The document summarizes research investigating students' perceptions of asynchronous video and its impact on social presence. A survey of 68 students found that they viewed instructional videos and video feedback as most helpful in establishing instructor presence. Personal asynchronous videos were viewed as better for social presence than group videos or general asynchronous videos. While video was found to improve social presence, the researcher notes that other factors like timely communication also contribute, and that video may not be necessary or preferred for all situations.

1. Does Video Improve
Social Presence?
Investigating students’ perceptions of
asynchronous video and social presence
slides @ www.patricklowenthal.com

2. Patrick Lowenthal
educator
researcher
designer
developer
patricklowenthal.com
Twitter@plowenthal

3. Overview
Background Method Results Discussion

4. BACKGROUND

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

6. METHOD

7. Regular Video Use
Video Announcements
Instructional Videos (screencasts)
Video Feedback
1
2
3

9. Survey
General Questions
Questions about Video Announcements
Questions about Instructional Videos
Questions about Video Feedback

10. Data Collection
Summer
2013
Fall
2013
Spring
2014
Summer
2014

11. Sample
Internet for Educators
Graphic Design for
Learning
Online Course Design
68
students

12. RESULTS
preliminary

13. General Background
Females 59%
Males 41%
Experienced Online Learners (9.13 avg)
Perceived learning (4.59)
Satisfied (4.59)

14. Importance of Presence
[1 Strongly Disagree --- Strongly Agree 5]
Important to
perceive
instructor as
“real” & “there”
Strongly Agree 4.46
Importance to
perceive
classmates as
“real” & “there”
Agree 3.93

15. 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)

16. Lonely
Sometimes feel alone or
isolated when taking online
courses
[1 Strongly Disagree --- Strongly Agree 5]
Neither Agree or Disagree 3.10

17. Preference
I like it when instructors
use videos in online
courses.
Agree 3.93

18. VIDEO ANNOUNCEMENTS

19. Video Announcements
I read every
announcement
instructor posts
I watched all
announcements
Agree 4.18 Agree 4.03

20. 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
24%
45%
31%

21. 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”

22. INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

23. Instructional Videos
Like it when my
instructor uses
instructional
videos
Instructional
videos are a good
way to learn
Strongly Agree 4.53 Strongly Agree 4.49

24. Instructional Videos
I watched most of the
instructional videos
created by my instructor
this semester?
Strongly / Agree 4.53

25. Instructional Videos
Prefer
instructors use
videos they
created
Instructional
videos created
by others add
value
~ Agree 3.65 Agree 3.96

26. VIDEO FEEDBACK

27. Preference
I like video feedback
Agree 3.98

28. Instructional Videos
I watched the
video feedback
Watch video
feedback more
than once?
Agree 4.35
Yes 63%

29. Public Feedback
Helpful to view
feedback others
receive
Agree 3.11
I would watch
video feedback
instructors gave
other students
Agree 2.92

30. OTHER RESULTS

31. Sync. vs. Async.
Prefer
Asynchronous
Video87%

32. Most Valued
Video Feedback
Video Announcements
Instructional Videos
20%
11%
69%

33. Situational Factors

34. Media Compared
 One-on-one two-way synchronous video 4.22
 Group two-way synchronous video 3.83
 Personal asynchronous video 4.12
 General asynchronous video 3.76
 One-on-one synchronous audio 3.64
 Group synchronous audio 3.18
 One-on-one asynchronous audio 3.27
 Group asynchronous audio 3.10
 One-on-one synchronous text-based 3.61
 Group synchronous text-based 3.00
 One-on-one asynchronous text-based 3.48
 Group asynchronous text-based 3.10

35. Media Compared
 One-on-one two-way synchronous video 4.22
 Group two-way synchronous video 3.83
 Personal asynchronous video 4.12
 General asynchronous video 3.76
 One-on-one synchronous audio 3.64
 Group synchronous audio 3.18
 One-on-one asynchronous audio 3.27
 Group asynchronous audio 3.10
 One-on-one synchronous text-based 3.61
 Group synchronous text-based 3.00
 One-on-one asynchronous text-based 3.48
 Group asynchronous text-based 3.10

36. Media Compared
 One-on-one two-way synchronous video 4.22
 Group two-way synchronous video 3.83
 Personal asynchronous video 4.12
 General asynchronous video 3.76
 One-on-one synchronous audio 3.64
 Group synchronous audio 3.18
 One-on-one asynchronous audio 3.27
 Group asynchronous audio 3.10
 One-on-one synchronous text-based 3.61
 Group synchronous text-based 3.00
 One-on-one asynchronous text-based 3.48
 Group asynchronous text-based 3.10

