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Beyond words: Video documentation for assessment in craft education
KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Learning, Digital Learning.ORCID iD: 0009-0001-7100-3869
2026 (English)Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Sustainable development
SDG 4: Quality Education
Abstract [en]

This licentiate thesis addresses the question of how practical knowledge can be documented, made visible, and assessed, using examples from the subject of sloyd. Sloyd is a Swedish crafts school subject that includes both soft (textiles) and hard (woodwork and metalwork) material handicrafts. Traditional forms of assessment in schools tend to reward students who are good at written or oral reflection, while students who primarily express their knowledge through practical action risk not having their abilities fully recognized. This creates a problem of equality and inclusion, especially in practical-aesthetic subjects where knowledge is often expressed through the body, materials, tools, and working processes rather than through words.The study consists of two sub-studies. The first examines how students in Year 9 (ages 15-16) documented their work processes in crafts by recording silent videos. The analyses showed that the films made several categories of practical knowledge visible—such as craftsmanship, material knowledge, planning, creativity, and problem solving—but that the students' reflections and reasoning (“know-why”) were more difficult to capture without verbal language. A model for describing practical knowledge was developed in the first sub-study, with four categories: know-how, know-what, know-when, and know-why, and 16 subcategories. In the second sub-study, groups of craft teachers were shown student films and asked to discuss them based on the model describing practical knowledge. The teachers emphasized that video documentation could serve as a valuable complement to traditional forms of assessment by highlighting aspects that might otherwise be overlooked. They also emphasized that the model helped them to put words to the work process and various aspects of practical knowledge. At the same time, certain limitations were noted, such as the risk that selective filming does not always provide an accurate picture of the student's knowledge, and that the reflective element often needed to be supplemented in other ways. In summary, the thesis shows that video documentation can contribute to more nuanced, inclusive, and fair assessment in crafts. By making students' actions observable and reusable, conditions are created for both individual and collegial assessment, which can strengthen transparency and equality in teaching. The results indicate that alternative forms of documentation are not only didactically useful but also central from a democratic and inclusive  IVperspective. Video documentation offers particularly important opportunities for students who have limited language resources, either because they have not yet learned Swedish or because they have other difficulties expressing themselves in words. The thesis therefore argues for a broadening of what counts as knowledge in school assessment practices. Practical knowledge should be recognized as a legitimate and valuable form of knowledge, where action, reflection, and material knowledge interact. By creating space to demonstrate knowledge in different ways, schools can move closer to their mission of providing a more equal and democratic education, where all students' abilities are given the opportunity to be seen, assessed, and valued on equal terms. 

Abstract [sv]

