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Effective communication skills are a key ingredient to successful videoconferencing. Here are some tips that will help you and your participants:
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 Learn the videoconferencing system
There's no reason for you to feel intimidated--if you can use a TV remote control, you can use a videoconferencing unit! Take time to experiment and practice with the videoconferencing system before you conference--especially if you plan to use peripherals such as a document camera, computer hookup, or other devices. If you have students that are interested in learning the system, solicit their help. The goal is for the system to appear as transparent as possible so you and your audience can focus on the subject not the technology. Every major videoconferencing vendor has online support materials.
Maintain eye contact
To help remote learners participate and feel included, relate directly to them by looking directly into the video camera. If you do not look into the video camera, students will feel as though they are just watching, not participating in the class. Envision the video camera as one of the students in the class. During meetings, don't turn away from the camera and begin a private conversation. This can make your remote participants feel just that: REMOTE!
Show interest in all participants
Since videoconferencing participants are spread across distances, facilitators must make a point of communicating with remote participants by name and/or location. Keep a pencil and paper handy and make a "participant map" using the names/location of your participants. Most people feel awkward talking to a tv monitor and will lapse into passivity if not specifically addressed. Two-way compressed video systems usually exhibit an audio delay, so double your usual wait time after asking a question or soliciting comments. Lastly, bring participants into each interaction by repeating every question or comment made, ensuring that the other sites can hear.
Dress appropriately
Wear solid colored clothing rather than bold, complex patterns. Stripes or busy patterns can destroy picture clarity as the camera tries to constantly adjust to the movement of your clothing. Bright red can "bleed" and video quality may suffer. Take a hint from professional TV and photography and notice the colors and patterns worn by TV news announcers. If you will be "signing" as part of your videoconference with the hearing impaired; it is likely your hands will be using with your clothing as a background which adds yet another element. Remember too, that dangly earrings, bracelets, and necklaces can be heard over the microphone or can add glare.
Move and gesture slowly and smoothly
Move and gesture normally, but avoid swaying, rocking, or pacing. Compressed video cannot transmit rapid movements without some loss of picture quality. If you like to walk around, go ahead, but make sure you know the parameters of the camera range. You can tape off your spot so you know exactly how far you can go. If you tend to talk with your hands flying about, you can pull the camera in close enough so that your hands aren't in the shot.
Maintain appropriate on-camera positioning
Position yourself on-camera according to the elbows and wrists rule: when you stretch out your arms, the edge of the screen falls between your elbows and wrists. Use close-ups shots judiciously especially when participants are not used to videoconferencing. It is important that participants see you or another speaker's facial expressions, but remember that the camera is sensitive to movement and will exaggerate blinking eyes, moving hands, or shifting in chairs. In small group conferencing, try to include all participants in the shot. Setup camera presets so that you can zoom in on the main speaker or pan to each person person when needed. In a large group, you may want to set presets for various areas within the room as well as a group shot and a close-up of the facilitator. If you plan to have a formal Question and Answer segment, use tape or designate specific seats and make a camera preset for them. Plan ahead so that you know who will ask which questions and when if you can.
Demonstrate enthusiasm toward the subject matter
Videoconferencing participants will find it difficult to pay attention if the subject is not presented in an interesting way or if the facilitator is tense or bored. Get beyond the "talking head" model and make the session as interactive as possible. Start off by asking questions that promote a group response. Use a participant map to specifically address your students or other participants. After the first few minutes, they will forget the technology and focus on the subject.
Speak in a strong, clear voice
Take advantage of the system to communicate naturally, using inflection and body language. It's not necessary to yell. It is even more important than usual to wait for the other person to finish speaking. Things can get really confusing if there are multiple participants all speaking at once. You may need a facilitator or some pre-designated plan for controlling who has the microphone. Other participants should mute when they don't expect to be speaking. Don't forget that remote participants can still hear everything until the call is completely disconnected!
Use audiovisual aids
As in any instructional setting, effective use of audio-visual aids can greatly enhance distance learning. Try to test ahead of time if you can to ensure the best results. You can use images, objects, audio, or video clips much as you would in a normal class with a few caveats to guide you:
- Pay attention to the screen's aspect ratio. A TV monitor has a different shape than 8.5 X 11 paper or overhead transparencies, so make sure printed visuals fit within a 3 X 4 ratio. It's also safe to use a "landscape" orientation with a 3 inch, text-free boundary. Your best bet is to practice
ahead of time.
- Use large, bold text. Remote viewers will thank you if they don't have to squint to see text. They'll also appreciate simple fonts and concise, bulleted information. Experiment with text sizes until you find one that works best.
- Use colors in the middle of the color spectrum. Next time the television news is on, pay attention to the colors chosen for graphics. You won't see a lot of black on white, because it just doesn't look good on a screen. Yellow on blue is common, however, because it presents a clear, readable image. Black print on pastel paper should be adequate. For on-the-fly writing, use a bold color ink pen on pastel paper.
- Allow time for viewing graphics. Display text material (i.e. chart or list) long enough for a slow reader to read. Non-text material often requires less time (3-4 seconds).
- Obtain written authorization before you use copyrighted materials. Use of copyrighted material in a distance learning situation requires permission, so obtain clearance before broadcasting audio-visuals.
- Double-check sound and visuals. Make sure everyone can see or hear your media before you launch into your lecture.
Take it up a notch
After a few videoconferences, you will notice elements that you want to improve. Some of the first things you will notice are:
- Backgrounds. Avoid green and yellow backgrounds; they reflect badly on
skin. Gray or a slate blue is always a safe bet. Avoid red except as accents since red tends to bleed. Obviously, patterns can be very distracting. Observe the colors of solid backgrounds used in photography, film, and TV.
- Audio. The audio systems on high-end videoconferencing units are great; however, you are usually stuck with one single microphone that all participants must use regardless of where they are located in the room. This poses problems. It's not long before you will be exploring auxiliary microphones. A boom mic or lavaliers can be worth their weight in gold. Here's a Microphones tutorial from Ron Whittaker and another site from Eyecon with Audio Tips. The Videomaker website has a lot of great links including Audio For Video.
- Lighting. What is bearable for a single videoconference may become completely unbearable over the course of many videoconferences. Proper lighting will contribute to a much higher quality experience. Take a starting cue from these sites: Eyecon Production Tips including multiple sections on Lighting, location lighting, and outside lighting; VideoMaker Video Lighting links.
- Multiple projection devices. One TV monitor is fine until you participate in a large group videoconference. You may find it necessary to daisy-chain multiple TV's or even broadcast the videoconference to a projection device or large screen.
- Differences in skin tones. We want everyone to look good and feel comfortable. That means acknowledging major differences in skin tone and adjust for filming. Filming People of Color from Mopac Media will help and is an issue that is often overlooked.
Check out our hotlist of videoconferencing links for additional links to film, tv, and video tutorials such as Knowledge Hound and the Resource Page at the University of Washington.
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