Serendipity, Vulnerability, and Imperfection: Harnessing Live Video for “Authentic” Teacher Performances

Abstract:The social media landscape has fundamentally reshaped the conventional notion of “authenticity,” raising pressing questions regarding how educators might construct credible and compelling personas to facilitate student learning online. Such questions are now more important than ever in an environment where the global COVID-19 pandemic has enticed countless more educators to explore the potentialities of the digital world for engaging students. This article takes a collaborative autoethnographic approach to examining the use of live Periscope video broadcasts in higher education. Adopting the “Media Studies 2.0” model and positioning themselves as “meddlers in the middle,” the authors unpack the complex and fluid nature of “authentic” teacher performances in relation to serendipity, vulnerability, and imperfection.