Replace those static photos and written bio’s for your instructors with more lively videos, says John Alexander, an instructional designer with  the College of Extended Studies at San Diego State University.

He says when instructors introduce themselves to their online (or even face-to-face) students with a video, it makes the course more engaging.

Among other things, instructor videos:

-Show the personal side of the instructor, making them more ‘human’ and approachable;
-It connects the students to their teacher, stimulates more engagement, which also gets expressed in the Discussion and other interactions with students and instructor;
-It’s the right format for an effective introduction, allowing the instructor to share some things in a dynamic way that’s better than in writing;
-Multimedia for introductions and personal sharing is more effective than static images and the written word.
-It allows the instructor to set the tone for the course.

Alexander reports that video introductions by the instructor are relevant and helpful for just about any subject, level, or student audience. Video instructor bios are on the rise.