Rethinking Flight Education: Student Use of Reflection and Video Creation to Enhance Learning

Abstract

This chapter describes an innovative new approach to improve the learning experience of Bachelor of Aviation students at Griffith University, Queensland Australia. As part of their course, the students were asked to create videos and answer reflective questions on the associated learning experience to allow them to reflect on content including aspects of aviation regulation, aerodynamics, flight preparation, aircraft technical, as well as safety and procedural flying. This approach to teaching has been shown to potentially improve the way in which pilots are educated to implement the theory they learnt into practice and thus enhance learning. This is especially relevant under the current circumstances of high pilot demand worldwide and continued pressure to produce more pilots in more efficient ways. In the flight procedures course, the students recorded the videos while practising certain flight tasks on computer workstations in a computer laboratory. Students were able to use screen recording software, before they answered reflective questions that were then assessed. Evaluations of the innovation that were completed afterwards showed that the technique was regarded as highly effective by both students and the academics teaching the course.