ALLS shares technical and pedagogical expertise via videos

With lockdown restrictions in place, video-sharing platforms have become practical tools not just in connecting with others but also in facilitating learning. The shift to online instruction blending synchronous and asynchronous strategies increases students’ participation, enabling them to rewatch these lecture-demonstrations anytime they want. Creating a video channel for the Ateneo Laboratory for Learning Sciences (ALLS) would allow them to share their technical and pedagogical knowledge with a broader audience.

With support from the Department of Science and Technology, Commission on Higher Education, Private Education Assistance Committee, and Ateneo, ALLS focuses its research efforts on educational software development and learning analytics. 

According to Jonathan Casano, who manages the production of the videos for the ALLS YouTube channel, the idea to start a YouTube channel was conceived in 2020, when most of the ALLS projects had been wrapped up or were nearing completion. 

“This meant that the software, mobile apps and other products produced from these grants were ready to be shared with the general public. This was what the [YouTube] channel was originally for,” he said. “However, after a few insightful conversations and taking into mind how ALLS’s strengths could be leveraged to benefit the community, the scope of the channel was expanded and clarified to serve 3 primary demographics: 1. Teachers looking for learning tools to use in their classrooms; 2. Researchers interested in the field of Learning Sciences and Learning Engineering; and 3. Students looking for learning tips or possible thesis topics.”

With a rich array of video content publicly available, the ALLS team focused on sharing app features, websites, software, and tools that “revolve around the ways in which technology facilitates learners and learning.” 

Pre-production takes a week, from research and scriptwriting to voiceover recording and video production. 

With a new video uploaded every week, Casano added that topics should impart knowledge to the audience. So, whether it’s an app, software, tool, or research, the weekly featured case should, as Casano said,” in some way, be trying to teach something.”  

Since the channel aims to reinforce learning, featured apps or software should ideally be free or have a free version for educational purposes.

In addition, Casano said that the topic should be a result of an empirical study.

“As part of our goal for the channel’s identity, we hope to reach a future where it becomes a trusted repository that people consult if they are looking for learning systems that are scientifically tested for efficacy and rigor.”

Given the revamp in learning designs and instructional methods, the ALLS team aspires to use their YouTube platform to encourage people to understand various evidence-based learning interventions.

“We hope that our viewers do not only get to try the websites/ apps/ software that we feature and use them in their classes, but through our videos, also get exposed to the scientific process of checking if a certain learning intervention is indeed effective. This way, they would slowly be more discerning in choosing which interventions in the market are effective and which are just sitting on hype,” Casano said. 

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