Overview
Tech Check
Presenting Online
Camera & Lighting
Visual Aids

Overview - Effective Presentations in an Online Environment

When we perform a presentation in a mediated (i.e. online) environment, it can be easy for both presenters and audience to take for granted many of the things that presenting in the same room as your audiences make significantly simpler and convenient. In this document, I’ll be highlighting the expectations of our online presentations, as well as some tips and strategies to ensure that your presentations go smoothly: After all, Public Speaking is already anxiety-inducing enough without having to worry about additional layers.

Before you use the tabs above to navigate to the other sections, let’s review some of the responsibilities that both speaker and audience members have:

Being a Professional Speaker

As a speaker, never forget that your audience is graciously volunteering their time and attention: It’s ok to be nervous! But anxiety is not an excuse for poor, or no, preparation, which ultimately leaves an audience feel like their time has been wasted. As such, keep the following in mind:

Practice! I suggest practicing your speech out loud a minimum of two times before your speech round.
Time yourself during practice sessions: If you’re within ten seconds of the designated time limit for the speech, then chances are you will risk going over on time.
I will cut off speeches that go over on time: This usually means that any components that are missing (such as the conclusion) won’t receive a score, because they’re effectively not present.
Have FUN. A speaker’s enthusiasm for a topic is often infectious and can serve to motivate and engage an audience

Being an Engaged Audience Member

Just as the speaker has a responsibility to be prepared, you should strive to be a good audience member: A speaker may already be anxious – don’t exacerbate it further with rude behavior. Specifically:

I am expecting you to log on to the Zoom Speech Round by the time our session begins, even if you are not presenting first. Additionally, I expect audience members to stay through the entire round. If you leave, I will not give credit for your peer evaluations.
We need to be able to see your face throughout the speeches. I’ll allow for a short break mid-session for people to stretch, grab water, or hit the restroom
Avoid the siren call of social media, your phone, or completing other class assignments (beyond taking notes or completing a peer evaluation): We’ll notice.

Tech-Check

If you've heard of Murphy's Law, then you know that if something can go wrong, it will. When it comes to presenting, technology is usually the first casualty of said law. Here, you'll see a few tips that will hopefully minimize the chances of this happening.

Zoom Client

One of the first things you should do is download Zoom conferencing to any device you might use to access this class. You can download the Zoom client here: https://zoom.us/download#client_4meeting

Before joining as a presenter or audience, be sure to test for functionality. You can find the instructions here: Testing a Zoom Meeting. Additionally, you can always set up your own meeting and invite a few classmates to test. Either way, be sure you can answer “yes” to the questions in the list below:

Can you log on?
Can you see your group mates and yourself at the meeting?
Can they hear you?
Can you hear them?

Device Access

You have a variety of tools at your disposal to serve as a recording device: Your cell phone, a webcam (stand-alone or built into your laptop) and tablet. A few things to remember during the presentation day:

Make sure your device is fully charged, or at least able to be plugged in if necessary
Make sure that your device has the latest updates installed (Windows, in particular, has a nasty habit of sneaking in an update when you’re not looking)
If possible, have a back-up device handy and ready to log in to Zoom just in case

Presenting Online

Many of the skills that you have learned from presenting in other classes will serve you in this one. However, there are a few additional considerations, as well as things people might forget when presenting from the comfort of their own home.

Attire

Be mindful of what you are wearing. Part of what I am looking for is a professional image. Strive for business casual and dress in such a way that your audience will see you as a credible authority on your topic.

Environment:

You will want the physical space you are presenting in to be as distraction-free as possible. To that end, follow these guidelines:

Perform in a space that’s free of clutter. Avoid open closet doors, a dirty room, a kitchen (unless it’s pertinent to your presentation), other family members, or pets (as adorable as they might be).
Using a partition (a sheet or room divider) can help you create a clean performance space if necessary
Select a space that allows you to stand and move; aim for at least 3 feet of space to your right and left. (The section on camera and lighting gives some more in-depth information here)
As best you can minimize any outside noise: We will need to be able to hear you (hence presenting outdoors, while scenic, may not be helpful).

Camera & Lighting

Lights, camera, action! While I’m not expecting Hollywood level production quality, but how you position your camera, as well as your lighting, will make a tremendous difference in how successful your presentation is

Lighting

You may not have a professional studio set-up in your speaking space, but follow the tips below to minimize the negative impact of poor lighting:

Make sure there is no glare from the sun or other external lights so we can see your face and facial expressions
Make sure you have enough light to be clearly visible on camera
Built-in webcams, particularly on laptops, may not have the best quality. Follow the link for some easy adjustments

If you’re serious about doing presentations over video outside of this class or producing better quality media, consider doing some reading on “3-point lighting”. This page on LifeHacker gives some tips to do it on a comparatively modest budget: Improving Your Photos and Videos with Affordable Lighting

Camera

When presenting and being an audience member, you will want to make sure that your camera is at a fixed angle. Consider the following tips:

Camera angle: Position your camera so that you are facing it straight on
Your camera angle should not shoot from behind or offstage.
Camera distance: Your camera should be far enough back so that we can see you at least from the waist up, and also allow enough space that you aren’t cut out of frame when you gesture.
Speak directly TO the camera, as if you were presenting with us in the same room.
If using a laptop, make sure that it’s placed on an even surface
If using your laptop, make sure it’s placed on an even surface.

If you are using a webcam or mobile device to record and plan on recording videos outside of this class, then you may want to consider investing in a tripod or at least borrowing one from a friend for this class. An inexpensive one will run you around $12-$15, such as this one on Amazon: TriPod for Mobile Devices. A higher quality one will run you more, so I’ll leave it at your discretion.

Visual Aids

Certain presentations in this class may call for the use of visual aids. This may be an object, a video, a handout, or even a slide show. Keep the following in mind when incorporating visual aids

Objects: Make sure that your aid is nearby and can be included naturally in the presentation. We should be able to clearly see your object. Conversely, once you’re done using it, make sure to set it aside, off camera (one advantage of it being off-screen is that we don’t HAVE to see it)
Handouts: Zoom allows you to copy and paste links into the chat before or during the presentation. Consider utilizing this to your advantage by linking a Google doc or weblink, but make sure it doesn’t distract from your presentation. Alternatively, you can post it on Canvas in the space dedicated to our presentation supplemental material.
PowerPoint: The Screen sare option in Zoom lets you share your desktop with us which means you can share a Google or Powerpoint slide with us while presenting. This is by far the easiest and most effective way to incorporate visual aids into your presentation.

Working with Technology

If you are using a Power Point or Prezi, there are a range of options you have available:

Mobile Devices & Laptop Combo: Use your mobile device to join our Zoom meeting. While you perform, use your laptop to display your powerpoint while you deliver your presentation. *Avoid* holding your laptop in your hands as you perform: Place it on a solid surface so that you can reference back to it as you perform.
HDMI Connection: Use one device to present your speech (laptop or mobile device) while connecting another to a TV or other external monitor to display your PowerPoint or Prezi.
ShareScreen: Zoom allows you to share your screen with the audience. However, if you are opting to go this route, I need advance notice, as well as assurance that you’ve practiced with this: ShareScreen will often take you off-camera while you share the slides, so use this sparingly: We are trying to avoid a voice-over-text presentation.

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