This PhD project, being undertaken by Kate Cowan, addresses methodological issues related to the use of video in observational research, focusing particularly on multimodal transcription. The research will review, evaluate, try out and develop methods of transcribing multimodal interaction for academic and also professional purposes, considering how video and forms of multimodal transcription might be used in Early Years classrooms in the process of observation, documentation and assessment of learning. Kate’s previous MPhil and MEd research at the University of Cambridge has focused on communication and literacy in Early Years education, adopting a multimodal perspective. She has spent several years working as a Nursery teacher in Cambridge.Kate is being supervised by Dr Jeff Bezemer and Dr Rosie Flewitt

Update: Dec 2012

During the last quarter I have undertaken a series of research training courses provided by the IoE doctoral school, as well as training relating specifically to the analysis of visual data (CAQDAS Visual Analysis Day – University of Surrey, and MODE events). I have begun transcribing and analysing some sections of my pilot video data, including presenting my video at a recent data analysis workshop facilitated by visiting Professor Frederick Erickson. Sections of this pilot data will form the basis of a talk I am giving at Oxford Brookes in January 2013 as part of ‘Picturing Change’, on the theme of digital visual methodologies for researching early childhood. I have just submitted a book review for the journal ‘Writing and Pedagogy’, and am currently writing a book chapter about creativity in the early years, and a summary of research and policy for a charity’s children’s literacy charter.