This study created instructor-made videos (IMVs) for online courses with the goal of increasing student-instructor connection, student engagement, overall course/instructor perceptions, and ultimately student satisfaction. IMVs were made for course introductions to outline instructor expectations, and weekly updates. The rapid increase to online learning due to recent shifts in education from COVID-19 displayed a need for continued social presence of the instructor, a concept not well-integrated into online learning environments. Students enrolled in two undergraduate introductory-level courses over two consecutive terms were studied. The methodologies consisted of student engagement data including quantity and quality of weekly discussion posts and overall grade distribution using independent t-tests and Mann-Whitney tests. The end of term course evaluations and a student survey gauged student satisfaction and student perception of the IMVs. The findings did not show a statistically significant difference; however, the data provided evidence of greater student engagement rates in courses with IMVs through higher course grades and discussion participation. Positive outcomes were reported from the course evaluation and student survey, which indicated an increased perception and student satisfaction in courses with IMVs. These outcomes contribute to the field of online education by providing support for the belief that adding IMVs into online classrooms to increase instructor presence can contribute to student satisfaction.