ViBes – Vlogging Beyond Classrooms
Vlogging beyond classrooms (ViBes) is an Erasmus+ project where primary school pupils and teachers from different countries exchanged video blogs (vlogs).
The project can be compared to a traditional pen-pal exchange. The key difference was that communication took place through vlogging rather than letter writing. Pupils and teachers planned, filmed, edited and published their own vlogs on relevant topics. Through this process, they developed new digital skills while broadening their perspectives by seeing the world through other people’s eyes. This also encouraged them to reflect on their own thoughts, attitudes and values.
Another objective of the project was to inspire primary schools around the world to adopt vlogging as a teaching and learning practice that supports a more diverse and inclusive education. Vlogging enabled pupils to communicate their knowledge in new and engaging ways, while providing teachers with fresh opportunities to assess and discover their pupils’ knowledge and skills. Many of the participating teachers have since integrated vlogging into their teaching, as it supports learning across a wide range of curriculum goals.
The project ran for two years. During the first year, three primary schools participated – one each in Norway, Ireland and Belgium. In the second year, nine additional schools joined the project. The results from both exchanges have been shared through conferences, workshops and online resources.
We believe that vlogging is a form of communication that resonates with young people today. Many already create their own vlogs, and even more regularly watch them.
Providing pupils with a tool and method that reflects their everyday media practices can help address the widespread challenge of declining motivation for learning. The project promoted participatory learning by encouraging pupils to be both creators and consumers of content. By taking vlogging beyond the classroom, we hope to inspire meaningful learning experiences that foster engagement, strengthen pupils’ motivation to stay in school, and support their development as active and responsible citizens.
For more information, visit the official ViBes website: https://vibes.skrivesenteret.no.