Den här licentiatuppsatsen tar upp frågan om hur praktisk kunskap kan dokumenteras, synliggöras och bedömas, med exempel från slöjdämnet. Traditionella former för bedömning i skolan tenderar att premiera elever som har lätt för skriftlig eller muntlig reflektion, medan elever som främst uttrycker sina kunskaper genom praktiskt handlande riskerar att inte få sina förmågor fullt ut erkända. Detta skapar ett likvärdighets och inkluderingsproblem, särskilt i praktiskt-estetiska ämnen där kunnande ofta uttrycks genom kropp, material, verktyg och process snarare än genom ord. Studien består av två delstudier. I den första undersöks hur elever i årskurs 9 dokumenterade sina arbetsprocesser i slöjd genom att spela in tysta videofilmer. Analyserna visade att filmerna gjorde flera kategorier av praktisk Vkunskap synliga – såsom hantverksskicklighet, materialkännedom, planering, kreativitet och problemlösning – men att elevernas reflektioner och resonemang (”know-why”) var svårare att fånga utan verbalt språk. En modell för att beskriva praktisk kunskap utvecklades i denna delstudie, med fyra kategorier: know-how, know-what, know-when och know-why och sexton underkategorier. I den andra delstudien fick grupper av slöjdlärare ta del av elevfilmer och diskutera dem utifrån modellen som beskriver praktisk kunskap. Lärarna framhöll att videodokumentation kunde fungera som ett värdefullt komplement till traditionella bedömningsformer genom att synliggöra sådant som annars riskerar att förbises. De betonade också att modellen hjälpte dem att sätta ord på arbetsprocessen och olika aspekter av praktisk kunskap. Samtidigt uppmärksammades vissa begränsningar, såsom risken att selektiv filmning inte alltid ger en rättvisande bild av elevens kunnande, samt att det reflekterande momentet ofta behövde kompletteras på andra sätt. Sammanfattningsvis visar uppsatsen att videodokumentation kan bidra till mer nyanserad inkluderande och rättvis bedömning i slöjd. Genom att göra elevers handlingar observerbara och återanvändbara skapas förutsättningar för både individuell och kollegial bedömning, vilket kan stärka transparensen och likvärdigheten i ämnet. Resultaten pekar på att alternativa former av dokumentation inte bara är didaktiskt användbara utan också centrala ur ett demokratiskt och inkluderande perspektiv. Videodokumentation erbjuder särskilt viktiga möjligheter för elever som har begränsade språkliga resurser, på grund av att de inte lärt sig svenska än eller har andra svårigheter att uttrycka sig i ord. Avhandlingen argumenterar därför för en breddning av vad som räknas som kunskap i skolans bedömningspraktiker. Praktisk kunskap bör erkännas som en legitim och värdefull kunskapsform i sin egen rätt, där handling, reflektion och materiellt kunnande samspelar. Genom att skapa utrymme för att visa kunnande på olika sätt kan skolan närma sig sitt uppdrag om en mer jämlik och demokratisk utbildning, där alla elevers förmågor ges möjlighet att synliggöras, bedömas och värderas på lika villkor. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2026. , p. 87
Series
TRITA-ITM-AVL ; 2026:6
Keywords [en]
Practical knowledge, video documentation, sloyd, craft, assessment
Keywords [sv]
Praktisk kunskap, slöjd, video dokumentation, bedömning
National Category
Educational Sciences
Research subject
Technology and Learning
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-376495ISBN: 978-91-8106-532-9 (print)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-376495DiVA, id: diva2:2036462
Presentation
2026-03-06, D 37 / https://kth-se.zoom.us/webinar/64241812389, Lindstedtsvägen 5, Stockholm, 10:00 (Swedish)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2026-02-11 Created: 2026-02-07 Last updated: 2026-03-02Bibliographically approved
List of papers
1. Demonstrating practical knowledge through video in craft education in Swedish schools
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Demonstrating practical knowledge through video in craft education in Swedish schools
2025 (English)In: Discover Education, E-ISSN 2731-5525, Vol. 4, no 1, article id 382Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This study addresses the challenges of documenting and demonstrating practical knowledge (PK) in craft subjects. Acquiring PK is a dynamic process involving experience, reflection, practical work, and active engagement with the environment. The aim of this study is to explore the aspects of PK that can be seen in silent video documentation of the Swedish craft subject Sloyd. Twenty students consented to film and submit videos documenting their craft projects. Four categories of PK were identified: know-how, know-what, know-when, and know-why. The findings from the video data analysis provide valuable insights into PK, showcasing, for example, students’ dexterity, material knowledge, planning, creativity, and decision-making. However, observing reflections in the silent videos was challenging. This study increases our understanding of what PK is in the context of craft education and how it becomes visible in action, offering an alternative or complement to the assessment of students’ written reflections and oral presentations.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer Nature, 2025
Keywords
Craft education, Educational equity, Knowledge demonstration, Practical knowledge, Video documentation
National Category
Didactics
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-372035 (URN)10.1007/s44217-025-00844-5 (DOI)2-s2.0-105017986973 (Scopus ID)
Note

QC 20251105

Available from: 2025-11-05 Created: 2025-11-05 Last updated: 2026-02-07Bibliographically approved
2. Att göra praktisk kunskap bedömningsbar i slöjdundervisning med stöd av videodokumentation
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Att göra praktisk kunskap bedömningsbar i slöjdundervisning med stöd av videodokumentation
(Swedish)Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This study investigates how sloyd teachers can use a model explaining practical knowledge to assess student video documentation in sloyd education. The research arose from the first author's experience with students who face challenges in verbal communication. The model, developed through previous research, identifies different categories of practical knowledge—know-how, know-what, know-when, and know-why—visible in students' craft work. By analyzing video documentation of students' work, teachers can assess the process, not just the final product. Group interviews with craft teachers revealed that video documentation allows for a more inclusive approach to assessment, offering insights into practical knowledge that might otherwise be overlooked. It became clear that practical knowledge can generally be seen in the students' video documentation. However, it turned out that it was challenging to see the students' reflections during the work. The study illustrates how integrating video documentation with the model for practical knowledge can provide a structured framework for discussing and evaluating the process in craft education. 

Keywords
Praktisk kunskap, slöjd, videodokumentation, bedömning
National Category
Educational Sciences
Research subject
Technology and Learning
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-376494 (URN)
Note

QC 20260209

Available from: 2026-02-07 Created: 2026-02-07 Last updated: 2026-02-09Bibliographically approved

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Skarelius, Hanna

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