Distance Teaching & Learning 2015 -- Social Presence and Online Video

If you record it, will they watch it? And will it matter? (part 2)Exploring students’ perceptions of social presence and online video

slides @ www.patricklowenthal.com

Patrick Lowenthal

educator

researcher

designer

developer

patricklowenthal.com Twitter @plowenthal

Overview

SP & Online Video

Replication w/ Undergraduates

Synchronous “Live” Video

SP cues in Screencasts

BACKGROUND

Social Presence

Social presence is the degree of salience (i.e., quality or state of being there) between two communicators using a communication medium.

METHOD

Regular Video Use

Video Announcements

Instructional Videos (screencasts)

Video Feedback

1

2

3

?

Survey

General Questions

Questions about Video Announcements

Questions about Instructional Videos

Questions about Video Feedback

Data Collection

Spring 2013

Summer 2013

Fall 2013

Spring 2014

Sample

Internet for Educators

Graphic Design for Learning

Online Course Design

101

students

RESULTS

General Background

Females 57%

Males 43%

Experienced Online Learners (Average 10 courses)

Perceived learning (4.58)

Satisfied (4.52)

Importance of Presence

[1 Strongly Disagree --- Strongly Agree 5]

Important to perceive instructor as “real” & “there”

Strongly Agree 4.36

Importance to perceive classmates as “real” & “there”

Agree 3.82

Communication Media

Video: 4.23

Audio: 3.55

Text: 3.45[1 Poor --- Excellent 5]

Rate video, audio, & text in their ability to establish a communicator as a “real” person and being “there” (i.e., social presence)

Lonely

Sometimes feel alone or isolated when taking online courses[1 Strongly Disagree --- Strongly Agree 5]

Neither Agree or Disagree 2.97

Preference

I like it when instructors use videos in online courses.

Agree 4.37

VIDEO ANNOUNCEMENTS

Video Announcements

I read every announcement instructor posts

I watched all announcements

Agree 4.16 Agree 4.08

Video Announcements

When / given a video announcement and a text transcription, which are you more likely to do:

Only read; don’t watch

Read and watch video

Watch but don’t read

31%

46%

23%

Video Announcements

What reasons influence you to watch a video announcement? “If I have time”

“If there is instruction I watch. If it is simply an announcement I will not watch”

“Internet connection speed”

“I always watch the video announcements because they are critical to success in the class”

“Much can be determined from the post's title or subject”

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

Instructional Videos

Like it when my instructor uses instructional videos

Instructional videos are a good way to learn

Strongly Agree 4.51 Strongly Agree 4.46

Instructional Videos

I watched most of the instructional videos created by my instructor this semester?

Strongly / Agree 4.51

Instructional Videos

Prefer instructors use videos they created

Instructional videos created by others add value

Agree 3.57 Agree 3.97

VIDEO FEEDBACK

Preference

I like video feedback

Agree 3.99

Instructional Videos

I watched the video feedback

Watch video feedback more than once?

Agree 4.39Yes 67%

Public Feedback

Helpful to view feedback others receive

Agree 3.12

I think I would watch video feedback instructors gave others

Agree 2.97

OTHER RESULTS

Sync. vs. Async.

Prefer Asynchronous Video87%

Most Valued

Video FeedbackVideo AnnouncementsInstructional Videos9%

19%

72%

Situational Factors

Media Compared

One-on-one two-way synchronous video 4.18 Group two-way synchronous video 3.88 Personal asynchronous video 4.13 General asynchronous video 3.77 One-on-one synchronous audio 3.62 Group synchronous audio 3.15 One-on-one asynchronous audio 3.24 Group asynchronous audio 3.06 One-on-one synchronous text-based 3.61 Group synchronous text-based 3.11 One-on-one asynchronous text-based 3.46 Group asynchronous text-based 3.12

Video & Social Presence

Videos can establish instructor presence 4.34

Video announcements can establish instructor presence 4.22Video feedback can establish instructor presence 4.17Instructional videos can establish instructor presence 4.22I know my instructor better as a result of his use of video 4.05

Enjoyed the use of video in this course 4.45

Agree

Video, audio, and text are all tools for distance communications. Other factors also contribute to the feeling of a real person. Most critical for me is timeliness of the communications. I'd rather have a more immediate text reply that suffer digital silence - even if the communication after the delay is in a high quality video format.

When videos are kept short and focused they can be a very effective tool for learning. Not all information needs to be presented in a video.

The courses where there was some element of video communication, helped me to feel more connected to the instructor (or in the case of 502 not my instructor, but the video instructor). This semester, I do not feel connected to my instructors who have not used any form of video communication.

DISCUSSION

Final Thoughts

One size doesn’t fit all

Video announcements ROI

Subject Matter Difference? Accessibility

REPLICATE

Under Grad. Vs. Grad. preliminary data

• Importance of Instructor vs. Classmates Presence (Grad=4.36; UG=4.31 vs.Grad=3.82;UG= 3.46)

• Sometimes feel alone/isolated (Grad=2.97; UG=2.58)

• Video announcements build instructor presence (Grad.=4.18; UG=4.00;)

• Like video feedback (Grad=3.99; UG=3.63)

• Know instructor better b/c of video (Grad.=4.05; UG=3.58)

• Enjoyed the use of video in this course (Grad.=4.45; UG=4.00)

SYNC. VIDEO

Perceptions of Happy Hour

• Attended Happy Hours to learn course material (M=4.00)

• Attended Happy Hours to learn more about course requirements (M=3.33)

• Attended Happy Hours to get questions answered (M=4.07)

• Attended Happy Hours to get know instructor better (M=4.37)

• Attended Happy Hours to get know fellow students better (M=3.78)

• Attending Happy Hours was a good use of my time (M=4.41)

PRESENCE CUES

Presence Cues

• When asked to recall social presence cue Video Treatment: n=21; 2 wrong; 1 didn’t noticePicture Treatment: n=25; 2 wrong; 7 didn’t notice

• Social Presence Cues were distractingVideo Treatment: M=1.41Picture Treatment: M=1.68

• Social Presence Cues Improved VideosVideo Treatment: M=4.09Picture Treatment: M=3.28

• Better Sense of My InstructorVideo Treatment: M=4.36Picture Treatment: M=3.44

@CONTACT ME

Patrick [email protected]