Are you unsure of how to excite your students, particularly those of you teaching online? A simple way to spark learner's intrigue is to create an engaging introduction video that makes students want to learn more!
Self-introductions can be used to attract students to take your course. Or, as one of the first things students see when they begin your course, they give your students their first impression of who you are as a person and as an instructor. Impactful course introductions have the potential to:
- humanize your presence in a virtual environment.
- excite students about what they’ll experience in your course.
For online courses, they may:
- dispel fears or uncertainty among students new to online learning.
- encourage more contributions to the weekly discussions.
The Process
- View samples of the self-introduction videos.
- Reflect on the videos. What aspects from the samples did you like? Which would you like to use in a your video?
- Use the Self-Intro Checklist.
- Schedule an appointment by contacting Camden Barruga at camden@hawaii.edu.
- Sign the release form (login using your hawaii.edu).
- You will receive an email confirmation verifying your time.
- (Optional) If you would like to use your own picture as a background, please send it to camden@hawaii.edu prior to your shoot. Otherwise, we will have a selection for you to choose from.
Recording Day
Come to the EMC Studio (enter through LC 116) at your scheduled time, the EMC staff will:
- Greet you and go over what to expect
- Wire you for audio
- Go through any questions you may have
- Give you some quick tips on speaking to camera
- Do a quick rehearsal
- Record your segment
After Your Recording Session
All videos must be closed-captioned. We will send you a captioned text file. Please make corrections and send back to us. We will post your video to the Video Library. You will receive a link to your posted video and instructions on adding it to your course content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long should my video be?
A: You can do a great video in under 3 minutes.
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Q: What should I say? or What should I include in my video?
A: We have included a few suggestions on the checklist. The main point of the self-introduction is to reach out to your students and connect with them.
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Q: Is this only for Distance Ed instructors?
A: No, we encourage any instructor who would like to create an self-introduction video to sign-up.
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Q: What should I wear?
A: Whatever you wear in your class.
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Q: What if I make a mistake?
A: We will do another take.
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Q: Who will see this?
A: The video will be publically viewable in YouTube under The Educational Media Center channel. Comments will be turned off.
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Resource
Self Introduction Video Services are offered each semester on the Wednesday and Thursday of Convocation Week. Requests for other times may be made through our Online Form and will be accommodated based on studio availability.
Short URL: http://bit.ly/selfintrovideo