Next-Generation System Informed By Large-Scale Research
Teachscape
Reflect Video is informed by Teachscape's experience in the Measures of
Effective Teaching (MET) project, led by the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation. As part of the MET project, Teachscape developed panoramic
video-capture sharing and scoring tools used in 3,000 classrooms to capture over
23,000 lessons, and scored those lessons over 80,000 times using a variety of
observation frameworks.
With Teachscape Reflect Video, Teachscape has integrated the lessons learned through the MET project to develop a next-generation system for video capture and sharing to promote effective teaching. Today, Teachscape Reflect Video supports any video-recording device. By allowing video playback of classroom teaching, and providing online collaboration and publishing tools that allow live examples of teaching practices to be shared, Teachscape Reflect Video is an essential tool enabling educators to strengthen their practice based on a common understanding of effective teaching.
Video-Based Solution for Large-Scale Lesson Observation
One of the most difficult challenges in the MET project was finding a way to observe tens of thousands of lessons at a reasonable cost. For videotaped lessons to become viable for classroom observation, the project had to overcome several technical challenges. The solution, engineered by Teachscape, involves a panoramic digital video-capture system that is easy to use, requires minimal training to set up, and does not require a cameraperson. The participating teachers offered commentary on their lessons (e.g., specifying the learning objective). Then, trained raters scored the lessons, using Teachscape software, based on classroom observation protocols developed by leading academics and professional development experts. These protocols included:
- The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) developed at the University of Virginia
- The New Framework for Teaching Evaluation Instrument developed by Charlotte Danielson
- The Mathematical Quality of Instruction (MQI) developed at the University of Michigan and Harvard University
- The Protocol for Language Arts Teaching Observation (PLATO) developed at Stanford University
- The Quality Science Teaching (QST) Instrument developed at Stanford University
- The UTeach Observation Protocol developed by the National Math and Science Initiative
- The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards observational protocol
Learn more about Teachscape and the MET project:
Classroom Observations and the MET Project—White Paper
MET Project—Framework for Teaching White Paper
