Visual Problem Appraisal Using filmed narratives for learning and mediated participation

1. Visual Problem Appraisal Using filmed narratives for learning and mediated participation LoesWitteveen, Eva van den Broek and Rico Lie ICT Tools – Ink4DEV – CTA Sept. 24 - 27, 2012

2. What is VPA? • Visual Problem Appraisal (VPA) creates a film-based learning environment to enhance the analysis of complex issues and facilitate a plan of action. It is used in workshops dealing with problem analysis and policy design, and involves the participants ‘meeting’ stakeholders through the latter’s filmed narratives. • VPA creates a space of social dialogue for users to explore a complex multi-stakeholder setting.

3. The educational design of VPA • Considers diverse learning styles • Focuses on ‘wicked problem’ and complex multi-stakeholders settings • Provides a learning environment that provides an alternative to the reality of fieldwork

4. A typical VPA set • A typical VPA set consists of: • Between 15 and 30 filmed stakeholder interviews • Two documentaries • A facilitators’ guide • A workbook • Power point templates

5. VPA Productions • 2012 - South Africa Rural Livelihoods in KwaZulu-Natal • 2008 - Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia AIDS and Rural Development in Sub-Saharan Africa • 2003 - India Kerala’s Coast • 1996 - Guyana, Surinam and French Guyana Rice from the Guyana’s

6. A typical workshop: the set-up • A consultancy assignment: kick-off meeting, scoping, stakeholder consultation and action • Elements of a competition game as each team defines a particular learning route, selects different films and therefore obtains different information. • Reflective learning is guided by the VPA workbooks and supported by facilitation.

7. A typical workshop: the process

8. VPA impact assessment The ‘VPA Kerala’s Coast’ in the Master course Management of Development (MoD) at Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences (VHL) 2008/2009. 40 Students from a one year professional master program Management of Development (MoD). A summative anonymous questionnaire was distributed on the last day of the module. Students were free to answer. The evaluation made up of 26 statements to be agreed with on a 5 point Likert scale (strongly disagree – strongly agree). Five of the statements were further refined with an open question.

9. VPA impact in Education:It is a strong simulation “My mind was totally occupied by Kerala’s Coastal Zone information and problems during the last two weeks, I can say I was there because when I was eating, walking and even sleeping I thought about the fishermen, farmers, mangroves etc.” “Somehow I got carried away such that I forget I was watching a video and for some moments it occurred to me like I was actually there, talking to real people.” “I slightly disagree because I would have formulated my personal questions that was never asked during the interview”

10. VPA impact in Education:Learning on complex multi stakeholder issues “I learnt about my bias since I felt that instead of blaming the government or others of their problems they could do something but I realized they had few options because they did not have knowledge, access to information, opportunities” “I used to think that farmers and fisherman can not influence policy formulation”

11. VPA impact in Education:Reflective learning “We were made to learn from our mistakes, we would get ourselves in a ditch by doing the wrong thing. The facilitators did not give us solutions on how to get out of the ditch but just inform you are in a ditch, how to get out depends on you. This kind of learning through mistakes is good for me, if I make 20 mistakes, at least I know there are 20 ways of doing it wrong.”

12. VPA impact in Education:Conclusion Students appreciate the diversity of learning activities as they feel challenged by the flow of events and the feed back loops in the VPA, they experience doubts but from a trustworthy nature as the feedback is resulting from their own decisions and routes followed. The safe environment of the simulation provides students an opportunity to learn from their interaction with un-familiar stakeholders. The VPA creates deliberately a space to reflect critically on these encounters. Students realise it is the freedom to make ‘stupid errors’ and learn from it.

13. VPA impact in the public domainVisual learning strategies can cross boundaries Visual learning strategies can cross boundaries: • Distance • Gender • Cultural, Racial and Caste • ...

14. VPA impact in the public domain • The audience engages as a co-constructor of knowledge. • After ‘meeting’ the Other, the audience rethinks the problem. • It is not just any story…

15. VPA impact “This particular set of videos, that we have seen, it is a method of opening our eyes. We can see the richness that is in our community and how we can gather with them the knowledge from the community, little insights that people say, probably people we all regarded as uneducated, but then we should not confuse the lack of education with the lack of wisdom because those are wise people you can also see just from that video this morning the hopes and the aspirations that people have for themselves, but also for the next generation and there is a lot that can be learned. This must be a sociologist dream to be able to go in and look at what kinds of things the people in the community say and maybe use this and delve deeper into what people in communities say, I think it is a wonderful resource.” Prof Rob Midgley, vice rector of the University of Zululand, South Africa:

16. VPA@Ink4DEV • 1. General Introduction • 2. Workshop VPA Rural Livelihoods in KwaZulu-Natal • 3. Presentation and Discussion of proposed VPA production Value Chain Development; identifying partners.

17. Visual Problem Appraisal Loes.Witteveen@wur.nl Eva.vandenBroek@wur.nl Rico.Lie@wur.nl www.visualproblemappraisal.net