Abstract
This article outlines a new method for collecting observational data in preschool classrooms using a combination of state-of-the-art audio and visual equipment, including omnidirectional cameras. This audiovisual recording method capitalizes on the advantages of existing in-person and mechanical observational designs. For example, the technique presented in this paper allows researchers to seamlessly follow multiple children as they move throughout their classroom and clearly hear conversations among children in noisy settings without having to be present in the observation environment. In addition to providing a step-by-step, practical guide for how researchers can use this observational technique in their own work, we give evidence that this method will allow researchers to obtain an incredibly detailed picture of children’s behaviors and activities in a fraction of the time and with fewer personnel than is typically required of existing observational designs.