his seminar will focus on our use of autovideography as a central methodology in a current research project: Students’ personal use of technology to support their learning.

articipant-created video-recordings of students’ authentic academic practices using computer technology are at the heart of this project. We will discuss our rationale for choosing autovideography, outline our interpretations and use of autovideography and present some edited video footage to illustrate autovideography’s potential to uncover unique and powerful data.

An autovideography approach to data capture

Russell Butson – Higher Education Development Centre

Carla Thomson - Higher Education Development Centre

Presenters:

Context

This work is part of a larger project investigating how undergraduate students use technology, in their personal time, to support and develop autonomous learning.

As part of this investigation we needed to collect some detailed information from a small group of students on how they use computer technology in their personal study.

We wanted to get as close as possible to students’ authentic or ‘true’ behaviours

The dilemma/problemDefining the data & devising a method of capture

We initially looked at traditional data gathering techniques such as: Surveys Focus Groups Interviews

However, these methods capture people’s perceptions of their practice and not their actual practice.

What we were interested in capturing is what students actually do rather than what they say they do.

respondents’ self-reported behaviours can be quite inaccurate, calling into question the veracity of research based on self-reported information” (Starr & Fernandez, 2007, p. 179).

“Stupid woman-of course I WATCH television, what else are you supposed to do with it???”

Sorry shouldn't take much longercould you just confirm the maiden name of your mothers uncles second cousin.

Survey ResultsPopulation=146

Please indicate the ratio of how much you use technology in your studies compared to other aspects of your life

However….

Aca

dem

ic u

seO

ther

We have observed a different pictureData from our 4 participants

•lthough the participants used a number of technologies for academic purposes, they all used technology more (or in more sophisticated ways) for social than academic purposes.

•.g. …

Academic useWork

GoogleBlackboard

Banking

Non-Academic use

BloggingFacebook

MSN

email

email

Limewire

Google

min

or

maj

or

Trademe

Potential Solutionssituate the data collection close to the practice

Observation: Observe the participant engaged in study.We found this ‘shadowing’ approach to be invasive and likely to create an ‘unnatural’ experience.

Journaling: The participant would keep a journal of activities. We were concerned about the extra workload + that we were likely to get perceptions rather than practice.

Video – Audio: These offered a low effort on the part of the participant yet a high return on the objectivity of the data.

We could capture practice as it occurred (actual practice)

We could encourage video journaling (perceptions)

Video Journal

•onfessional

•nformational

•ntertainment

•oapbox

Video Journaling

ResearcherObservations

Participant Observations

of Others

ParticipantObservations

Of Self

1

2

3

The Issue of Point-of-View (POV)Ph

otos

audi

ovi

deo

Key TermsWhat we were trying to capture

First Person Point of View we wanted to introduce first-person observational perspectives to the collection and analysis of the video data. We agree with Starr and Fernandez (2007) that

Comparing the videographer’s depiction to the subject’s experience, there are inherent differences in physical and emotional perspective, what is attended to or ignored, and relative emphasis of different elements in the situation. The ability to get closer to the original lived experience would clearly help us understand in new and valuable ways (p. 170).

Self surveillance we envisaged that “giving the natives the camera” (Belk & Kozinets, 2005, p. 130) and distancing our ‘researcher presence’ would go some way towards realising our goal of eliciting actual behaviours. Autovideography, we believed, would enable our participants to be more natural, candid, spontaneous and self-directive in their behaviours than other data collection tools.

What exactly do we mean by these terms?

Essentially participants collect/capture data of their practices within the authentic environment at the moment they occur.

nce we had settled on videography (and audiography) we took it one step further:

ote.. that we didn’t imagine that students would behave in exactly the same ways they would have without any camera presence– we did anticipate a level of ‘performance’

Participants

rd year students

elf report as either a proficient or expert computer user.

ecruitment process

Students Views

fter students had completed a number of videos we asked our participants what they thought of the process.

Process

Group meeting

We had a group meeting with the participants to discuss the process and what was possible. Suggestions were made by both researchers and participants.

Participants were introduced to the technologies

Video cameras + tripods

Audio recorders

Cameras

Participants selected the technologies they wished to start with.

Data collection

The group was asked to create records of their authentic study practices with the technology supplied.

They were free to record and edit (delete, re-record) what they liked.

They popped in to exchange tapes and upload data when required.

•ittle other direction was provided

Video - Practice

•ssay writing

Essay Writing-1

Process of dealing with audio/video

1. Upload and convert data files

2. Watch/listen to all material and markup/annotate/partially transcribe.

3. Identify emerging themes (iterative process)

4. Produce edited clips which exemplify emerging themes

5. Students then view the edited clips and give permission for them to be viewed by other participants and used for research purposes

6. Clips are loaded onto a project website for all members to view

7. Respective clips are burnt to DVD for each participant.

•sed Nvivo for dealing with audio files

•he edited clips are further re-edited for research presentation

Video - Practice

Study

Themes

Linked to/organised according to Practices/Purposes

2. Writing – constructing text/arguments, discussions

3. Planning – scheduling their workload

4. Information management – search – store – retrieve

5. Accessing content

6. Research

•inked to practices

•hy students use technology

Study

Views so far…

The use of video offers us an insight into the concealed processes that students employ in their study.

We have gained new insight into…

The particular processes (workflow) used by our participants in the construction of an essay.

The integration of technologies and texts: audioplayers, wordprocessor, mobile phone, texts, instant messenger, email etc.

The lack of technologies used: Web, planning (outlook), notetaking (onenote), referencing (Endnote)

We have found that the students have gained a better understanding of their practice – with some contemplating changes as a result.

Video - Practice

utlook

Outlook

Where to from here…..

Better quality devices

Improved process…

Capture

InterpretMain

Themes

InterpretMinor

Themes

ResearchersParticipants

AnalysisDevelopPosition

Present Schema

Capture

InterpretMain

Themes

InterpretMinor

Themes

ResearchersParticipants

AnalysisDevelopPosition

Future Schema

Thank you

Video - Practice

ssay writing

Outlook

Video - Practice

ssay writing

Working with Information

Video - Practice

ssay writing

•ime 1:50

Composing

References

Starr, R. G., & Fernandez, K. V. (2007). The Mindcam methodology: perceiving through the native's eye. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 10(2), 168-182.