http://www.eyejot.com/flash/embed_player.swf?m=2DA8DD11116C6C00006698BD58
It adds instructor presence to a course to have video of yourself, so I started the semester with a quick video message. I recorded it in iTunes and had to use Quicktime to get it the right side, then embed it in a Moodle HTML block. Not very “user friendly”, though.
So today I tried Eyejot, which had been recommended to me by my colleague Pilar Hernàndez. It was super quick. I recorded the video, then had it emailed to myself. Following the link brought me to the page where I found the Embed code, which I then pasted into a Moodle HTML block. I sized it down in the block to 200 X 200 (their default size is too big).
This block is located at the top, and it looks different so I hope they see it as new. The quick (under 60 second) video plays in the block, situating me in the “classroom”.
I cannot tell so far whether this will help prevent the private emailed questions to me, most of which are already answered in the FAQ and are driving me crazy. There seem to be more than usual this semester, as well as students telling me the reason they’re having trouble is because they “don’t know anything about computers”. But it can’t hurt!
Lisa,
Thanks for this posting. I have been using a video welcome for many years in my online classes. The students really seem to enjoy it an it.As education progresses to accept online education as an effective delivery tool it is vital that we do not lose that human connection. As you know teaching online can build barrier of personal connection with students and faculty. Online educators need to know how to break down those barriers and use the technology to their advantage to help the students meet the course objectives.
Thanks again.