What can you learn in three minutes? Critical reflection on an assessment task that embeds technology

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine an assessment task, undertaken by pre‐service science teachers, that integrates the use of technology (in this case digital video‐recorders and video‐editing software) whilst scaffolding skill development. The embedding of technology into the assessment task is purposeful, aiming to address a recognised need for teachers to gain the necessary pedagogical knowledge, technical competence and, importantly, confidence to implement productive technology‐based tasks in their classrooms.

A Wisdom of Practice Scholarship approach has been adopted to critically analyse an aspect of teaching and learning in which the author has been engaged. The evaluation draws on student reflections of the task and student evaluations from two successive cohorts. These data have been analysed against the learning outcomes of the unit, broader principles of assessment design and the extent to which modelling a technology‐based task was seen by the students to be transferable to their own practice.

Development of technological skills emerged as the most frequently mentioned personal learning by the participating students. Others were the development of collaborative skills, communication skills, literacy, critical literacy and science content. Importantly, students believed that what was learned through the assessment project would be applicable to their future work as teachers.

This approach to assessment, providing an opportunity for students to develop and demonstrate generic and subject‐specific learning outcomes in an engaging way as well as gaining experience with appropriate technologies, would be applicable beyond the narrow scope of the study.