The need for faculty presence in online material
If you have decided to make an educational video, you might wonder whether you should record yourself speaking to the camera. Thorough analyses of online course outcomes by Columbia University suggest that online students value interaction, and student performance is correlated with instructor interactions (Creating and Effective Instructor Presence: https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/effective-online-instructor-presence.pdf). Although live audio and video chats were ideal, students also had a higher level of participation when faculty used video-capture lectures. These left the students feeling they had a stronger personal connection to the instructor than simply viewing lecture notes online. Interpersonal interaction was the strongest predictor of student grades. The level of interaction, from low to high was related to variability of course grades that spanned a whole letter grade! (see reference above, graph page 2).
The disadvantages of filming yourself.
-People tend to watch people instead of the content. So your face will distract from the material
-Images may date faster than the content.
-Without a teleprompter, you will be looking at the screen and not the camera.
-When you make a mistake that has to be cut out, the film image will shift quickly.
A solution
Film yourself introducing the video, and summarizing the points at the end, but leave the middle for content. If you are missing visuals in the middle, fill the space with the video of you speaking. This allows provides presence without distraction.
Going a step beyond: Build a teleprompter
If you want to be present throughout, and you want to look straight into the camera, then you might be interested in building your own teleprompter. It is much easier than you think! There are numerous YouTube videos on this topic, with just one shown below.
If you have a tablet, you can usually find free teleprompter software. If you have an old picture frame, a few hinges and a base, you are 99% done! I built mine for less than $5.00! The trick is getting your camera and teleprompter to work together. A good webcam on a solid mini-tripod should work.