Towards meaningful learning through digital video supported, case based teaching

Abstract

This paper reports an action research case study in which a traditional lecture based, face to face Network Management course at the University of Lapland's Faculty of Social Sciences was developed into two different course versions resorting to case based teaching: a face to face version and an online version. In the face to face version, the teacher designed and produced three digital video supported case studies with the students to be used as learning material for the online version. The research focuses on finding out the student perspective on the following questions: (1) Can designing and producing digital video supported cases constitute a meaningful learning process for the students? (2) Can solving digital video supported cases in an online course support meaningful learning for the students? and (3) What roles do the digital videos play in the online students' meaningful learning process? The research indicates that both designing and producing, as well as solving the digital video supported cases, promoted especially the active and contextual aspects of the students' meaningful learning as well as the students' positive emotional involvement in the learning process. Several implications for further development of the Network Management course and for the development of university teaching across disciplines can be drawn from the results.