The Value of Video

A Communication Channel

When students have already shared physical space with us, it’s easier to build trust and rapport. However, in situations where we start the course online, we need to find new ways to help students feel safe and connected in the virtual environment. Creating a welcome video to introduce yourself can help students get to know you better and start building those essential learning partnerships from the very beginning. "Videos open up a line of communication in the online modality, allowing teachers to reveal appropriate personal details that can be used to discover commonalities that support our students' academic achievement" (Costa, p. 16). 

Trust Generators

"Trust between teachers and students is the affective glue that binds educational relationships together" (Brookfield, p. 162). As you consider the ways in which you will be welcoming students to your online class, be intentional about how you can begin to build trust with your students. Trust will help to build community in your course and it will help to build the learning partnerships with your students (Hammond, 2015). Trust is a difficult thing to pinpoint, isn't it? Hammond (2015) identifies the following trust generators:

  • familiarity: People develop a sense of familiarity with someone who they see often in a particular setting such as at a bus stop everyday or in the cafe on a regular basis. 
  • concern: People connect when another shows concern for those issues and events important to another, such as births, illnesses, or other life transitions. 
  • competency: People tend to trust others who demonstrate they have the skills and knowledge, as well as the will to help and support them. 
  • similarity of interests: Sharing hobbies and similar likes/dislikes is another way for us to bond with each other
  • selective vulnerability: We connect with people when they show their imperfections. Being vulnerable is being human. 

"At the core of positive relationships is trust. Caring is the way that we generate the trust that builds relationships" (Hammond, p. 85). Using videos with our online students is another way to convey that we care about them and we want them to be successful. 

A Check-In Message

Mesa's Prof. Soodeh Nezam Abadi uses videos to connect with her online students. Informal video messages like this one allow Prof. Nezam Abadi to demonstrate concern for her students as she explains to them, in this example, the role of feedback in their learning.

Jordyn's Videos

One of our buddies, Jordyn Smiley from Fashion, shared how she's using videos with her students.

Jaclyn's Videos

Jaclyn also shared how she's using videos to celebrate success and build community with her students. Here's the recording of her show-and-tell presentation from Friday. 

More Buddy YouTube Channels

Brookfield, S. (2000). The skillful teacher. New York: Jossey-Bass.

Costa, K. (2020). 99 Tips for Creating Simple and Sustainable Educational Videos: A guide for online teachers and flipped classes. Stylus Publishing.

Hammond, Z., & Jackson, Y. (2015). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students.