Audio introduction as didactic resource in the teaching of pre-service teachers

Abstract

In this article we intend to explore audio introduction as a new discursive genre with great potential in the classroom of the subject of Teaching Innovation and initiation to educational research. Although it is a relatively recent submodality of accessibility of audiovisual products for a blind or low vision audience, the truth is that in the United Kingdom its application is quite widespread both in theater and in opera or other live shows. The audio introduction consists of offering a brief explanation in the form of a read text of the work and of the relevant elements of it, so that viewers who, due to a visual impairment, cannot access the images, can better understand and appreciate the text and follow the development of the work together with the rest of the spectators.

We have carried out an innovative project within the framework of the Master’s in Secondary Teacher at the University of Valencia, the main objective of which was the creation of audio introductions of documentary films whose subject was teaching. The selected films were about innovative educational projects around the world. The students had to write an audio introduction in Spanish in which they reported what was viewed from a critical point of view and following a template provided by the teacher. The secondary objectives of the project were multiple: we wanted the students to develop digital skills regarding the recording and editing of the audio track of which the audio introduction consisted of. In addition, we sought to promote reflection on the figure of the innovative teacher, taking as reference documentaries that illustrated real innovative experiences, as well as promoting creativity and collaborative work and establishing relationships between the teaching experiences reflected on the screen and the theoretical content of the classes imparted.

The audio introductions that the students have carried out have reflected the reflection and critical analysis of the documentaries, establishing bridges between the theoretical classes and the practice observed in the teaching experiences viewed. The formal aspects of the audio introduction related to the locution, the sound effects and the writing have been resolved satisfactorily, although originality has not always been shown, and there has been difficulty in guaranteeing the appeal function of the audio introductions. Despite this, audio introduction constitutes a discursive genre with great potential to use in the classroom and to channel and shape the personal reflection of students.