Classroom Clips
Have tried adding or enclosing video clips etc many times the issue becomes the bandwidth avaible to the student. If they do not have the bandwidth the student becomes easily fustrated.
The CMS systems that I'm using don't embrace this which shows that this concept was not in the foreground of ideas when developing the CMS platforms. At most I use animated gifs to saltpepper my presentations.
Could we have clips in the Instructor bio? Being quite good-looking myself, I am not camera shy and I think it would help the students feel more comfortable about their professor.
If you are comfortable with it and you have the technical capabilities, absolutely.
Why do you feel the "attractiveness factor" will influence how your students perceive you as a professional?
I would like to think it doesn't matter what you look like to be an effective teacher and be perceived as a professional. I think that is one of the advantages of online learning--appearances don't matter in online learning because you can't see anyone.
I've used Debut Video Capture software to add video clips to my course pages (http://www.nchsoftware.com/capture/index.html).
It is free, super-easy to use, and has a feature where you can record your computer desktop and your voice simultaneously, in order to "show" students how to do specific tasks in certain software.
As for the bandwidth issue, it really is a concern. A lot of distance learners are taking a course online because they really are out in the middle of nowhere and this is all they can do. So, we have to remember that dial-up might be the best they can do.
There are eight different formats you can save video in (using this software), flash video and MP4s tend to be a little more manageable than the rest.
Best,
Mica
That is terrific Mica! Thank you very much for sharing this tip with the group!
I agree. Also people use all different types of media players and having to find the sofware can be difficult
Yes, it can be a challenge but it can also be a very effective teaching tool if and when you can use it.
I haven't tried it yet but it sounds good with reasoning. I would think that the students would have a face and personality to go with the class and instructor.
Students are mostly visual so this is very helpful
