One new thing Iā€™ve been working on this year is trying to record more short on- the-go selfie videos. I got this idea from my work on the Essential for Teaching and Learning in Post-Secondary Education course that I helped work on last year. In that course we discussed how short selfie videos can be useful in communicating and connecting with students. We also provided examples in some of the modules of instructors recording videos in more personal locations, for example one instructor recorded a video in her garden.

I set myself a goal early in the semester to experiment with selfie videos this year. I figured out how to use my phone to record the video and then upload directly to my media space using the Kaltura app. After that I go on my computer to make sure the video is captioned, make it public, and email the link to students. Iā€™ve found these videos helpful mainly in three ways. First, I feel that they help me connect better with students because I try to record them in my natural environment. For example the images Iā€™m sharing here are from videos recorded at my local beach, on a mountain biking trail, and in my car on a ferry. I think students seeing me in everyday clothes in places that are part of my day-to-day helps them see me as a whole human being and hopefully helps them connect better with me to build trust and relationship. The second reason I find these videos helpful is that they allow me to record thoughts or feedback immediately, quickly, and easily when its top of mind. For example, in the mountain biking video I had been thinking about our conversation in class my whole ride, and so I was able to stop and share directly what was on my mind when my thoughts were the most clear. I feel if I had waited to get my thoughts down on paper or video until I was back at my computer, or waited until the next class to share, my thoughts would not have been as relevant or meaningful. The third reason I find these videos helpful is that they have been a way for me to connect with students between my classes. The courses I teach meet on a weekly basis, so sometimes it can feel like a long time between classes (or extra long when there is a statutory holiday!). I feel that providing these videos between classes helps keep the material fresh for students and helps them review key concepts mid-week.

Overall I have had a lot of fun recording these quick and easy videos. I can see from my numbers that some have been watched by almost all the students, whereas others only have a few views, but I think thatā€™s OK. It’s part of a Universal Design for Learning approach to offer the students choice and multiple ways of engaging with learning materials. I really encourage all instructors to play with this idea and give the ā€œselfie videoā€ a try!