning activities on their own. No one can do the learning for them. Therefore teaching activity should be a trigger, a help and instruction for the learning activity. Trigger videos aim to work similarity. They might not be completely fulfilling lectures or films about a particular subject matter. Trigger video might even seem unfinished or confusing to a viewer if it is viewed separately from the learning process which is being triggered.

Trigger video might pose a direct question that is supposed to be dealt with. Perhaps it's discussed with a group of students, in the classroom or workplace or individually in a learning assignment. Trigger video might have the trigger or call for action expressed very clearly but it is often up to the teacher - or who ever is facilitating the learning process - to make sure the learners have reacted to the trigger.

Any video can be used as a trigger. The news, commercial films, tv shows -  and generally anything that educator can insert into pedagogical script can work as trigger videos. They might be really high on production value - or very simple videos made with a mobile device.

Here's and example which is very much in the high end of trigger videos. This video, produced by Leiden University in the Netherlands, is directly linked to the core questions of a particular course in higher education. The course participants can watch the film completely, or episode by episode. The questions that are raised in the film and even directly spoken by the characters are the same questions that the students will deal with.