Studying online can be a very solitary process and it’s this feeling of isolation that is most often attributed to the high rate of student drop-outs in online courses. As an online teacher, this makes quickly building a good relationship with your students all the more vital.
Sympathetic head tilt
In this article I’d like to explore some ways we can quickly establish a good connection to our students so that they feel comfortable and supported.
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Camera positioning
If your webcam is built in to the computer screen this shouldn’t be a problem, but if it’s a detachable one, then try to position the webcam so that it is facing you and at about the same level as your eyes, or slightly higher. If you are self conscious about your appearance it’s better to place the camera slightly higher so that you are looking up at it. This will help to define your face, whereas looking down at the camera could accentuate your chins.
Looking down at the camera
It’s also important not to be too close to the camera. If you are too close you will look intimidating.
Getting too close
Making eye contact
Eye contact is an important part of face-to-face interaction, so when we use the webcam we naturally tend to look at the person on the screen.
Make eye contact
Try to train yourself to look at and speak to the camera then it will appear to your viewer that you are looking at them. If you look at the screen it may appear to your viewer that you are distracted and not listening to them.
Get the lighting right
Natural sunlight works best of course but if you are working late at night or in a room that doesn’t have good lighting it’s worth thinking about where your light comes from. Make sure the room you use for your video conference is well lit and that the light is in front of you rather than behind you. Back lighting will make you look like a silhouette.
Avoid backlight
It’s equally important though that the light isn’t too bright, as you don’t want to be dazzled and squinting.
What the room says about you
Your viewer isn’t just seeing you, so think about the background and what impression it gives. If you are working from home try to find a suitable background that makes you look professional. Bookcases or bare walls give more of a professional background image than beds or kitchen scenes.
You are what you wear
Being able to videoconference from home is great and you need to be comfortable, but remember that what you wear is part of the impression you create. If you want people to treat you as a professional then you need to look like one, at least as far as the camera can see, so wear something that you would wear if you were in work, at least on your top half.
Smile
Video conferencing has a lot in common with speaking on the telephone. You have to be aware of turn taking and make sure the other person can hear you, but remember that they can also see you so be sure to smile and avoid getting frustrated if there are connectivity problems.
Active listening
When speaking face-to-face we instinctively use small gestures such as nods, head tilts and sympathetic expressions to show the speaker that we are listening to and understanding them.
Sympathetic head tilt
These gestures are even more important when we are video conferencing, but we often forget about them and even worse get distracted by something else on the screen.
Avoid screen distraction
This gives the speaker the impression that you’re not interested in what they have to say, so be careful and remember to actively listen and maintain eye contact by keeping your eyes on the camera while they talk.
Headsets
Of course it’s not all about how you look, you need to sound good too. One of the biggest causes of problems during video conferencing is poor quality sound and background noise. The main cause of this is poor quality microphones and headsets. Even though your computer may have built in speakers and a microphone, using these for video conferencing can cause echo and interference for your listener.
Pin connector
For the best results use a good quality headset with a microphone, if possible one that connects using a USB connector rather than a pin plug as this will give you better overall sound quality.
USB connector
I hope that this simple guide will help to make your video conferencing experience more successful and much less stressful for both you and your students.
If you have more suggestions please leave us a comment and share your experiences.
Related links
- Find out more about the British Council’s Aptis Test for Teachers
- Find out more about Teaching for us
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