A wedding, a funeral, and the end of the world: video resources

for learners in church Grant Barclay, www.grant-barclay.co.uk

Abstract
Faith communities, of which a church is one example, are educational settings in the sense that
people who are involved in them report that they have experienced learning through that
involvement. The sort of learning going on is similar in some respects to learning in higher
education, but there are also significant differences. Video may serve a useful purpose in promoting
education in a faith community setting if it can be produced and distributed with limited resources.
Three features of video are identified in this presentation: that it may create of a sense of
relationship between viewer and those appearing in video clips; that there is value in modelling
helpful cognitive approaches to particular tasks; and the potential relative ease and motivational
gains of comprehending oral communication where it is given in conversation when compared with
material presented in written format. Video allows information to be communicated
conversationally in an apparently informal setting and may thereby encourage learning and
comprehension. This presentation describes a small-scale research project involving the rapid
creation of short video clips within a simple web-based multimedia framework to support specific
learning outcomes and their use in one faith community. It describes two delivery strategies (CD- Very little A great deal
ROM and pseudo-streaming) and compares findings from it in relation to the creation of a sense of
relationship which supports learning with one example of research in a similar subject area in the
field of telepresence. The presentation also makes connections with learning by observation and Figure 1 Responses to question: How much would you say you’ve
vicarious learning in higher education settings. The presentation describes methods used to exploit learned by being involved in church?
digital video and streaming technologies and relates these to issues of resourcing in this educational
setting.
He argues that relatively simple technology is sufficient to create a sense of presence
and argues that it is a sense of 'story' which makes this environment most effective
Introduction for participants.
A survey of those who attend church (Barclay, 2006, unpublished report) suggests A funeral
that churches are places where people report they have learned, and by implication
are ‘students’. A series of open-ended interviews with eleven respondents suggested Using technology in churches is not new: organs to help the singing, public address
people learned through church involvement in a range of ways, including through systems, and more recently digital projectors to display words are not uncommon in
social influences (listening to or observing other people, meeting and talking with Scotland. The manner of using the technology is important. Imagine a busy funeral in
people, asking other people directly for help, through a sense of being supported in a a small church where a number of mourners require to stand outside listening to
group.) This influence of other people seemed important. Video resources which one loudspeaker from the public address system at low volume, which makes it
involve other people talking about a subject might then be a useful way of helping impossible to hear all that is being said in the service. Do those standing outside
people (‘students’) in church to learn. have a meaningful experience of participating? Might a greater sense of participation
be obtained from watching video clips within a multimedia learning environment?
A wedding
Vicarious Learning
Earlier research has investigated whether video can create a sense of presence.
Knudsen (2002) created a 'virtual marriage' where three people (the bride, Other research, carried out through the VICAR Project (McKendree and Mayes,
bridegroom and officiant) were each in separate locations. The only connection was 1997; McKendree, Stenning, Mayes, Lee and Cox, 1998; Lee, Dineen and
by a video link. Knudsen reports: McKendree 1998; Lee, Dineen, McKendree, and Mayes, 1999; Cox, McKendree,
Tobin, and Lee, 1999 Cox, McKendree, Tobin and Lee, 1999) has demonstrated
'[t]he participants reported a strong emotional experience of positive effects on learning when learners were given opportunity to watch video of
togetherness in the shared virtual space, the “virtual church”.' peers, and of peers and tutors, engaged in conversation about the subject matter.
(Knudsen, 2002, pp7-8) The reported benefits were both cognitive (increased understanding) and social
(increasing a sense of belonging to a learning community) (Lee et al, 1999).
Combining Presence Production and Vicarious Learning
It is interesting to speculate what might occur if some of the factors affecting the
production of presence were combined with some insights from vicarious learning.
For example, would there be some sense of personal relationship between
participants and those appearing in video? Would the modelling of concepts,
vocabulary and strategies of approaching the subject influence learners?
The end of the world
An earlier project (Barclay, 2002, unpublished MSc dissertation) reflected on
attempts to create and use multimedia resources to support a group of learners in
church study aspects of the book of Revelation. This was created in web page format
and was distributed on CD-ROM (broadband internet access was not widely available
to participants). More recently the same material has been converted into a format
suitable for pseudo-streaming on demand (Starr, 1997).
The video material was created using analogue video capture, a technique now
superseded by digital video which facilitates capture and creation of video clips with
relative ease using proprietary or freely available software and locate these on web
pages.
