[NOTE: This article has been reviewed by the SRIS leaders, and not copyedited by TESOL, due to its length.]

Introduction

In this article, I provide a practical lesson using “snackable content,” which are concise bite sized nuggets of content in social justice projects. This type of video visualizes the injustice and can be a platform to be a catalyst for enacting real world change (e.g., bring awareness, discussion, policy change etc.). These projects can be fun while teaching students to dig deeper into answering questions regarding social issues. Utilizing technology found on mobile devices is a way to enhance the learning experience further. Such an offering caters to the learning capabilities and skills of the current generation of students. It is imperative for teachers today to tap into these resources in order to maximize the student learning experience. However, one limitation for using technology is sifting through the millions of applications (“apps”) and websites to find those best suited for students.

So, what can we do? In this article, I provide suggestions on practical strategies, tools, and apps to help English language teachers create social justice projects with videos.

Context

I have used videos with social justice topics in EAP and ESP courses with undergraduate university students in Hong Kong on topics such as housing shortages, poverty, asylum seekers and refugees, the plight of domestic workers, and politics. Videos were designed around these themes of social justice in Hong Kong society to keep students acutely engaged. The videos are the product of several weeks of immersion in the topic, including researching and interviewing stakeholders (when possible). It can be scary to introduce social justice projects with students, and even more so when incorporating videos. However, with the step-by-step guidance provided below, and the lesson objectives well planned, videos are a great and easy tool for students to use as agents of social change.

Social Justice Topics

When we think of social justice, this varies based on the people with whom we are conversing on this topic. For Students in Hong Kong, social justice often appears dark to them and they feel powerless. By working through these topics and by producing short videos we teach them how to think, which empowers them and provides hope that these topics are solvable with cooperation and hard work.

Why Videos?

Today, the power of storytelling through video is unparalleled. Videos, via social media platforms such as YouTube,Twitter, Facebook,andInstagram, are able to reach around the globe in a matter of seconds and appeal to emotions more effectively than a written article. We are living in a digital age where there is a high demand for innovation and the ability to learn new things quickly. Moreover, due to the advanced technology of smartphones, students have the ability to create content without the need for expensive school video equipment. Thus, they can express views on politics or culture through videos by simply recording on their phones. This low-cost form of recording allows students to showcase an understanding of important topics while creating personalized artifacts. Additionally, when students work together, they learn to be proactive and dependent on their peers (Hsieh, 2017) while engaging social issues.

Why Social Media?

The power of social media provides an opportunity to engage a global audience (Lyon, 2017). Moreover, social media can be used as a new way to teach and share information (Chawinga, 2017) as well as stimulate today’s generation of learners in a society surrounded by smartphones. Additionally, it gives students the power to affect instant change in not only their community, but throughout the world.

Why Snackable Content?

Snackable content is a concise nugget of subject matter characterized by five elements. Snackable content is eye-catching, short, easy to consume, elicits emotion, and engages the audience (Fernando, 2011; “5 Pro Tips for Mobile Video,” 2015). Social media platforms have helped to popularize this type of video because it is easy to create, and people are more likely to engage with a video on social media than with any other form of content.

Step-by-Step Creating a Social Justice Project

1. Ask Questions and Dig Deeper

Determine what your students know about a topic (I suggest using a topic they are familiar with at this stage, which in my example was the housing shortage), through mindmapping and brainstorming apps such as popplet (iOS), coogle (iOS, Android and web) or bubbl.us (web). These tools make it easy to start a discussion by typing a central question to start a tree (e.g., Is there a housing shortage in Hong Kong?). Students can add more ideas on the same level or branch out on a sub-level (e.g., affordable housing, public housing estate, and homelessness). Students can work individually, in pairs, or in groups. Another benefit of using one of these tools is that it gives the teacher time to teach students how to analyze the issue and allow for follow-up questions.

Alternatively, start by introducing a social justice topic by using poll software and forcing students to take a stance on a controversial topic (such as “the influence of mainland Chinese immigrants to Hong Kong have made Hong Kongers unable to afford apartments.”). Software such as Poll Everywhere, Polldaddy, or Kahoot! can be helpful at this stage. Student responses can be anonymous and they will feel safe in sharing their opinions and gradually build up engagement. This can take the form of asking students who make decisions and who is left out, who benefits and who suffers, why is a given practice fair or unfair, what is required to create change, and what alternatives can we imagine start to recognize injustice existing at the micro and macro level.

2. Read and Reflect

Teachers can educate students about a topic and the different viewpoints involved through the assignment of basic reading material. I prefer to assign a variety of newspaper articles on the topic to expose students to several viewpoints. This is particularly useful to define and apply the problem to their lives. Here, the software Perusall is immensely helpful as it allows students collaboratively to annotate a text by highlighting, asking questions, or posting comments that lead to discussing the social and economic reasons behind the problem. Subsequently, teachers and fellow classmates can respond to those questions or comments offering suggestions as to what can be done about the issue.

