Video Search

VAST: Academic Video Online:

VAST: Academic Video Online was started by Alexander Street Press in 2011.  It is a multidisciplinary database which contains over 20,000 full videos (9,000+ hours of content).  This database also contains the transcripts of all of its videos.  Additionally, materials are added monthly in order to maintain its currency.¹ 

VAST: Academic Video Online provides two search interface basic and advanced.  The basic search feature allows the user to filter the search by discipline.  While the advanced search offers the users a number of filter options.  

Search Query:

• Is there a correlation between students that are identified as having a learning disability and the high school dropout rate.

Due to the content of this database I decided to search for any relevant videos that featured how learning disabilities affect the life’s of those diagnosed with a disability.  That said I believe that my original concept analysis is relevant to this database.  Therefore, I began my search query as follows:

I conducted my first search using the advanced search interface.  I began my search by inputting the term; learning disabilities in the words anywhere box.  I then placed the following limits:

·         Discipline – Psychology & Counseling and Social Sciences
·         Language of edition – English
·         Date published / released –  (2010 – 2014)


181 hits were retrieved.

While reading the titles of the videos that were retrieved I noticed that the term learning
disabilities had been retrieved independent of each other.  Thus, my intended meaning of the term was lost.  For example, some of the videos were about physical disabilities.    

Thus, I tried a second search using the term learning AND disabilities.  I also applied the same limits as my first search.  I thought that by using the Boolean operator AND, I would be able to refine the search to hits containing my terms in my intended form.  I learned from this search that this database does not recognize Boolean operators, when used in the words anywhere box.  Therefore, the results of this search were the same as my first search.   

On my third search I inputted my search term, learning disabilities into the subject box.  Additionally, I did not place any limits on this search.  16 hits were retrieved.  I noticed that the database automatically applied the Boolean operator AND to this search.  The majority of the hits were relevant because the database searched for hits with the term learning disabilities as one unit.  

Best hit: Life and Learning with Autistic Spectrum (AS)

Link: Life and Learning With Autistic Spectrum (AS)  presented by Wendy Lawson (London, England: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2008), 2:33:59 mins

 

What I learned: Content

This video was very enlightening.  The presenter Wendy Lawson was diagnosed with Autism at an early age.  She begins by talking about what it is like to live with this disorder.  It was fascinating to listen to her perception of the world.  After the introduction, the presentation centers around a comparison of the learning styles found in typically developing children and the learning styles of children that are on the autism spectrum.  Although, this video does not address the correlation between students that are identified as having a learning disability and the high school dropout rate, it does give the viewer insight into the challenges those students that are on the autism spectrum face.  This insight leads you to understand why these students are at risk of dropping out of high school.     

What I learned: Searching

I learned that it is better to search this database using its controlled vocabulary rather than natural language.  Therefore, it is important to take the time to search for appropriate subject terms before starting your search.   

Reflection:

I believe that this database is not user friendly in so far as it requires a user to have some experience using its interface before a user can conduct a successful search.  Thus, it took some trial and error before I was able to figure out how to use the advanced search interface.  For example, although the advanced search interface does allow the user to employ various search boxes and limiters; I could not easily guess what the difference is among the search boxes, by simply reading its title.  Additionally, the help menu of this database does not contain information about the various differences among the search boxes that are provided in the advance search interface.  However, once I learned how to use the advanced interface I was able to find relevant videos.  I believe that this database should revise its help menu in order to assist first time users.  



Reference List:

  1. “Databases A-Z List.” Texas Woman’s University. accessed October 21, 2014. http://twu.edu/library/databases.asp.