Production issues
It was technically feasible with limited knowledge of web page creation to produce
the resource. It was found possible to distribute the material in two ways: originally
on CD-ROM because of the type of internet connections used by participants at
home; but later, online access to all the material was made available, taking advantage
of the 'pseudo-streaming' effect of Windows media files where the clip commences
playing before it fully downloads, but without the need to use a streaming server.
Results
Interviewer-led interviews were carried out with five participants who used this
environment. Some of their comments were captured. They reveal a sense of
relationship with the person appearing and speaking in the video clip. One participant
described this in terms of intimacy:
I like [the video clips] It’s a great thing. That’s far better than reading the
comment ... I think it’s easier to understand somehow. You’re getting
someone speaking to you, giving their idea, getting the impression what
it’s like... I prefer that to the written word because I think it’s more kind
of personal... It’s like a one-to-one thing, you’re speaking to someone
although you’re not talking to them you’re hearing their voice and it’s
more intimate that way. (Participant A)
This participant also made a connection between reading on-screen and watching the
video clip discussing associated material:
I think it’s nice to have somebody speaking like that, and also you can
read about it too ... I’m listening to her idea, which is different from
what I’m reading. That kind of creates more than what you get hearing
her speaking to you, but the two of them combined ... I think it’s better
listening to someone talk. If someone quoted “brotherly love” it would
sound good, but when I see it in writing then it penetrates more- I mean
I can digest it better. I think a combination of both, hearing and seeing
the words, is best. (Participant A)
Another participant compared the on-screen material favourably with printed
material, which may in this case have been connected with personal preference or
learning styles:
I think that’s the thing- it’s the engaging that makes you think ... It’s
engaging with the video clips, engaging with the other people who are
doing the same study, and I think that is one of the things that
encourages you to go back in, to see what’s new... If there’s no-one to
interact with, it’s better than reading a book, but I think the motivation
for me, I enjoy the interaction. (Participant C)
The manner in which participants perceived the video clips varied. For example, one
participant saw 'through' the video clip and realised it was still a one-way
communication:
I’ve not had a chance to look at the internet material. I find this video
clips quite interesting, but it’s still a one way communication.
(Participant B)
Another participant found the interaction with other people was potentially
motivating, but that the involvement of some with a perceived role ('the Minister')
may have inhibited discussion:
The bit about interacting is one of the things I’ve found motivating.
That’s why going to a group is easier than sitting in the house yourself
with the bible... I like the discussion, but obviously it doesn’t work for
everybody else... I think the thing is you’re discussing with other people
who like you are coming from a ... I think that if you give the video clips
and the internet stuff that you should keep completely out of it... We’re
aware the Minister’s watching you .. it may put people off.
(Participant C)
The internet stuff is not as good as watching the clips ... some of it I find
some parts turgid, but having given it a quick read through it gave me
things to think about .. that was interesting. (Participant C)
The idea of something akin to personal presence was also described by this
participant in terms of 'gravitating towards' certain personalities in the clips:
I can remember some of the parts of clips, but you connect in a sense
to some people .. I’m not going back to some clips because I thought
you’re not on the same wavelength I’m on, but other ones are. So I
made the decision to ditch things. And I enjoyed one internet article... I
thought this was off the wall ... But it does help you, having things you
disagree with actually makes you think through what you think. I quite
enjoyed off the wall things or a variety of things. (Participant C)
This theme was continued in this participant's description of why the clips (as
opposed to links to written internet material or written discussion spaces) was
perceived to be helpful:
I find the clips good because, why do I find them good?... It’s I think
that’s the whole thing that makes it different from a book- the difference
is that somebody who’s thought it through is helping you out in a way
that you can’t manage at home without looking at five different books
and doing hours of study. You’ve actually got a teacher, a teacher there
with you- you’re not completely on your own ... I think the point is that
you’re trying to learn more but you’re not trying to gain a degree.
You’re trying to learn to make a difference in how you live your own
life, to help you follow Jesus. And it is far more engaging. I find it
difficult- I’m not motivated enough to sit for half an hour with a turgid
theological book and I have to say there are few people who write these
books in a way that’s easy to read. (Participant C)
The same participant also described the variation among expert views contained in
the clips:
I quite enjoyed them talking to each other ... I think that’s the bit I like
[talked to each other] ... They said, “I’m taking a slightly different point
of view here”, and I enjoyed that. (Participant C)
The areas for text-base discussion were not much used. Few participants made
entries (though some made repeated entries) and watching video clips was reported
to be more stimulating than entering text or reading what others had contributed.
