From the eyes of a third space witness

An autoethnographic account of gaps in multimedia pedagogy and translation into classrooms

Abstract

As a media developer embedded in a research-intensive university in Australia, I occupy a third space that spans academic, professional, and pedagogical domains. This autoethnographic study examines the persistent disconnect between academics’ content-heavy approaches to educational video production and students’ need for concise, engaging, and pedagogically aligned media. Drawing on my dual role as facilitator and observer, I reflect on the hidden labour involved in translating disciplinary content into video formats informed by principles such as Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. Systemic and design-related barriers, including siloed workflows, limited academic training in multimedia pedagogy, and institutional imperatives for scalability, contribute to this misalignment. From my third space vantage point, I argue for reframing educational video production as a collaborative act of teaching. I propose the establishment of transdisciplinary design teams, the provision of pedagogical training for academics, the use of artificial intelligence to support script development, and the application of learner analytics to evaluate impact. This study contributes to ongoing discourse on multimedia learning by highlighting the role of third space professionals in advancing student-centred, theory-informed digital education in higher education contexts.