Social Presence

This video assignment was to create a video emphasizing the importance of social presence in online courses and how it can improve student retention and engagement. Studies show that fostering a sense of community can significantly influence students’ decisions to continue in a program. Instructors can use tools like Canvas, Zoom, Slack, and Adobe Creative Cloud to create interactive opportunities, both asynchronously and synchronously.

Being approachable, engaged, and empathetic is crucial. Instructors should consider learners’ prior knowledge, motivation, and diversity when designing courses. Active participation, regular feedback, and accessibility are key to maintaining social presence, which helps keep students motivated and successful in online learning.

I designed the presentation using a template in Adobe Express, then I used Camtasia to produce the video. I wrote the script, added highlights and transitions, and recorded the voiceover. The audio quality is poor, so I might redo the recording at some point. I have much better equipment now.

I wanted the presentation to be fun and engaging while avoiding writing the entirety of the script on the slides. Instead, the slides have supporting information like quotes, data visualizations, and graphics. The color palette is based on the title slide, using desaturated shades for most elements and saturated ones to add emphasis. In a standard PowerPoint recording, unchanging slides are shown for a minute or more while the presenter speaks about the content. In this video, I’ve highlighted key elements to guide the eye, keep viewers interested, and reinforce the narration to improve retention.