Planning a Video Conference: hints and tips

In order to make the most of this technology and ensure that your video conference is a great success, we have listed some helpful hints.

Facilitator - It is a good idea for your chairperson to facilitate the meeting and ensure everyone at all locations are involved. This person will need to ensure that the people at the farside (other end of the video) of the videoconference can be heard and seen and can also see and hear the people in the main meeting room. It is the responsibility of the chairperson to ensure the people on the farside have their say and to include them as much as practical.


Test Call - At times, meetings are required to connect to people and organisations outside SCU.

  • It is vital that a test call be arranged to the destination of your videoconference in advance to ensure that there are no problems making a connection on the day.

  • When booking an external videoconference, ensure you request a test call be organised. Please contact timetables.


Preparation of documentation - We recommend any documentation you wish to use during the videoconference should be formatted and is easy to read using large lettering in a sanserif font. Backgrounds should contrast significantly such as black writing on white.


Visual Content - Video sometimes does not translate well over video conferencing and shows as a greatly reduced frame rate at about 5 frames per second. If video is required, it will be necessary for the farside to view a copy of the video locally. Audio is unaffected.


Room Control - Use the room AV equipment to give remote participants the best view of you and your meeting room. The room AV control can be used to move the camera, both at the start of the meeting and during. The chair of the meeting is sitting where the controls are and is best placed to change the camera as required; this is often when a speaker is 'out of shot'. The controls can be used for muting the microphone.


Planning video conference for teaching

Planning a videoconference class is similar to videoconference meetings. Preparation of the course material should be developed with the intention of being easily viewed on the screen and thought given to any video required.

All videoconference for teaching and meetings are booked and co-ordinated via timetables.