Here are some technical best practices for setting up your work station during a live class webinar:
Use a hardwired connection. Even the strongest wifi signal can wobble or drop from time to time, resulting in an uneven experience for students. If you do not have an ethernet cable or port on your laptop, please contact Helpdesk.
Spend some time testing your setup a day or two in advance of every class. It’s best to do this in the room you plan to teach. If you experience challenges during testing be sure to reach out to Helpdesk immediately. They are keen to help.
Encourage or insist(!) that your students wear earbuds or headsets during live classes. This will cut down on background noise, echo, and other audio interference. Students will appreciate the result.
For all of the reasons mentioned in #3, use a headset yourself.
Ensure your webcam is at eye level. You can easily prop your laptop up on books or other objects.
If you find audio is lagging, you may want to ask students to turn off their cameras. This will reduce the bandwidth strain.
Remind students to turn off their microphones when they are not speaking. You can always mute students (one or all!) if needed.
