In this blog post, SACHA Programme Managers, Aidan Tracey and Emma Taylor talk about creative use of GIFs in fostering connection and student engagement in online learning environments. This post belongs to June-July Hot Topic series: Students as Change Agents (SACHA)↗️.

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If we asked you to create a list of helpful tools for online teaching and learning, odds are that GIFs would not be in your top ten – they probably wouldn’t make the list at all. Informal and often seen as a bit silly, GIFs are typically viewed as a form of shared understanding and social commentary amongst friends, not as a fixture in formal education spaces. At SACHA, however, we believe that GIFs provide an engaging and easy-to-use tool for fostering the connection often lacking in online learning environments.  

Read on to find out about how we use GIFs as communication assets in our SACHA programmes, and why we think you should be using them in your online learning and teaching too.  

Reason 1: Fostering approachability 

Research has shown that when it comes to teaching and learning, university students identify the perceived approachability, empathy, and care of academic staff as one of the most important contributors to student satisfaction (Bell, 2021). However, acknowledging the importance of relationship building and doing it in practice are two very different things. Large class sizes, global communities of distance learners, and competing time demands can all make it feel impossible to build connections and create a sense of approachability with students. For the SACHA team, managing multiple student groups in an online format meant that we needed to get creative with how we created a sense of approachability throughout the programme. Using GIFs offered a simple, fun, and time-efficient way to connect with students. A single image added at the bottom of a Teams post could create a sense of common understanding and remind students that we enjoyed the same TV shows, gripes about the weather, and silly animal videos that they did. A key benefit of this approachability is that students often feel comfortable coming to us with questions and concerns, rather than suffering in silence. 

Reason 2: Setting the right tone 

We’ve all received an email or Teams message that has left us questioning ‘what did they mean by that?’ With online dialogue making up more and more of our communication, it’s important to keep in mind all the context clues those digital conversations strip away – such as body language and tone of voice – that can easily lead to misinterpretation (Miller, 2020). On top of this, perceptions of staff-student relationships, cultural norms, and language barriers can all further influence the way a student receives digital messages and feedback. While in the past even the idea of adding a smiley face to the end of an email was seen as potentially unprofessional and damaging to an individual’s reputation as a competent academic, research has shown that the benefits of increased perceptions of warmth from emoticon use outweigh any potential effects on perceived competence (Marder et al., 2019). Taking this one step further by using GIFs within student communications has allowed us as a team to add personalization and nuance to our communications beyond a simple smiley, which may feel inadequate or disingenuous when providing constructive feedback (ibid). GIFs provide the ability to simultaneously acknowledge any challenges and provide encouragement, much like with the below GIF:  

Reason 3: Capturing attention 

We’ve all experienced information overload at the hands of online learning and teaching – it’s all too easy to miss important details in the flurry of emails and Teams notifications that seem to be constantly rolling in. In this environment, capturing students’ attention and making sure key messages are seen can be a challenging task. Anecdotally, we tend to notice that students are more responsive to messages and Teams posts that include a GIF. Lightening up extended, text-heavy messages with a dynamic image can make lengthy bits of content seem less daunting and, through the image used, instantly communicate the message’s importance to the reader. GIFs also have the added benefit of being memorable and eye-catching, making it easier for individuals to find what they’re looking for when scrolling back through their messages in search of a specific piece of information.  

Would you use GIFs? 

Within SACHA, we’ve found GIFs to be a light-hearted yet powerful tool for strengthening connection and communication in online learning spaces. What about you? Would you try using GIFs in your own learning and teaching? Why or why not?  

We’d love to hear your thoughts as well as your own top tips and tricks for fostering engagement in online environments. Please share your ideas (and maybe even GIFs!) in the comments.

References 

Bell, K. (2021). Increasing undergraduate student satisfaction in Higher Education: the importance of relational pedagogy. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 46(4), 490–503. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1985980 

Marder, B., Houghton, D., Erz, A., Harris, L., & Javornik, A. (2019). Smile(y) – and your students will smile with you? the effects of emoticons on impressions, evaluations, and behaviour in staff-to-student communication. Studies in Higher Education, 45(11), 2274–2286. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1602760 

Miller, M. A. (2019). The Importance of Tone and Attitude in Email and the Online Classroom. Enriching Collaboration and Communication in Online Learning Communities, 52. 

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Aidan Tracey

Aidan is the Social Impact Manager for the University of Edinburgh based within the Social Responsibility and Sustainability Department.  Prior to this he was Programme Manager for Students as Change Agents and has worked in sustainability for over 10 years. He has a degree in Geography and MRes in Human Geography.

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Emma Taylor

Emma Taylor is the Students as Change Agents Programme Manager, where she leads on the development, delivery, and management of SACHA. Her background is in Education, with experience teaching and tutoring at a variety of levels, from primary grades to master’s courses. Emma is currently completing a PhD in International Development.