Original Music Videos As Innovative Instructional Resources for Fisheries

Fisheries generally uses a passive instructional model, nonetheless, both multimodal and active instructional techniques result in better educational outcomes.  I wrote, played, sang and produced original music videos on conceptual topics (e.g., natural selection, competition), habitats (Coastal Plain vegetation), and species’ biology to supplement lecture material for a large (~140 student) non-science majors class in Natural History of Georgia (NHG). Questionnaire responses in 2012 & 2013 demonstrated videos improved students’ attitude towards multiple aspects of class. In 2014, I assigned students a karaoke video group project in NHG and as an individual project in my fish ecology graduate seminar. Video and music were provided or could be obtained via the internet. Students wrote and sang lyrics and videos were shown anonymously in class. Undergraduate responses were strongly positive with 83% responding that the project aided in learning. A variety of potential biases (e.g., year in school, musical ability, group functionality) had no effect on student attitudes.  Surprisingly, 22% of students preferred an exam to the karaoke video project. Graduate student responses were evaluated via triangulation interviews and generally were positive. This research complied with all UGA IRB human subjects requirements.