In ENH 254: Film and Literature, I used a new assignment in which students needed to video tape themselves explaining their project. This new component will also be evaluated in a separate CATS. Many of the students commented, either in emails leading up to the assignment's submission, or in the video itself, that they were nervous and uncomfortable with being on videotape. As a result, I decided to use the CANVAS video comment tool to tape myself responding to each student.
Unsolicited, in a mid-semester class evaluation, several students have commented on how this video response made them feel. Comments included:
"The professor is caring and takes time to give feedback on our assignments. Out of probably 12 online courses Ive taken, this was the first time I've gotten a video response on an assignment."
"It was really nice to get a video response to my Character Portrait, since a lot of work went into that particular assignment."
Evaluations are still being collected on this assignment, but the initial results show that I will repeat this type of video feedback in the future.
Comments
This is probably very time consuming, but this is WONDERFUL! My husband has hated every online class because of the lack of feedback, so I hope you continue to do this.
In reply to This is probably very time consuming but this is by Becky Baranowski
Surprisingly, it wasn't that time consuming! The tool in Speedgrader in Canvas was very easy to use. Each video only took a few seconds to record. The longest part was waiting for Canvas to save the video.
Great idea, Kelly! While the comments are anecdotal and do not represent the entire group of students, they certainly indicate (at least initially) this to be a very worthwhile strategy. How often will you do this in a semester? Also, will you share all of your evaluations after they come in?
Kelly, this is a great way to connect with students. I too hear about how students feel distanced from their online instructors.
Love it. This really shows your commitment to your students' success. I hope they realize how time consuming this is on your part. Did you limit your responses to a certain amount of time or was it different depending on the student? Also, were your responses based on the rubric or other general comments?
In reply to Love it This really shows your commitment to your by Heather Muns
Surprisingly, it wasn't that time consuming! The tool in Speedgrader in Canvas was very easy to use. Each video only took a few seconds to record. The longest part was waiting for Canvas to save the video.
I used a rubric to grade the assignment and then used the video to make a specific comment about something that they did well in their work. I saw the video as replacing what I might normally write as a comment on a paper. Most videos were 15-30 seconds long, just a "Hi So-and-So, I wanted to let you know you did a great job on your Character Portrait. I thought it was very insightful/interesting/funny/etc. when you chose/wrote/said/etc such and such. Keep up the great work in class."
I kept two windows open in Canvas so that I could move on to grading another student's work while the video saved and uploaded for the other student.
Their final evaluations are due this week, so I will definitely share if there are any others from students.
I love this idea! I am learning more exciting tools in Canvas each semester and hope you will offer another workshop in CTL. I also look forward to hearing more from the students impressions of this activity. Thank you for all you do!
I have also used the video comment for students to complete different types of assignments such as answering thought provoking questions on different topics and even though they are nervous the first time, you see their skills on camera improve over the semester.
I have used this only a few times, but now that I've read your CATS I'm going to make a concerted effort to do this in each of my online classes at least a few times a month. This is so simple yet makes such a tremendous difference. Thank you for taking the time to share!
Hi Kelly,
I'm glad to hear the students responded well to the Canvas Video Comment tool. I'll be designing an online language course, and I plan to use this extensively. Thanks for the practical tips (and warnings - e.g. long saving time) on using this from the instructor's perspective.