Using Hypervideo to support undergraduate students' reflection on work practices: a qualitative study

According to several exploratory studies, the HyperVideo seems to be particularly
useful in highlighting the existing connections between the school-based and the
work-based contexts, between authentic work situations and theoretical
underpinnings. This tool and its features, in particular, the video annotation, seems to
constitute an instrument which facilitates the students’ reflection on work-practices.
Even though several researchers have already studied the efficacy of HyperVideo,
studies concerning the qualitative differences between a reflection process activated
with or without its use are still missing. Therefore, the present contribution is
focused on the reflective processes activated by two groups of students engaged in
a higher education course while they carry out a reflective activity on work practices
using the HyperVideo or not. The aim is to investigate wether the HyperVideo can
be useful for students to foster the connection between theoretical concepts and
work practices. Through multi-step qualitative analysis which combined Thematic
Qualitative Text Analysis and Grounded Theory, a sample of reflective reports drafted
by a group of students who employed HiperVideo to make a video-interview on a
work-practice and to reflect on it (Group A) was compared with a sample of
reflective reports drafted by a group who did not use it to complete the same task
(Group B).
The results emerging from the comparison of the coding frequencies between the
two groups show that HyperVideo can support the reflective processes of students,
better connecting theory and professional practice.