In the final part of his series on using video in the classroom, our regular blogger and Unlock author Lewis Lansford explores how teachers can use video to develop students’ critical thinking skills.
Critical thinking is the skill of looking carefully at information and – at the most basic level – considering whether it is true or not. It also includes thinking about the motivation of the information provider (is someone trying to sell me something, or simply educate me?), the language that’s used to convey the message, and whether or not the claims being made are well supported. Good critical thinking skills make students better problem solvers, more astute consumers, and more articulate writers, among many other practical and intellectual benefits.
Closely examine the tone and purpose of a video
Show a video and ask the class to answer two questions about it. 1) How does it make you feel? Excited? Worried? Amused? 2) Why was the video made? To entertain? Educate? Sell a product?
After discussing these ideas, look at the video again and ask the students think about how the desired tone (or feeling) of the video was achieved. Was it exciting because the camera moved quickly to make viewers feel they are in the scene? Did it create warm feelings about a product by showing it in a lovely home surrounded by happy, beautiful people? And was the feeling that the video created the one intended by the video maker? Then have students discuss whether or not the purpose of the video was achieved. Was the message of the educational video clear and well supported? Did the advertisement present the product in such a way that consumers will want to choose it? Was the comedy video funny, or did it fall flat? If you choose, you could have students watch and write about another video outside of class and bring the results back to the classroom for discussion.
Re-write the voiceover to change the purpose of the video
After students have viewed and become familiar with a video, follow up by asking them to completely re-think its message or purpose. Cambridge’s Unlock Listening and Speaking Level 3 includes a video that follows a wildlife protection officer as she tracks a giraffe and finally shoots it with a sedative dart, so that she can relocate it a safer area. However, if you watch the video with the sound off, you realise that she could just as easily be hunting down and killing the giraffe for sport. Students could therefore choose to write an anti-hunting script to go with the images, or if they prefer, they could turn it into an advertisement for the excitement of a big-game hunting safari in Africa. In both cases, they need to think critically about how words and images work together to convey a persuasive message.
Write a totally honest advertisement
The purpose of advertising is to convince consumers to buy things. But what if advertisements simply stated the facts about products? What if fast-food adverts detailed the fat and sugar content and presented statistics about food-related health problems? What if travel advertisements explained the environmental problems associated with travel? What if commercials for services were honest about the poor level of quality that will actually be provided? Have your students choose an advertisement and re-write the voiceover so that it matches the images, but is brutally honest about the product on offer. This is a good way of identifying the type of language used for various purposes.
The activities above can be repeated with different videos, because the outcome will be different with each video used.
Lewis Lansford will be back soon with more advice on developing your students’ skills.
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