Presentation
Delivery Techniques

Delivery of instruction and contact with students revolves around this point. Faculty and students at both the remote and the local sites will see and interact with each other via the technology in the room: cameras, microphones and television monitors in the IVCs. While the content of the course being delivered may not change or slightly change, the process by which the information is delivered changes substantially.

When delivering a lesson in an IVC, the instructor is basically teaching in a small TV studio. Because of equipment found in an IVC, and instructor needs to take the following items into consideration.

Eye Contact - Instructor Camera
Make eye contact with the instructor camera and not the monitor at the back of the room. If you look at the monitor, you will appear to the remote site students to be looking "off to the side". Treat the instructor camera as if it were another student and look straight at it when addressing the remote site(s).

Focus on the Students and Not What’s on the Monitor
Glance at the console monitors to make sure the visual you intend to send to the remote site is the correct image. Spend the rest of the time focusing on your students both at the local and remote site(s).

Get Out in the Audience
The tracking ring (VTEL rooms only) or wide angle setting for Polycom rooms allows the presenter to get away from the desk and podium. Whenever possible mingle with the local students and interact with them. Make them part of the presentation. It also keeps the students on their toes and allows the other site to see the students.

Delivering Instruction Timing
Using the PenPal to switch between you, students in the class, the document stand camera, VCR, and PC applications takes practice. As the semester goes on, switching becomes second nature. Tip: while it may seem like an eternity to you when switching from one source to another, the time it takes to change between sources seems normal to the student.

Vary the Image
Vary what the student sees on the screen.
A talking head on the screen gets tiring. Don’t leave a PowerPoint slide on the screen for material presented fifteen minutes earlier. Vary what the students see with an assortment of instructional visuals: a PowerPoint presentation, materials for the document stand camera, videotape, or the students at the instructor site.
Tip: Switch to your visual a few seconds before talking about it. It gives students a chance to "digest" the information before you talk about it.

Audio Delay
Let your students know two-way compressed video systems usually exhibits an audio delay.
As an instructor, double your usual wait time after asking a question or soliciting comments. Also bring students into each interaction by repeating questions and answers a student makes, ensuring that the other sites can hear.

Framing Camera Shots
There are natural camera cut off points on the body. For example a head shot should include a part of the shoulders. The waist is a natural cut off point for a medium shot of a person on camera. A full body shot should include the feet. Framing the shot at unnatural points causes some "tension" to the viewers.

Move and Gesture Slowly and Smoothly
Compressed video cannot transmit rapid movements without some loss of picture quality, so move in a fluid, non-distracting way. Gesture and move normally, but avoid swaying, rocking, or pacing. If you like to walk, ago ahead, but know the camera range parameters.

Encourage Students to Use Push-to-Talk Microphones
It’s easy to interact with the local students and forget the students at the remote site(s).
Make a concerted effort to ask students at the remote locations questions or to solicit comments. However, in order for students at all sites to hear each other, remind them to engage the push-to-talk microphone.

Up Front and Center
If the class is small, encourage all students to sit up front and within camera view. This facilitates students at all sites to get to know each other and greatly improves interaction between sites.

Eye Contact
As mentioned earlier, make contact with the students at the remote site by looking directly into the instructor camera at the back of the room. Divide your eye contact between the students at your location and the students at the remote sites. Make the students at the remote site feel that they are part of the class.

Facial Expressions
The face provides many visual cues. Remember, while the students at the local site can pick up such cues, the students at the remote sites will not if the tracking ring (VTEL rooms only) is set on wide. When at all possible, avoid wide angle shots where all facial expressions are reduced or eliminated.
Use a "tight" shot to make sure the students at the remote site(s) can read your facial expressions.

Posture
Stand straight. Due to IVC technology, the camera accentuates if you slouch. If you stand behind the IVC lectern use it to hold your notes or presentation materials, do not use it to "prop" yourself up.

Gesturing
Pay attention to your hands and arms. Are they stiff and at your side? Do your hands say something and your voice something else? Or are they used to punctuate your lesson or get a point across?
When addressing students at the remote site, extend your arm towards the camera as if motioning to someone in the room.

Grooming
Good grooming habits are reflected on the TV screen for all to see. Unfortunately so are unkempt or disheveled appearances.

Be Enthusiastic
If you are enthusiastic about the course, your students will be too. Because you are viewed on a TV monitor, eye contact, facial expressions, posture and grooming, along with your voice will convey your level of enthusiasm.

Due to the logistics of an IVC class, enthusiasm is even more important on the first day. Students may feel uneasy knowing the instructor won’t be in class; however, your enthusiasm may go a long way to ease those fears.

Mannerisms and Nervous Habits
People sometimes have mannerisms or nervous habits that they aren't aware of until someone notices and points them out. With IVC, these habits become more noticeable, since the students focus on the TV monitor where any unnecessary movement or mannerisms are rather obvious.

Here are some things to avoid doing when teaching in an IVC.