37. Media Compared
 One-on-one two-way synchronous video 4.22
 Group two-way synchronous video 3.83
 Personal asynchronous video 4.12
 General asynchronous video 3.76
 One-on-one synchronous audio 3.64
 Group synchronous audio 3.18
 One-on-one asynchronous audio 3.27
 Group asynchronous audio 3.10
 One-on-one synchronous text-based 3.61
 Group synchronous text-based 3.00
 One-on-one asynchronous text-based 3.48
 Group asynchronous text-based 3.10

38. Media Compared
 One-on-one two-way synchronous video 4.22
 Group two-way synchronous video 3.83
 Personal asynchronous video 4.12
 General asynchronous video 3.76
 One-on-one synchronous audio 3.64
 Group synchronous audio 3.18
 One-on-one asynchronous audio 3.27
 Group asynchronous audio 3.10
 One-on-one synchronous text-based 3.61
 Group synchronous text-based 3.00
 One-on-one asynchronous text-based 3.48
 Group asynchronous text-based 3.10

39. Media Compared
 One-on-one two-way synchronous video 4.22
 Group two-way synchronous video 3.83
 Personal asynchronous video 4.12
 General asynchronous video 3.76
 One-on-one synchronous audio 3.64
 Group synchronous audio 3.18
 One-on-one asynchronous audio 3.27
 Group asynchronous audio 3.10
 One-on-one synchronous text-based 3.61
 Group synchronous text-based 3.00
 One-on-one asynchronous text-based 3.48
 Group asynchronous text-based 3.10

40. Media Ranked
 One-on-one two-way synchronous video 4.22
 Personal asynchronous video 4.12
 Group two-way synchronous video 3.83
 General asynchronous video 3.76
 One-on-one synchronous audio 3.64
 One-on-one synchronous text-based 3.61
 One-on-one asynchronous text-based 3.48
 One-on-one asynchronous audio 3.27
 Group synchronous audio 3.18
 Group asynchronous audio 3.10
 Group asynchronous text-based 3.10
 Group synchronous text-based 3.00

41. Media Ranked
 One-on-one two-way synchronous video 4.22
 Personal asynchronous video 4.12
 Group two-way synchronous video 3.83
 General asynchronous video 3.76
 One-on-one synchronous audio 3.64
 One-on-one synchronous text-based 3.61
 One-on-one asynchronous text-based 3.48
 One-on-one asynchronous audio 3.27
 Group synchronous audio 3.18
 Group asynchronous audio 3.10
 Group asynchronous text-based 3.10
 Group synchronous text-based 3.00

42. Media Compared
 One-on-one two-way synchronous video 4.22
 Group two-way synchronous video 3.83
 Personal asynchronous video 4.12
 General asynchronous video 3.76
 One-on-one synchronous audio 3.64
 Group synchronous audio 3.18
 One-on-one asynchronous audio 3.27
 Group asynchronous audio 3.10
 One-on-one synchronous text-based 3.61
 Group synchronous text-based 3.00
 One-on-one asynchronous text-based 3.48
 Group asynchronous text-based 3.10

43. Video & Social Presence
Videos can establish instructor presence 4.29
Video announcements can establish instructor
presence 4.18
Video feedback can establish instructor
presence 4.10
Instructional videos can establish instructor
presence 4.22
I know my instructor better as a result of his
use of video 3.96
Enjoyed the use of video in this course 4.45
Agree

44. Video & Social Presence
Videos can establish instructor presence 4.29
Video announcements can establish instructor
presence 4.18
Video feedback can establish instructor
presence 4.10
Instructional videos can establish instructor
presence 4.22
I know my instructor better as a result of his
use of video 3.96
Enjoyed the use of video in this course 4.45
Agree

45. Video & Social Presence
Videos can establish instructor presence 4.29
Video announcements can establish instructor
presence 4.18
Video feedback can establish instructor
presence 4.10
Instructional videos can establish instructor
presence 4.22
I know my instructor better as a result of his
use of video 3.96
Enjoyed the use of video in this course 4.45
Agree

46. 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.

47. 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.

48. 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.

49. DISCUSSION

50. Final Thoughts
One size
doesn’t fit all
Video
announcements
ROI
Subject Matter
Difference?
Accessibility

51. CONTACT ME
Patrick Lowenthal
patricklowenthal@boisestate.edu
www.patricklowenthal.com