Video Feedback and Instructor Social Presence in an Asynchronous Online Course

Understanding best practices in online learning environments has become an important area of research in recent years, both before and during the pandemic. Video feedback has been studied as a way to enhance instructor social presence and create classroom community, though more research is needed to understand these constructs in various contexts. The current study sought to understand the extent to which video feedback enhanced instructor social presence in an asynchronous online course. Participants included five sections of an advanced educational psychology course for pre-service teachers. A qualitative, descriptive design using both surveys (n = 63) and interviews (n = 10) was employed to explore student perceptions of video feedback. Findings demonstrate that video feedback enhanced instructor social presence and that weekly videos improved students’ overall experience in the course. The video-based feedback led students to develop a better relationship with the course instructor and improved their overall experience in the course. Implications for student outcomes and instructor planning in online courses are discussed.