Video-Supported Collaborative Learning (VSCL)

We seek to inspire teacher educators, student teachers, teachers at all educational levels and education organisation managers to try using videos to support learning and particularly collaborative learning.

Videos have been used in teaching and learning for decades. However, international studies have discovered that a lot of teachers still do not know how to use videos systematically in teaching and, in particular, in teaching that supports collaborative learning. Just showing a video is not enough to learn from it collaboratively.

Video-Supported Collaborative Learning (VSCL) offers possibilities for students and educators alike to develop their digital pedagogical competences, seen as crucial for navigating the increasingly knowledge-intensive and entrepreneurial working life and society.

This guide provides

•  a brief theoretical background of VSCL and

•  a description of the pedagogical model as well as

•  a business-higher education co-creation model developed in the Video-Supported Education Alliance (ViSuAL) project (2018-2020).

Both models are based on research done and experience with teachers using VSCL in 33 cases in five different European countries. The models developed in the project aim to support teachers in their pedagogical decisions and designing teaching practice by using videos and computer supported collaborative learning. We experienced that the partnership and co-creation and development together with education technology companies helps to capitalize on the latest video solutions and tools as well helping the companies in the development of useful environments for the school practice.

Our research, conducted over 3 years in 5 countries concerning 33 practical cases shows that video can be an excellent tool when combined with collaborative learning. Video bridges theory and practice, because the video is used by, for instance, teacher-students to record their teaching-practice on which students collaboratively reflected and built deeper understanding. The latter develops students’ reflection skills and supports the development of agency e.g. confidence to take ‘grounded’ decisions in their practice. The experiments also helped the teacher-educator to build confidence in decisions about how to use the VSCL in his practice. This Guide introduces some practical examples on how and why educators across Europe have applied pedagogical models in their teaching and learning activities.