BULB: Bright Use of the Light Board

Project introduction and background information

Learning to do mathematical proofs requires examples of good practice as well as guidance to the learner in attempts to construct a proof independently. In written material the construction directions are either mingled with the proof itself or simply missing. In a video though these two threads can be kept separated. However, filming a person writing on the blackboard (or whiteboard for that matter) is a pain, not only because of lighting but also because of the uninviting position of the person writing on the board. Also writing on paper or a tablet makes the learner to feel distant from the teacher. The so-called light board, recently acquired in the web lecture studio of TU/e, is a viable alternative for filming a teacher writing on the blackboard. The light board avoids expensive post-processing of footage, but didactically speaking more importantly, allows to mimic the proximity of teacher and student

Objective and expected outcomes

The guiding vision of the project is the expectation that light board scenes augmented with questions will foster the symbiosis of explaining and understanding. On the one hand, proof and meta-proof are clearly distinguished. The proof-in-progress is on the light board, while the meta-proof is the narrative of the teacher. On the other hand, via auxiliary activities the student is asked to reflect on his/her own cognitive process. The overall setting is aimed at bringing these two levels of reasoning together.

Focus is on

1. experiments towards the development of a workflow and a scripting method for producing (augmented) light board videos in general,
2. the production of video material and the use of tools for augmentation,
3. the evaluation of the usefulness to students,
4. a manual on the practical/ technical aspects of the production,  
5. a report on didactical considerations regarding the resulting clips.

Usefulness of the Light Board Scenes will be measured.