by Ali Ward, Learning on Screen
Welcome to ViewFinder Issue 119: The Present and Future of Audiovisual Education
This term we are looking at the present and future of audiovisual education. 2020 saw a huge shift in learning due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Teachers and students alike were suddenly thrown into new ways of working and denied the human interaction of a real life classroom. In this issue we look at some of the projects that were produced during this global event, and how both teachers and students alike adapted to the “new normal”. Key issues include how isolation has affected students’ mental health, the disruption of unfamiliar technology, and even embracing the occasional absurdity of the situation. Above all else, we gain an insight into how education found a way through, not just by using the technology we have, but by the sheer determination to keep going despite such challenging times.
I am pleased to share with you an eclectic mix of articles that explore the topic of online learning. Highlights include Jonny Robert’s experience juggling a classroom of students whilst creating a film in Germany- all remotely, filmmaker Esther Johnson’s new project “Liberation Radio” and Evan R Jones’s punchy “Break Everything ASAP: Reclaiming Electronic Pedagogy”. Learning on Screen’s Gil Toffell discusses the wealth of BBC material in BoB with his article “Unlocking the BBC digital archives: a new era of access to historic television”. Uniquely, there are three excellent undergraduate pieces introduced by their teacher Dr Rebecca Feasey that were produced when lessons moved into an online environment.
It has been a pleasure to edit my first edition of ViewFinder and working with such a diverse range of writers. In our next issue, 120, we will be examining the BBC series Arena.
Enjoy issue 119!