Type of Video Data. Think about the video your study needs.
- Unit of Analysis. Is it the teacher? The student(s)? Both? This will determine your production design and your analysis.
- Volume of Video. It’s easy to capture more video than you need but you also might need some multiple angles, redundancies, etc.
- Analysis. Think about the ways you will be analyzing the data. Certain shots will affect what you can see.
- Editing. Think about the role of editing in your research. Is it needed? Who will do it? Using what parameters, etc.?
Permissions and Blessings. Make sure your have all your consent forms in place and you’ve worked with school personnel to comply with all there needs, requirements, and expectations. Don’t assume they know what your pretense means to their mission.
Equipment Logistics. Determine what equipment you have and what you need. Some options include:
- Micro studio. There are newer, small cameras (smartphones, GoPros, etc.) that can make recording very discrete.
- Traditional. This includes tripods, camcorders, and other gear associated with higher education video recording in.
Classroom Sensitive Videography. This is a whole workshop unto itself, but here are some tenets to guide your planning:
- Do no harm. Make sure your production efforts are as discrete as possible. Think stagehands in a play moving the sets: The idea is not to be seen. The camera alone alters the experience/moment.
- There are no “take twos”. Make sure you are displined in your planning and have redundant processes that protect you from when things fail (and they will).
Data Workflows. How will the data get from the classroom to your office or lab for analysis and, ultimately, to your pre-defined secure storage?
Production Design. This is the final expression of your equipment, logistics, workflows, etc. Production design is ways in which you capture video in the room.
- Audio is everything. Make sure you use microphones when possible and that you do many sound checks.
- Blocking and Staging. Decide if you need to position the teachers or students in a certain way to be recorded. Or, decide where you can place the camera to record them in their natal state.
- B-Roll. Many classroom videos are used for documentary purposes. If so, make sure to capture lots of B-roll.
- Keep things tidy. Don’t make a huge production out of things.
- You’re not there. Make sure that you don’t interact with children or the teacher as part of your production.
Post Production. If your data need editing, you’ll need the talent, tools, and time to do this. You will need to know what analysis, distribution, and archival plans are in place.
Distribution and Archival. Getting the video to the researchers and keeping it safe.