Videoconferencing Tips for Success

Videoconferencing, like television, relies strongly on both visual and audio elements for communication.

Unlike television, videoconferencing is highly interactive which means both the senders and receivers will want to follow a few basic suggestions to help make their videoconference a success.

Visual

What to Wear

Avoid clothing that has bright colours and busy patterns. Wear plain fabrics of muted colours.

Movement

Because movement is compressed and decompressed in videoconferencing, it is important that motion be minimized.

Material

Produce visual material ahead of time. Material produced ad hoc may not be easily seen or understood.

Key Design Elements for Visuals

• use larger than normal font size sans serif (e.g., minimum 18 point Helvetica)
• print horizontally on the page
• keep the design simple
• limit the amount of wording on each page
• choose colouring with high contrast when using electronic presentations
• arrange paper visual aids on a blue pastel background to increase impact

Audio

Clearly enunciate and speak more slowly than the normal rate of speech. Auditory dynamics such as pitch, tone, volume, pausing, and pacing are crucial.

• address people by name
• acknowledge individual comments and ideas
• ask people to say their name before speaking if there are more than three participants
• ask participants to raise their hand if they wish to speak
• limit verbal interruption (e.g., uh huh). Provide non-verbal feedback by nodding or shaking your head

General Tips

1. Chat at the beginning and end of the session to build and maintain rapport.
2. Humour is effective in establishing a warm receptive environment and helps reduce anxiety. Use cartoons and quips on the document camera, in the preliminary stages, while connectivity is established.
3. Give participants time to think as well as position themselves to use the technology.
4. To avoid the "talking head" syndrome, limit one person speaking to 10 minutes maximum unless the situation dictates otherwise (e.g., thesis examination).
5. If your videoconference session is primarily a presentation/lecture, it is recommended that the microphone on the "audience" end be muted. This minimizes interruption such as coughing, sneezing, and paper shuffling.
   

Resources on the web

• Videoconferencing in the Classroom & Library from Packard Bell Labs
• Using Compressed Video for Distance Learning also from Packard Bell Labs
• The SUCCEED Electronic Connectivity Group (Southeastern University and College Coalition for Engineering EDucation) has compiled desktop videoconferencing information that includes a well-written introduction to desktop videoconferencing technology
• Organizing a Videoconference helps facilitators plan and conduct a videoconference

Newsgroups and Listservs

• There is a newsgroup for desktop videoconferencing at news:comp.dcom.videoconf
• The Videocon e-mailing list is for anyone using videoconferencing. Most messages seem oriented to higher education. To subscribe, send a subscription request (SUBSCRIBE YourFirstName YourLastName) to the list address (LISTSERV@ASUVM.INRE.ASU.EDU)

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