Video Education for Kindergarten Mathematics (ViduKids)

ViduKids introduces in early childhood mathematics education innovative methods that are taken from the ideas within the rich technology ecosystem that surrounds video production. Today video is a very common form of communication that even the youngest children know and enjoy. Video is a very motivating tool and brings in many different facets compared to conventional tools. The moving images can help to illustrate more complex structures and can more easily connect with the real world.

The core idea of ViduKids is that children themselves become the active part of the video production process. In this process, using systematic but creative thinking, mathematical content will be re-worked and visualised.

The projects target groups are- Preschool children age 3-6 years- Early childhood educators- Preschool children’s parents- The general public

The project ViduKids has four core objectives:

1. Foster play-based pedagogy and a dynamic learning conceptAccording to Friedrich Fröbel (1887, p. 57), the inventor of the Kindergarten, play is "the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul." Lev Vygotsky (1978, p. 102) supported this view by stating, "In play, a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behaviour." That means the children explore their "Zone of Proximal Development" (ZPD) in play (Van der Veer & Valsiner, 1991). Early childhood educators play an important role. Their task is to challenge the children and encourage them to create new meanings and understandings (Broström, 2017). This is the basis of a relational play-based pedagogy (Hedges & Cooper, 2018).

2. Develop video-based methods for early mathematics educationOur experience clearly shows that the classroom integration of video is a very motivating factor for learners of all ages. Video is a creative and multi-sensory tool bringing in different learning potentials. It is also a dynamic tool, which is especially apt for mathematics content. In order to understand abstract mathematical ideas and relations, young children have to have concrete experiences with tangibles that represent abstract ideas. Video builds a bridge between the abstract mathematical world and the children’s enactive experiences - especially when the children produce videos and not just watch them. Especially learners who struggle have been successful with a video approach. If video is used in a collaborative and reflective way, it can be a powerful tool to support both mathematics and media competence. Evaluation and exchange discussions help young people understand how messages are put together and received.

3. Offer clear pedagogical frameworksThere is still a lot of prejudice against both using new technologies and teaching mathematics in preschool. A video mathematics project will need to be clear for the educator why video should be employed, to which end, what the advantages of such an approach can be and which potential downsides need be anticipated. At the same time, it is vital to have realistic and pragmatic tasks in particular if the educator has never used video before. A first exercise would be limited to one-shot video clips that document a mathematical content or idea. Privacy will need to be carefully observed. Answers need to also be given on how video can be employed with a larger group of children, how parents can be involved in the project, about connecting with other learning areas and also how it can be done without buying any new equipment.

4. Work across EuropeViduKids will put its major emphasis on visual videos without spoken or written language which will be wonderful media for exchange across Europe. The material can be easily and freely shared online.