There may be a range of issues involved here, including the difference in media
between the video-recorded clips and text entry of participant contributions; and a
sense of power imbalance fostered by the use of different media.
It would also be interesting to investigate the effects of students producing video
material for others to watch, and the effect of this on those who made the clips, and
those who watched them.
Discussion
This paper describes a very small research project and further study is required to
determine whether the views captured are reflective of a more general population.
Nevertheless these results appear to support the findings of the VICAR Project to
the extent that reports by participants watching video clips of those who are more
knowledgeable appear to be positive in terms of engagement, motivation, and
comprehension.
Reeves and Nass argue that 'The Media Equation' is:
media = real life (Reeves and Nass, 1996)
and that:
‘Media are full participants in our social and natural world.’
(Reeves and Nass, 1996, p.251)
They also argue that the media affect everyone, that what matters most is not the
complexity of the media but 'the pictures in our heads' (Ibid., p.252). This study
appears to confirm that video of this form, despite its relatively low quality,
encourages a sense of engagement with those giving their views in the clips.
This also appears to confirm Knudsen's findings that limited audiovisual technology is
able to create a 'good sense of presence'. He argues that of greater importance than
the quality of sound or picture is the quality of 'storytelling,' by which I understand
him to mean the manner in which those who are not physically present understand
their relation to one another. Knudsen's experiment differs from the case study
reported here in that the three actors in the virtual marriage were able to interact in
real time with one another with a response time afforded by technology of <200ms.
There is therefore the potential for an almost natural to-and-fro of dialogue and
interchange among participants. How far does this dialogue create the narrative? Put
another way, does it require the interaction of participants with one another to
constitute effective telepresence? If so, what type of interaction is needed?
The nature of the relationship between participants and experts in this case study
does not allow for a to-and-fro interaction. The video is pre-recorded, and arguably
the viewer only notionally participates by watching the video. To what extent, then, is
there engagement with the person appearing in the clip? What is the relationship
between the viewer of the material, the material itself and the person appearing in
the clip? In what ways does that sense of presence affect learning?
Vicarious Learning suggests that watching others perform by conversing about a
subject has both social and cognitive benefits. The results from interviews appear to
bear this out, notably in the sense of companionship which is fostered. By
‘companionship’ is meant the sense that someone has come alongside the learner in a
supportive and encouraging way both to impart skills or knowledge but also to foster
the growth of learning.
A sense of presence may be understood as being ‘here with me’ as opposed to ‘there
with you,’ and experienced through watching pre-recorded video. What are learners
sensing and what part are they playing (for example, in the suspension of disbelief) to
enable this apparently supportive experience to develop?
It is interesting that some of the benefits found by the VICAR project are replicated
in a substantially different subject area (in the VICAR Project the subject matter was
educational technology; here it was biblical studies).
There were weaknesses with this project, not least its failure clearly to measure
learning outcomes, its small scale and short duration and lack of triangulation of data.
Nevertheless it is suggested that it offers intriguing pointers for future research.
McKendree, J., Stenning, K., Mayes, T., Lee, J., and Cox, R. (1998) Why Observing a
Dialogue may Benefit Learning: The Vicarious Learner. Journal of Computer Assisted
Learning 14(2) pp.110-119.
McKendree, J., and Mayes, T. (1997) The Vicarious Learner: investigating the benefits
of observing peer dialogues. Retrieved from http://www.media.uwe.ac.uk/masoud/cal-
97/papers/mckendre.htm on 19 Nov 2004
Mayer, R.E., and Moreno, R. (2002) Aids to computer-based multimedia learning.
Learning and Instruction 12 pp.107-119
Moreno, R., and Mayer, R.E. (2000) Engaging students in active learning: The case for
personalized multimedia messages. Journal of Educational Psychology 92 pp.724-733

Note
This paper was first presented at DIVERSE 2006 Conference, Glasgow.
Contact
Grant Barclay, St Kentigern’s Parish Church, Kilmarnock, UK.
Website: www.grant-barclay.co.uk. Email: grant.barclay@tiscali.co.uk
Reeves, B., and Nass, C. (1996) The Media Equation New York: Cambridge
University Press
Starr, G. (1997) Veni, Video Vici: How streamed Video is conquering the web.
University of Southern California: Networker Magazine, November-December 1997,
pp.11-13.

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