Abstract:

Using instructor-made videos is already known to increase student engagement in the online environment (Mandernach, 2009). These videos, however, do not need to simply be posted in the announcements or discussion forums to be effective. When students submit work to assess the course objectives, instructors are required to embed feedback in the assignment. This feedback should be inclusive of the content, include feedback on whether or not the student has met the assignment objectives, provide a discussion of grammar, mechanics, and argument writing, and give a snapshot of areas the student can improve upon and those he/she did well. Traditionally, instructors write feedback directly into the essay or insert comments using the “insert comment” feature in Word. In the online environment, however, students are generally reading and writing for much of their education; inserting videos or other interactive features can help create greater student engagement with the topics and content, as well as provide an innovative way for students to understand their instructor’s feedback. In the 21^st century, digital natives are more likely to find a short video more engaging and interesting that a series of written statements (Pan, Sen, Starrett, Bonk, Rodgers, Tikoo, Powell, 2012). Because of the popularity of You-Tube and other online video hosting sites, today’s students are engaged in videos more than any other generation; capitalizing on this interest is essential for the success of these students. Instructors would be wise to consider their students’ backgrounds, their learning styles, and their interests when providing instruction and effective feedback. Providing this feedback does not take substantially more time and effort in the long run, as one would expect. It does, however, take some initial investments of effort and time. Once the initial investment of time and effort to create the videos that touch upon the most common concerns is completed, then the video insertion into student work is simple and easy. It takes no time at all and in fact may save time in the long run. Creating a list of the videos and circumstances under which they should be used will help instructors organize their feedback. Personalization can occur within the text written around the embedded video; for more intensive personalization, the instructor can create a video specific to the student’s strengths and needs, as necessary. Today’s students learn differently. We would be remiss to pass up the opportunity to provide effective feedback in a manner that is best suited to our diverse students’ interests and needs. Using embedded videos can effectively engage the student in the feedback process and help the learner feel more connected to the instructor, the material, and the course.

Mandernach, J. (2009). Effect of instructor-personalized multimedia in the online classroom. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 10(3).

Pan, G., Sen, S., Starrett, D.A., Bonk, C.J., Rodgers, M.L., Tikoo, M., Powell, D.L. (2012). Instructor-made videos as a learner scaffolding tool. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 8(4).

Author Biography: Kimber Underdown is currently OFTF in the College of Education at GCU. She also works on curriculum support and revisions and is the Content Lead for Special Education. Kimber has a B.A. in Special Education, an M.A.T. in Teaching, is ABD in her Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership and is attaining an M.S. in Professional Counseling. Prior to GCU, Kimber worked in the field of special education for 21 years and worked as adjunct faculty at GCU. When she is not teaching, Kimber enjoys spending time with her four children and granddaughter, watching movies, reading, and acting in community theatre productions.