Helpful websites
References of interest
- Zoom video tutorials provide excellent practice
- Zoom Meetings & Webinars has many helpful videos
- ACM Digital Library Recording Requirements
Here are some presentation basics to enhance your session:
- Make sure you are presenting from a well-lit area.
- To connect with your audience you want your computer camera at face level. If you don’t have a stand for your laptop, use books or stacks of paper to bring your camera to the correct height. You want to make sure the camera on your computer is stationary to keep your audience from experiencing cybersickness.
- Try a virtual background which may be your slide deck.
- When speaking, look directly at the camera. Looking at your camera will make your attendees feel included and part of the session. One good suggestion is tuning in to a news show and watch the anchors. Their eyes don’t stray from the camera lens, and it gives the impression they are talking to you.
- One way to achieve this is to position the active speaker window directly under your camera so that it is natural for your eyes to be looking towards the camera
- Video is just one portion of the presentation, you also need to sound your best
- Priority one is to make sure you are in a quiet area. You know how distracting it is to be in a session with external background noises happening.
- Using a pair of ear buds or a headset with a microphone will give you a better quality audio.
Helpful Shortcuts in Zoom
Change your background
- Go to Settings > Background
- You can choose one of the backgrounds provided by Zoom or upload one of your own. You might want to choose your slideset
Mute and unmute with the space bar
- You can hold the spacebar to quickly mute and unmute you microphone
Set up a waiting room for added privacy.
This will prevent anyone who has not been vetted from entering your session. One of the co-hosts can monitor the attendees entering the session and allow you to continue with your presentation.
- Account Management > Account Settings > Meeting
- Click on Waiting Room to enable the setting.
Creating a breakout session
If at the end of a session you have people who still need to ask questions, you might want to consider using a breakout room for smaller discussion. Or if you have an activity in you session or tutorial, you might want to split the meeting participants into separate groups and allow them to work together to accomplish a task or activity.
- Go to Account Management > Account Settings > Meeting
- Go to Breakout Room and you can assign people to that session
To learn more handy keyboard shortcuts