Teaching via Interactive Videoconferencing

Contents: main | setting up | before class | in the room | classroom management

Before you get into the room

There are a few things that you should prepare before your first class. Some are things you might expect, some might not be. Because of the video camera system, things do not always look like they may in real life. Colors and clarity are the first things to go. This affects your presentation as well as the clothes you choose to wear.

PowerPoint Presentations

In most cases you will have already prepared your lectures. It is important that you do your best to make your presentations as clear as possible. Some of your students may be sitting as far as 30 feet from the classroom monitors. Since graphics and text tend to shrink when viewed via TV monitor, we suggest these guidelines to create legible graphics.

1. Keep your font size at or above 36pt and use sans serif fonts (Arial, Helvetica, etc.) to increase legibility.
2. Use high contrast middle colors for your backgrounds and fonts. Avoid textured backgrounds as well as black and white colors.
3. Keep graphs and charts simple and use large labels.
4. Allow sufficient time for participants to view the graphics and presentations. A better option is to provide the students with the ability to print out your presentation before-hand

PowerPoint guidelines

Clothing

You might be surprised by how distracting certain clothing can be in a videoconference. Light colors, because they reflect so much light, tend to blind your audience. Stripes and plaids often appear to vibrate and can be almost painful for the viewer. Darker solids affect the camera as well by creating a very washed out look for the presenter.

A good general rule for clothing is to avoid extremes. Middle colors, without patterns are the safest bet. Dont forget, a loud tie can cause just as many headaches as a pinstriped shirt. If you are only going to remember one thing it is never use red!

Next: What's in the Room