| 1. If you’re preparing to talk to your team from home, check in advance that you have a minimum 5mpbs internet connection, and check again on the day using www.speedtest.net. 2. Any improvement to bandwidth will improve the experience. You should move closer to the router or connect with an ethernet cable, make sure your phone and other devices aren’t also connected to the network, and shut down any applications that use the internet in the background. 3. Think carefully about how you’re framed and positioned… - If you’re talking at length to a large group, stand up as if you were addressing a meeting. It will give the session energy. NB you will need to elevate your computer.
- If it’s a small group, stay seated but lean forward a little in your chair.
- Keep the camera level with your head: nobody wants to look up your nose.
- If using an external camera, fix the lens is as close as possible to the top of your screen. When a speaker looks at the screen and not the lens, it creates a real disconnect.
- A background glimpse of your home will make the engagement look more ‘human.’
4. Wear headphones to prevent feedback loops. Inner ear versions are less obvious and restrictive. 5. Be sparing in your use of Powerpoint. If the speaker’s face has to be minimised onscreen for a long period it becomes more difficult to maintain a rapport with participants. 6. If you want to show YouTube clips, note that some platforms work more effectively with pre-loaded video. (Zoom shows video via the screen sharing application, so it’s best to have video ready to go on another tab.) 7. With small audiences JLA recommends inviting all participants to introduce themselves. It stops it feeling like you’re performing to a void. When the audience is too big you can ask an opening question (eg “clap if you think that…?”) to emphasise that it’s a two-way session. | 
