Transforming Professional Development with Video
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If you prefer to listen to Shawn speak about the points in this blog, please watch the video here.
As an educational leader, you’re likely aware of the increasing demand for effective professional development (PD) that genuinely supports teachers. But have you ever wondered how technology, specifically video, is reshaping the way we approach PD? Today, I want to delve into how video technology is being used to bridge the gap between learning and practice, helping teachers become adaptive experts in the classroom.
Why Teachers Matter Most
When I began my educational career 17 years ago, my primary focus was improving student success. As I explored research for my dissertation, I found that the single most influential factor in student achievement was not curriculum, technology, or school leadership. It was teachers—what they say and do every day in the classroom.
In fact, if two students start at the 50th percentile in academic performance, by the time they are 11 years old, the student with high-performing teachers will outpace the student with low-performing teachers by 53 percentile points. That difference can be life-changing, and unfortunately, it’s often irreversible.
So, what’s the key to effective teaching? The answer lies in teacher professional development.
The Challenges of Traditional Teacher Professional Development
PD is vital for improving teaching quality, which in turn drives student achievement. However, the current system of professional development is failing teachers. Most PD programmes are ineffective because they do not meet teachers’ individual needs.
Workshops and short-term training sessions, while popular, focus too heavily on increasing teacher knowledge without offering the necessary support for transferring that knowledge into actual classroom practice. Research shows that less than 5% of teachers who attend traditional PD sessions successfully implement what they’ve learned.
This disconnect between knowledge and practice is known as the “know-do” gap. While PD increases what teachers know, it often fails to change how they teach, which is the real goal if we are to see improvements in student outcomes.
Bridging the "Know-Do" Gap with Effective PD
Effective professional development does exist, but it requires specific elements. According to meta-analyses of PD research, successful programmes must include:
- Modelling: Teachers see examples of effective teaching practices in action.
- Practice: Teachers try out new strategies in their own classrooms.
- Feedback: Teachers receive constructive, timely feedback on their performance.
- Collaboration: Teachers engage in dialogue and problem-solving with peers.
- Coaching: Teachers receive ongoing, personalised coaching over time.
All these experiences should be individualised, ongoing, and embedded in the daily work of teachers. When they are, the “know-do” gap is bridged, allowing teachers to transfer their learning into effective practice.
However, many schools struggle to offer these experiences due to constraints like time, resources, and the logistical challenges of organising regular observations and coaching sessions. So, how can we overcome these barriers?
Enter Video Technology
With funding from the US Department of Education, I developed a prototype that tackled these PD challenges by leveraging video technology. Over the past 15 years, this technology has evolved into IRIS Connect—a platform that enables teachers to record, review, and reflect on their own teaching, share their videos with peers, and receive coaching and feedback.
How IRIS Connect Works
- Recording: Teachers can record their lessons using a mobile app on their personal device, or using IRIS Connect’s portable kits, which include tablets and Bluetooth microphones.
- Review and Reflection: The recorded videos are automatically uploaded to the IRIS Connect platform, where teachers can comment on specific moments using timestamped comments, reflect on their practices, and collaborate with peers.
- Customised Rubrics: Teachers can create observation forms and rubrics to tailor their feedback, making it specific to their needs.
- Video Anonymisation: For added privacy, videos can be anonymised before sharing with others.
These features make it possible to deliver all the key elements of effective PD—modelling, practice, feedback, collaboration, and coaching—without requiring teachers to leave their classrooms or schools to attend external workshops.
IRIS Connect is now used by over 2,500 organisations worldwide for teacher training, ongoing PD, and even programme evaluation.
The Importance of Adaptive Expertise
Video technology is not only useful for routine professional development but also for cultivating adaptive expertise—the ability to innovate and adjust in the face of new challenges.
Consider the example of two astronauts in 2012, tasked with repairing a malfunctioning device on the International Space Station. Despite their expert training, they faced a novel problem: metal shavings had accumulated around a bolt, preventing them from replacing the faulty part. After hours of trying conventional methods, they innovated using a $3 toothbrush to clear the debris and complete the repair.
Like astronauts, teachers often encounter unpredictable challenges. From evolving student needs to changing curriculums, the classroom can be as dynamic as outer space. Teachers need the flexibility to adapt their teaching strategies in real-time, which is what video technology helps foster.
Balancing Routine and Innovation
There’s a sweet spot between efficiency and innovation that every teacher should aim for, known as the optimal adaptability corridor. Routine expertise allows teachers to efficiently manage their classrooms and deliver lessons. However, adaptive expertise enables them to innovate when the usual methods aren’t working.
Video enables teachers to reflect on their routines and identify when adaptations are necessary. It helps answer key questions:
- Are my current teaching practices effective?
- Have changes occurred that require me to adjust?
- Are the changes I’ve implemented having the desired impact?
By facilitating self-reflection and peer feedback, video helps teachers strike the balance between efficiency and adaptation, ensuring they remain effective even in the face of new challenges.
Real-World Impact of Video-Based Coaching
Does this approach work? Yes, and we have evidence to back it up. In 2023, the US Department of Education’s Institute for Education Sciences released findings from a $16 million study, which involved teachers using IRIS Connect alongside Teachstone’s My Teaching Partner programme. The study found that video-based coaching improved student achievement by the equivalent of two additional months of instruction.
The use of video not only provided measurable academic benefits but was also more cost-effective than traditional coaching methods.
Conclusion
Video technology is transforming teacher professional development by addressing the know-do gap and promoting adaptive expertise. IRIS Connect offers educators a scalable, flexible solution to the challenges of PD, enabling them to reflect on their practice, collaborate with peers, and receive ongoing feedback—all essential components of effective PD.
If you’re interested in learning more about how IRIS Connect can support your teachers’ growth, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].
References:
- Institute for Education Sciences
- IRIS Connect
About the Author
Shawn is dedicated to improving student outcomes by empowering educators. With a Ph.D. from Utah State University, he co-founded thereNow, pioneering video for teacher PD, later acquired by IRIS Connect. He’s led major research initiatives and, as Washington STEM’s Director of Strategic Initiatives, oversaw IRIS Connect’s implementation statewide. Shawn frequently presents on video in PD at global institutions like Harvard and NATO. His collaborations with organizations like Mathematica and the Gates Foundation focus on advancing classroom observation research.
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