Point-and-Shoot Video Camera A Boon for Digital Literacy

Pure Digital Technology Inc’s Flip Camera puts digital filming into he hands of everyday people who want to tell their stories. This tiny camcorder is easy to use with its point-and-shoot feature, and doesn’t come with the expense and complexity of conventional camcorders.

The Flip gained wide acceptance not only from average consumers but also from educators who are always looking for innovative ways to have teachable moments. They found the Flip to be simple and inexpen¬sive enough for K–12 students to record interviews and capture video footage for community history projects and documentaries. For college and university faculty, these devices are excellent tools for capturing field-based video or conducting quick interviews.

What’s more, Pure Digital’s Flip could be used to record simple lab procedures for training purposes, such as clinical tasks for nursing or microbiology. The Flip functions well in low light, and students recording field trips, campus life, and peer interviews find the Flip’s low profile doesn’t act as a barrier between interviewer and interviewee. The Flip allows users to cre¬ate video stories and essays, document procedures, interview experts, and record other activities, even as the technology itself becomes invisible.
Furthermore, with broader access to video-capture tools, we’ve seen a proliferation of digital content. Just look at all the YouTube videos and video posts on Facebook.