Sharing practice – green screen module evaluations

Sharing practice – this blog post highlights how working closely with the TEL team, creativity and new technology can be combined.

When students reflect on their modules we would all like to know that they have consciously looked back on all their experiences during their module and really thought about what they tell you? In this example, one group of students were encouraged to do this, supported by the design of the task.

The reflective task was presented to one cohort of the level 6 Education Studies students taught by Dr. Angie Daly and Dr. Craig Hammond. The task was presented using the medium that they would be required to use in order to complete the task. We produced a video of Angie using “green screen” or chroma key technology (Figs 1, 2 & 3). After the students watched the video, its construction was broken down into stages to demonstrate how it had been created. The students were directed how to create a chroma key video of their own, thus providing an opportunity to experience 21^st century technical skills that they will take away with them. (see Fig 4) They needed to reflect on the module, think about any visual resources used to support their narrative and combine the two in the reflective video.

Green screen or “Chroma keying” is a special effect that involves the removal of one layer of colour from a video or photograph and replacing that area with something else (Fig 2), something that used to be restricted to those working on a Universal Studio backlot. Here at Marsh we used a portable green screen (also available in Tithebarn from the AV/IT team) and an ipad (with Do Ink green screen app £2.99 and the free panopto app installed) plus no more than 10 minutes instruction time to get them going on their videos. (We used a tripod to hold the ipad steady but this is optional.)

The video of Angie was uploaded into panopto and hosted within Canvas for the students to access whenever they needed to. The final student videos (Fig 4) were submitted into panopto using the submission portal in the panopto app on the ipads so they can be viewed by the tutors on the course. The videos were filmed, assembled and uploaded into panopto in one afternoon session.

So far we have described two modes of use:- video production by staff for students and video production by students for assessment.

Fig 5

We are all familiar with green screen weather forecasts (Fig 5) and the ability to stand in front of a changing background; to think of green screen technology in such a narrow way excludes the vast number of ways in which green screen technology can be used in a teaching environment. This technology allows the delivery of material to students in a context rich environment, whether the environment has a physical context or a resources rich one. See Figs 3 & 6.

Fig 6 Birmingham University …

You may already be producing videos for your students to view and review. Consider the added dimension that you could include by recording some aspects of those videos using a green screen and possibly adding an element of simulation into the delivery.

There is huge scope for innovation in student produced video with opportunities to increase motivation and retention and deeper study, developing group work and providing 21^st century technical skills for the future job market. There are some great examples on the internet of how these and other simple apps can be combined and used creatively. Whether they create Harry Potter –esk newspapers or projects such as https://vimeo.com/255785345, there are applications for these skills in Education, SSLN and Health.