Video-Creation - A Futuristic Skill?
The approach to knowledge dissemination in Indian Schools has improved by leaps & bounds in the last two decades. CBSE’s NEP 2020 mandate is visionary on this front. Proposed amendments in the pedagogical structure including the removal of the rigid separation of streams and between what is considered vocational vs academic vs extracurricular, through means like art-integrated learning, will be a powerhouse to the growth & development of students based on their unique abilities and strengths.
But there still remains a gap between school education and the expectation of skills children should display in higher education & the workplace, that both Indian and international schools grapple with. And the importance of minimising this gap is best summed up in Benson’s article (2008, p. 637), where he says: ‘If schools have been charged with preparing students to function in the larger world, a world that relies on multiple meaning systems and adaptability, then a focus on transmitting a closed body of literacy shortchanges students of future opportunities.’
In our previous posts, we have made multiple, hopefully convincing arguments, about the rise of video-creation as a popular form of Art-Integrated Learning; it’s inherent versatility in being integrated into all Academic subjects; its universal appeal to all school learners whatever be their ability or background and finally it’s broad impact to a child’s growth & development.
In this article, I will touch upon whether and how Video-creation is a futuristic skill set making it an essential 21st century skill for students and a no-brainer for schools to introduce this in their K-12 curriculum.
The unfortunate recent spate of job losses and downturn globally, firmly brings back the discussion on what skill-sets are and will continue to be perceived as valuable, resilient and futuristic. And while there are a number of articles, blogs and OpEd’s that weigh in on this, the World Economic Forum (WEF) put out this well-researched, informative article that highlights skills for what they refer to as the “jobs of tomorrow”. I will explore my argument in the context of key skill groups indicated in this report.
The 4 skill brackets in the WEF report relate to Problem-Solving which includes skills like creativity, ideation, originality & critical thinking amongst others; Self-Management skills; Working with People & Technology Adaptability.
Let us examine these from the lens of video-creation as a learning tool in schools:
Planning & scripting in video-creation enables early development of storyboarding & ideation skills in children. Prior to the execution of a task, children build the ability to problem-solve & discern the possible outcomes at the planning stage - a crucial skill at all levels of professional work life.
Shooting videos requires children to work with various people as subjects or in the BTS of the shoot. This helps them develop team-working and collaborative skills - which are indispensable in K-12 & years beyond. Additionally, shooting inevitably requires donning a creative hat and developing the power of visualisation – skills that cannot be taught in traditional classrooms.
Recommended by LinkedIn
Editing pushes children to develop an eye for detail and strive for originality & perfection till they get outcomes they are satisfied with This sense of ownership & responsibility of the work produced goes a long way, with building responsible workforce
Framing, Positioning, Lighting etc while being technical skills specific to video-creation, help develop understanding of and an eye for the aesthetics at a young age. Further handling multiple forms of hardware & software makes children more amenable to fast changing futuristic technologies.
Overall student-created video academic projects can enhance motivation, multimodal literacy, problem-solving skills along with the underlying content knowledge.
Globally, everyone is coming around to the idea & importance of skills based knowledge and there is broad consensus that creativity will be the true differentiator of talent & skills in the coming decades. So educators are remiss if they do not seize the opportunity today, to upskill their students on the avant-garde art of Video-creation, that would serve & hold their students in good stead in the years ahead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:
As a mother of two, Arpita Shah is deeply invested in matters related to education. She has worked with world-class organisations like Apple (Silicon Valley) and Goldman Sachs (London), before joining xQ as a PR Specialist. Arpita always strives to bring the best of her cumulative experiences, both to work and in raising two balanced, happy world citizens!