Enhancing Instructor Social Presence in Asynchronous Courses Using Weekly Videos

Abstract

Understanding best practices in online learning environments has become an important area of research in recent years, both before and during the pandemic. Instructor social presence has been studied as a way to increase student learning and engagement, though more research is needed to understand the most effective ways to increase instructor social presences in various contexts. The current study sought to understand the extent to which asynchronous weekly videos impacted instructor social presence. Participants included four sections of online asynchronous courses, two of which were undergraduate level courses and two of which were graduate level courses. An exploratory action research design that included surveys (n=36) and course evaluations was implemented to explore student perceptions of the asynchronous weekly videos. Findings demonstrate that the weekly videos increased student perceptions of instructor social presence and their understanding of course materials. Implications for student outcomes and instructor planning in online courses are discussed.