In a world that is increasingly digital, the ability to communicate clearly in writing is of utmost importance. An important part of writing in both professional and academic settings is self-regulation. In academics, the use of video as a teaching tool in online environments is becoming more popular. This thesis investigated whether or not video scribed animation could be used to teach writing self-regulation strategies in an online course. Student perceptions of video scribed animation and its use in education were also examined. Students completed self-report measures of their grade goals, self-efficacy for grade achievement, and self-regulation strategy use on blogging assignments. Results showed that there were statistically significant increases in students’ environmental self-regulation and goal setting. For example, students worked in quieter environments and set more concrete, challenging goals after watching the video scribed animation that modeled self-regulation strategies. Students found the video both entertaining and educational, and indicated that it caught and sustained their attention. Treatment group students that opted not to watch the video scribed animation were more likely to have achieved their grade goals on the previous assignment than the students that watched the video.