Following are tips that will ensure a smooth IVC experience:

• Have your students in place on time.
• Confirm who is placing the call and have their contact information available
• Confirm at least 15 minutes prior to the IVC that the system is powered on and ready to go
• Confirm the unit has a good network connection. (It should say My IP Number: four digit #)
• Make sure all system peripherals are connected and powered on
• Arrange and confirm camera presets and microphone placements
• Do a sound check with the other site(s)
• Adjust volume accordingly
• Bookmark any websites you’ll be using during class time
• Confirm that you have technical support and far-site contact information available

Classroom Set up

• The mobile unit’s monitor should be visible for all conference participants.
• The seating should accommodate the audio output.
• In a classroom scenario, gathering chairs in front of the unit is a good way to get students closer to the unit.
• In a small group conference, placing students around a table facing the camera works well to facilitate the conference.
• Participants should be stationed for best camera range and microphone capabilities.
• The camera and monitor should be located close together so that it appears participants are looking at the remote site.
• Consider lighting – faces should be lit so that they can be easily seen on the monitor. Back lighting can cause shadows and difficulty in identifying the participants.

Appropriate camera positioning

• Use 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 judiciously – it is important that participants see facial expressions, but camera movement can exaggerate blinking eyes, moving hands, or shifting chairs
• For small groups, try to include all participants in the shot
• For large groups, set presets for various areas within the room, including a group shot and close-ups of the facilitator
• If you have a question and answer segment, use tape or designate specific seats and make a preset for them

Using the document camera

• Keep documents still
• Check document placement by looking at the monitor
• Limit zooming in and out
• Number your artwork pages in the order that they will be presented. Place the stack of artwork under the document camera. During the presentation, remove the top piece of artowrk and so on until the stack is depleted.
• Switch to the main camera immediately after using the document camera…no blank document camera

Tips for Developing Effective Visuals for Videoconferencing

• Use large, bold, simple fonts. Make visuals easy to read by using large fonts at least 36 points, and simple font style similar to san serif.
• Use phrases with bullets. Only write one or two bulleted phrases on a page, avoid complete sentences, and never use a complete page of text.
• Use landscape mode. Slides made in landscape mode fit the proportion of the large monitor better than those made in portrait mode.
• Use colored paper and ink. Color adds variety and interest to visuals. Experiment to determine the colors with the best visibility for videoconferencing. Limit colors to three per slide. Blue paper with yellow ink is usually a good combination, but avoid red tones.
• Use graphics to create a visual impact. Charts, graphs, pictures, and other visual representation may be used to share complex concepts in a simple, interesting form.
• Place posters on a stand or table for stability.