Video Learning in Literature

Traditional approaches to studying poetry and prose in Chinese classes often involve memorizing texts, grappling with initial writing tasks, and delving into historical contexts about the poet's era.

Yet, in the Grade 6 Chinese classroom at BBSG, the educational experience transcends these conventions. Here, students not only excel in recitation, analysis, and historical understanding but also participated in an innovative project. They created short videos that convey their insights into rich Chinese cultural customs and their interpretations of traditional poetry.

*Video created by Angel Y on Chinese traditional poetry.

How did the teacher surpass traditional teaching methods to guide students from textual learning to creating their own artistic interpretations, thereby igniting their passion for literature? Annabell, the Head of Chinese at the Junior Secondary School and the Grade 6 Chinese teacher, shared her journey of collaborative growth with her students.

From Poem to Poetry

Ms Annabell explained that the foundation of her lesson planning is rooted in Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives. This educational framework divides learning into six progressive levels: remember, understand, apply, analyse, evaluate, and create.

From the outset of the poetry unit, Ms. Annabell set instructional objectives that extended beyond merely understanding individual texts. Students were aware that their culminating project would involve creating a video about a chosen poem, thereby engaging them in the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy: apply, analyze, evaluate, and create.

In this poetry unit, students conducted text learning and background research independently outside of class hours, which freed up more time during class for text analysis and group discussions. Various literary works were collected for comparative analysis, enabling students to explore and understand how an author's background, language style, and emotional expression influence poetry, therefore deepening their conceptual understanding.

Prior to video production, students were required to carefully consider the organisation of different sections in their projects. They first developed outlines and initial script drafts, which were then refined based on individual feedback from the teacher. Video production commenced only after the approval of a revised second draft of the script.

Growing Participation in Creative Projects

However, Ms Annabell noted that her somewhat 'radical' learning approach was not immediately embraced by all students. When she first introduced the video creation task, only three to four students from the entire class submitted their work. In response, Ms. Annabell organised a class session to watch and discuss these few submissions. Although many students were initially shy, this collaborative review session gradually encouraged them to openly discuss their creative processes and the challenges faced during video production.

*Video created by Ryan W about the Water Sprinkling Festival

In the second project, titled “Documentary on Chinese Cultural Customs,” student engagement significantly increased. They actively sought advice from peers experienced in video editing and collaboratively honed their skills. This enthusiasm was reflected in the near-universal willingness to create and submit videos. The classroom sharing sessions evolved into dynamic 'defense' sessions, where students robustly defended their work, exchanged ideas, pinpointed areas for improvement, and participated in an awards ceremony recognising categories like “Most Creative,” “Most Heartwarming,” and “Best Production.”

Abilities Beyond Classroom:

Formative Assessment and Transferred Skills Development

The assessment of BBSG's Chinese Curriculum has two distinct parts: 'summative assessment,' which includes unit tests and exams, and 'formative assessment,' which emphasises the learning process. Video creations and unit projects are categorised under formative assessment, contributing to the final grade. This dual assessment approach alleviates the pressure of single-exam dependency, enabling students to focus on continuously refining their projects. They are encouraged to strive for excellence, engage in critical thinking, and learn the valuable skills of giving and receiving feedback, all while pursuing the highest standards to present their best work.

*Video created by Kate J about Mid-Autumn Festival

Given the depth of engagement and ownership in these projects, it's unsurprising that students not only treat these projects as their personal creations but also confidently impart their knowledge to others. This ability to teach and share represents the pinnacle of Bloom’s Taxonomy, demonstrating the highest level of learning achievement.

"In this project, every video is an original creation that showcases their wisdom. The multimedia skills they acquire and their abilities in communication and writing can be applied across disciplines and even in real-life situations. I am most proud of their confidence in self-expression, as they demonstrate their understanding and deep thinking in class. These are essential strengths for the future." 

—— Ms Annabell Zhang