• Playing with jewelry
• Licking or biting your lips
• Constantly adjusting your glasses
• Keeping both hands in pant pockets
• Popping the top of a pen
• Playing with facial hair
• Twirling your hair
• Jingling change in your pocket
• Leaning on anything for support
• Using too many gestures

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SPEAKING TIPS

Instructors are delivering their course materials not to a local site but to a remote site as well. The only connection students at the remote site have with other site is the images and sounds sent to the remote site. The instructor's audio levels becomes even more important. It is vital that the instructor's voice be clearly heard and understood at the remote site. Listed below are speaking and delivery tips for instructors:

• Make sure everyone in the room can hear you. Project your voice to the back of the room. Don’t make your students strain to hear you speak.
• Even though you may be wearing a microphone, periodically ask the other site if they can hear you.
• Don’t talk to the monitors in the console. This results in "top of the head" syndrome.
• Face the audience. Avoid turning your back to the them.
• Pay attention to your pitch, volume and articulation, tempo and pacing.
• Avoid speaking in a monotone voice.
• Avoid – "ah" "um" "and" "huh." They distract the students from the presentation and make it seem that you are unprepared.
• Change the speed of speaking to emphasize content.
• Alternate the pace of your voice. Speaking at different rates for short periods of time can add dynamic flow and energy to speech patterns.
• At important key points, slow down. This verbally emphasizes what is being said is important.
• Use pauses for emphasis within statements.
• Silence is an exclamation point. Add emphasis and importance to key points of a presentation by extending a slight pause.
• Don’t read your presentation; use it as an organizer for your class.
• Allow enough time for the audience to read and grasp the information on the screen. Changing the information too quickly will loose the audience.
• Don't read from the screen - use the script, cue cards, or slide reductions as reminders of the points to be covered.
• Make sure the notes or comments correlate to the material on the screen.
• Use a pointer to call attention to a particular part of the transparency or slide.
• Using your lesson plans, organize your print based materials and graphics with your presentation. One suggestion is to number them in the upper right hand corner so if they get out of order, you can quickly arrange them in the proper order.
• Use progressive disclosure. Too much information can be confusing.
• When using a document or slide that has too much information, obscure the information on the bottom to keep people from reading ahead.

LESSON DELIVERY

When teaching in an IVC, it is important for an instructor to consider the delivery modes and methods for a lesson. Listed below are some items to consider before teaching an IVC class:

Class Preparation
An instructor can’t come in to an Interactive Video Classroom at the last minute and expect that a lesson delivered "off the cuff" will work. Due to the technology and logistics, an IVC class requires advance preparation for both the content and visuals.

After the preparation is complete, practice delivering the lesson using the equipment in the IVC. Tip:Presentations run 30% longer in front of an audience than when practicing alone.

Engage All Students
Constantly monitor student reactions (or lack of) at all sites. Ask questions and solicit comments and questions from all sites. Make sure there is constant interaction between sites and between instructor and students.

Switching Origination Sites
Some instructors like to vary their origination site where the instruction is being delivered. This keeps the students on their toes and keeps them from feeling that they are being "taken for granted." Also, it allows all students to actually interact in person with the instructor and feel more "part" of the class.

Transitions

Let the students know that your are switching from one topic to another. This is a good time to ask if there are any questions or comments from both sides. Aside from being a good instructional practice, transitions allow for interaction between the sites and let the students at the remote site know that you haven't forgotten about them. Also it is a quick way to make sure the audio is working between sites.

Questions and introductions also play an important role in effectively engaging students.

QUESTIONS AND INTRODUCTIONS

Due to the nature of Interactive Video, it is important to engage the students, especially the remote site students from the beginning of each class session. One effective way to do this is through questions posed by the instructor and introducing topics for discussion.

• At the beginning of each class, ask each site if there are any questions or comments about the previous class meeting. This is a good way to not only make sure the equipment at both sites is working but to also engage the students.
• Introduce the study unit at the beginning of the class. Let the students know what you are planning to cover during the session.

Other Items to Consider

• Memorize the opening statements to get over stage fright.
• Some people use humor or an amusing anecdote to begin.
• Establish a question and answer time for the presentation and let the students know when their questions and comments will be taken. Some individuals like to take questions at the end of a presentation to avoid interruptions. Others like questions asked during the presentation to get an idea of how it is going.

Soliciting Responses

• Develop a rapport with the students, especially the remote site.
• Ask students to answer questions specific to the content being covered.
• Solicit comments and/or opinions from all the students. This lets all the students feel that they are part of the class and it is a good way to foster interactivity between all students.
• Focus attention on the students, both at the local and remote site and not on yourself. Try to speak to every one at all sites.
  

At the End of the Class Period

• At the end of a class period, provide closure to the presentation.
• Review what’s been covered.
• Ask if there are any questions or comments about the materials that’s been presented.
• Provide an insight as to what will happen at the next class meeting.
• Clarify any homework assignments.
• If there are any changes to your "office hours" let them know at this time.

Did your Students "Get It"?
Anyone can get up before a group of students and speak. The question is "did they learn?"
Don’t speak to your students at both sites, communicate with them. Create a dialogue with them to make sure they have learned and make them comfortable asking questions or making comments. Again, remember interactive and inclusion.

Be Yourself
Finally, relax and be yourself. Your students are experiencing the same feeling of being 'on camera' that you are. Don’t be someone you aren't. Students can sense it. Develop your own presentation style and incorporate it into your IVC course.

If you don’t know something, it is okay to say so. Just follow up by saying you will find the answer and have it for them next class period. If you try to bluff your way through it, your students will find out, and you will lose credibility with them.

Self Evaluation - "How'd I do?"
Suggestion: All IVC's have a VHS VCR that can be used to video tape classroom presentations. Do a dry run of a presentation you will be delivering and video tape it. When finished, play it back to check your delivery of the material. Also check you graphics and see how they "will look" to students who are taking your class.