Let's take a moment to dispel a few myths:
MYTH 1:
DVDs are a more efficient (or faster) method of learning than books.
TRUTH:
It takes longer to watch a DVD than it does to read the same amount of information. Case in point: recently I was coordinating a project that required the purchase of a marketed magic item. The instructions for this prop were on a DVD. This DVD, was in French and subtitled. So, I ended up "reading" the instructions anyway. Had I transcribed the printed text I would have had no more than a page or a page and a half of material. However, it took about 30 minutes to watch the instructions - about 25 minutes more than I would have required with a printed text.
You do not need to "see" something being done to understand what needs to be done. Further, with books, you can quickly scan a paragraph and know whether or not it needs to be read thoroughly. If it is a description of a move you already know, you can skip it or skim it. With DVDs, you never know what you will be missing unless you watch every moment.
MYTH 2: You actually get more information from watching an explanation than you can be reading about it.
TRUTH: While you might be able to get a better understanding of the timing of a move, DVDs fail to provide all the necessary information needed for a complete understanding of a piece to the level needed for professional performance.
Case in Point: Richard Osterlind released a series of commercially succesful DVDs which some consider excellent. However, he also felt compelled to release a series of companion books explaining theory, structure, and elements of performance he felt were needed for a full understanding of his material. Why was this material not included on the DVD? Clearly it was important, if not critical. The answer is simple. While DVDs are excellent at conveying visual information visually, there is so much more to our performance art than visual information. This type of information is not suited to be conveyed via DVDs. And while some have tried with interview sections in the like, they inevitably take far too long to wade through (see myth 1) and are not an efficient reference source to come back to.
With a DVD you will never receive the depth of understanding and type of information which can be conveyed via a well written book.
MYTH 3: I'm a visual learner and DVDs are better for me.
FACT: Having a Master's Degree in Education I studied learning modalities. People who are visual learners process information well through READING. READING is a visual modality.
People who say DVDs are better for them because they are visual learners are either ignorant of the proper meaning of the term or are lying to themselves. They are using it as an excuse. What they mean to say is, "I don't like reading" or "I'm not very good at reading" and I prefer DVDs. Let's stop deceiving ourselves on this one, shall we?
So, here are three MYTHS exposed. There are many more, but hopefully this will provide food for thought.
Brad Henderson
MYTH 1:
DVDs are a more efficient (or faster) method of learning than books.
TRUTH:
It takes longer to watch a DVD than it does to read the same amount of information. Case in point: recently I was coordinating a project that required the purchase of a marketed magic item. The instructions for this prop were on a DVD. This DVD, was in French and subtitled. So, I ended up "reading" the instructions anyway. Had I transcribed the printed text I would have had no more than a page or a page and a half of material. However, it took about 30 minutes to watch the instructions - about 25 minutes more than I would have required with a printed text.
You do not need to "see" something being done to understand what needs to be done. Further, with books, you can quickly scan a paragraph and know whether or not it needs to be read thoroughly. If it is a description of a move you already know, you can skip it or skim it. With DVDs, you never know what you will be missing unless you watch every moment.
MYTH 2: You actually get more information from watching an explanation than you can be reading about it.
TRUTH: While you might be able to get a better understanding of the timing of a move, DVDs fail to provide all the necessary information needed for a complete understanding of a piece to the level needed for professional performance.
Case in Point: Richard Osterlind released a series of commercially succesful DVDs which some consider excellent. However, he also felt compelled to release a series of companion books explaining theory, structure, and elements of performance he felt were needed for a full understanding of his material. Why was this material not included on the DVD? Clearly it was important, if not critical. The answer is simple. While DVDs are excellent at conveying visual information visually, there is so much more to our performance art than visual information. This type of information is not suited to be conveyed via DVDs. And while some have tried with interview sections in the like, they inevitably take far too long to wade through (see myth 1) and are not an efficient reference source to come back to.
With a DVD you will never receive the depth of understanding and type of information which can be conveyed via a well written book.
MYTH 3: I'm a visual learner and DVDs are better for me.
FACT: Having a Master's Degree in Education I studied learning modalities. People who are visual learners process information well through READING. READING is a visual modality.
People who say DVDs are better for them because they are visual learners are either ignorant of the proper meaning of the term or are lying to themselves. They are using it as an excuse. What they mean to say is, "I don't like reading" or "I'm not very good at reading" and I prefer DVDs. Let's stop deceiving ourselves on this one, shall we?
So, here are three MYTHS exposed. There are many more, but hopefully this will provide food for thought.
Brad Henderson