Prompting Reflection on Video Cases of Elementary Mathematics in a Virtual Learning Community

• In Event: 72.066 - Poster Session 16
  In Poster Session: 72.066-1 - Teacher Professional Development Poster Session

Abstract

Learning from video cases is a theoretically grounded and popular professional development activity. However, on Virtual Learning Communities (VLCs), responses to video cases are often shallow, and thus their potential impact on teacher learning is questionable. In an experimental investigation of pre-service teachers responding to video clips, we offered different prompts to comment on the clips, and analyzed whether different prompts systematically led to more or less reflective comments. We found that having teachers focus on the teacher or the student was more effective than providing an open-ended focus (“What do you notice?”) in provoking deeply reflective comments. We argue that the more deeply reflective comments both indicate teacher learning and add to community, thereby fulfilling the mission of VLCs.

Authors

• Shereen Oca Beilstein, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Michelle Perry, University of Illinois