3. Choice

Choice is an essential element of this learning process. Students will be more open to learning about a topic if it focuses on something about which they are passionate. In Hong Kong, education is often dominated by being teacher-centered, textbook oriented, and test-centered. Therefore, by moving towards a model that is dialogic and involves greater participation, students feel their views are valued. Teachers can facilitate this by allowing students to pick a specific angle (e.g., waiting time for public housing estates) to explore the connections between the ideals of justice, realities of injustice, and practical solutions of the topic they are studying.

4. Voice

Next, teachers should create a space where students can ask further questions about their topic and express feelings without being observed. I suggest generating a class blog, forum, or wiki (or a noticeboard inside / outside the classroom). This will help students become more familiar with the topic and provide a comfort level when talking about the topic on camera. At this stage, we have enabled conversations about various issues and students have been empowered to voice their concern and question unjust situation in their lives or in the lives of those around them.

5. Write a Script

After learning about the topic thoroughly, teachers can then have students develop a script for the video they want to make. Here, teachers will want to challenge students by making sure that their script addresses the subject matter and opinions they want to convey to their specific audience. I suggest, students consider their target audience thoroughly, and if a video is to go viral, it must resonate with a broad audience.

6. Length

As previously discussed, snackable content is meant to be short. As a result, students should limit videos to 30 seconds or less. A latent function of this requirement is that it encourages students to think critically and logically connect ideas in a concise manner.

7. Make the Video

If both the teacher and student think the script is ready, it is then time to record the video using the camera on their own mobile devices. Here, the students will be acting out the script. This will add authenticity to the learning experience as students will be communicating everything they learned about their specific topic to a global audience.

Students may record shorter videos (10 seconds) and later may want to combine all the video clips into one (the teacher can also combine all the short videos). To do so both Shotcut or Quik (both iOS and Android) are intuitive to use.

8. Post

Publishing an authentic product for the world to see enhances the overall learning experience for students. The ability for students to share these creations adds deeper purpose and meaning to what they learned. Moreover, each class can create a YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter account or Instagram account to post the videos of all the students. A centralized collection of student videos will provide documentation of what the students learned in that particular class. I suggest discussing with the class where to posts the videos to make sure everyone is comfortable with the idea.

9. Reflect

Finally, after posting the videos on social media platforms, students can take the time to watch and reflect on the content. Reflection is essential in completing the learning process. It provides an opportunity to get an overall sense of the growth experienced throughout the project. In addition, students can vote for the best videos in the class. Teachers can utilize the aforementioned survey tools to collect each student’s vote and opinion. These anonymous tools will give students the confidentiality they might need to give honest opinions.

Why This Works!

By giving students the opportunity to create their own videos, they are able to demonstrate understanding of important social justice topics. Moreover, they engage in meaningful reflection about the issue they have studied. Additionally, students gain a sense of accomplishment by developing and starring in a video that is accessible for the whole world to see.

Impact

Students, like ourselves, are concerned and interested about the surrounding world. Through my own experience using social media and videos as a platform to teach social justice topics, students become active participants in improving problematic aspects of their lives. Students feel they can have a direct impact on and be empowered to question the status quo. Students have posted videos on messages with #hashtags linking them to causes and elected officials. The main benefit I discovered was that students tended to see the world more critically and were keen to discuss issues about which they had interest and concern and felt more positive about the future.

Conclusion

As teachers, we have to decide the best way to connect with our students to teach the importance of social responsibility. Hopefully, by incorporating some of the tips and suggestions in this article, we can maximize student engagement and active learning. Furthermore, projects such as this will simultaneously motivate students while instilling confidence because they will know that they can make a difference in the world. Although, it might not be enough to change the injustices in the world, it is a start.

References

Anonymous. (2015, October). 5 Pro Tips For Mobile Video. Streaming Media Magazine, 31-32.

Chawinga, D. W. (2017). Taking social media to a university classroom: Teaching and learning using Twitter and blogs. International Journal of Education Technology in Higher Education, 14(3), 2–19.

Fernando, A. (2011).  Content snacking- and what you can do about it: how do you reach audiences when the primary interface for the content you create will be smartphones, iPads and e-book readers? Communication World, 28(1), 8.

Hsieh, Y-C. (2017). A case study of the dynamics of scaffolding among ESL learners and online resources in collaborative learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 30(1-2), 115–132.

Lyon, J. (2017, June 19). Tapping into the power of social media. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2017/06
/19/tapping-into-the-power-of-social-media/#6e039a315ac0

Wilden, S. (2017). Mobile learning (into the classroom). Oxford UK: Oxford University Press.

Lucas Kohnke is a Teaching Fellow at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research interests include technology-supported teaching and learning, professional-development using ICT, and EAP course design.