Audio Visual Services (AVS)
A Guide to Teaching with
Video Conferencing
Technology at WKU
‘Classroom Management’
2015
Faculty IVS
Guide to Video Conferencing
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Classroom Management ......................................................................................................................... 2
IVS Classroom Policies ..................................................................................................................... 2
Time Management .......................................................................................................................... 3
Suggestions for Interactivity ........................................................................................................... 3
Suggestions for Increasing Interactivity .......................................................................................... 4
Designing Effective Graphics for Document Camera or Power Points ............................................. 5
Copyright Issues .............................................................................................................................. 5
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
IVS Classroom Policies
1.
2.
Microphone buttons must be held down while students are speaking. For those with
lights, if the red or green light is not on, they are not transmitting. Do not attempt to
move microphones.
NO FOOD or DRINKS are allowed in the classrooms.
3.
Cell Phones should be turned off while students are in the IVS classroom. (This will cause
audio problems.)
4.
Recordings are made if a site is having technical problems (see Recording portion of
Classroom Operational Management document).
5.
The course connection will disconnect the class session 5 minutes after your scheduled
class end-time. If you need additional time after class, and the room schedule will allow
for this, please call the AV Services Office to request an extended class time.
6.
Communicate all problems to AVS ASAP! We cannot fix problems we are not aware of.
7.
Turn off the equipment and verify that the door locks when you leave. Security of the
equipment is very important.
8.
Prior to the scheduled class time faculty are encouraged to report any class cancellations,
or schedule changes to AVS at (270) 745-3809 or submit IVS Course Change TD Ticket.
It is up to you to notify your students and facilitators regarding class cancellations.
Revised 7/23/2015
2|P age
2015
Faculty IVS
Guide to Video Conferencing
Time Management

Breaks help the distance students stay focused on the material. (Remember that they will
be watching you on a monitor for the entire class; they will need to stretch to energize
themselves.)

Vary the type of activities you use during the class, especially during night classes. You
may want to use videotapes, small groups, discussion, etc.

Be aware that distance education is slightly slower than traditional classroom instruction,
so be flexible concerning the schedule you have set for the class.

Problems do sometimes delay a class, which will also slow down the pace. Occasionally
one site may be “disconnected” due to technical problems. Always have a backup plan
ready (such as recording the class, so that the recording may be sent to the disconnected
site).
Suggestions for Interactivity

Get all students, especially those at your local site, familiar with using the microphones
themselves the very first day. Do not repeat what is said; make them repeat it using the
mics.

Roll call. Request that each student identify him/herself, and state a personal fact while
using the microphone.

Planned, purposeful movement adds meaning and variety to the presentation. Nervous,
continuous movement is distracting. Due to the delay in signal, avoid extraneous motion
and rapid movements.

Eye contact with the instructor camera is vital. Through the camera, the instructor
engages in direct communication with the distance students.

Pauses are useful tools for an instructor trying to engage distance students in answering
questions. Students will respond, if you wait on them.

Always require and reinforce students at your physical location to use the microphones!
Since students who are physically with you sometimes choose not to use their mics, it is
possible remote site students will not hear their questions/comments if the microphones
are not used.
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2015
Faculty IVS
Guide to Video Conferencing

After asking a question, always allow at least a silent count to three before you say
anything. There is a one-second delay from the time you speak before the remote site
hears you and another one-second delay for you to hear their response.

Do not always simply call out a question or ask for a general response. The students at
your physical location will be privileged to hear you before the other locations. As a
result, they might respond more quickly. Direct your questions to a specific site and/or a
specific person. Try using Index Cards, Popsicle sticks, anything where you can have
one per student. Rotate through or randomly draw from cards to call on students by name.

Do not take/wear the wireless mic outside of the classroom! (Unfortunate events happen
when mics are worn in the restroom.)
Suggestions for Increasing Interactivity

Communicate that all students are equal. (Distant students are not secondary to students
where the faculty member is teaching.) Convey that interaction is important and expected.

Have the students give a short biographical sketch during the first class session to get the
familiar with using microphones. Students should assume that microphones are operational
at all times.

Establish the ground rules for questions during the first class meeting.

Ask questions. Pause for at least 3-5 seconds for a response.
o Address questions to students at distant sites by name and site. (Ex. Joe, in
Owensboro) They do not like being referred to by the site name only.
o Pose preplanned questions/answers in writing using the graphic camera or computer.
o Rephrase unanswered questions.
o Write all students names on index cards/popsicle sticks and randomly draw a name to
respond to a question.

Try not to rush students when they ask questions or comment in class, but encourage
consciousness.

Avoid allowing one student, or site, to monopolize the time or discussion. Class discussion
can be an integral part of the distant learning experience, but it should be structured having
well defined time constraints.

Ask a student from a distant site to respond to another student’s question.
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2015
Faculty IVS
Guide to Video Conferencing

Ask a student, by name, to survey his/her location for questions or responses.

Ask one question at a time (structured silence may be an affective teaching tool).

Maintain eye contact with the camera.

Make personalized notes on individual exams or assignments returned to the students (if
feasible).

Visit distant sites, if feasible, perhaps during a guest lecture or exam session.
Designing Effective Graphics for Document Camera or Power Points
28 36 pts. minimum)
Use large fonts (
-
Be concise and keep lines short, think 6 X 6; six lines with six words.
Try using pictures instead of words to illustrate. For Example see appendix B.
Copyright Issues
For copyright information see:
http://www.utsystem.edu/OGC/IntellectualProperty/distguid.htm
For complete information on the TEACH Act:
http://www.ala.org/washoff/teach.html
Revised 7/23/2015
5|P age