Charlotte gave up her favorite corner so that the family could set up a folding table to use as a work desk in the corner of a bedroom. Don’t worry, Charlotte found a good spot nearby that she can get plenty of head scratches during the day!

Covering the folding table with a tablecloth makes it a bit nicer and a good table lamp or light can provide adequate lighting, which is especially important if you will be working at night.

Equipment and Internet Access

Having the appropriate equipment and Internet access are key factors to success when teaching or taking online courses. Depending on the course, create a list of “must have” and “nice to have” equipment that the instructor and students should have for the course. If you are the instructor, send the list out to your students and include resources for them to find low or no-cost resources in their community. Click here to learn more about resources in the San Diego area.

Here’s an example of a list for using Canvas and Zoom in teaching or taking a course:

Must have:

• Computer, tablet, or smartphone with speaker and microphone. Find out if your equipment is appropriate for Zoom video conferences.

• Internet Access with 800kbps upload speed and 1.0Mbps download speed. Run a system test to see your current internet speed.

Nice to have:

• High Definition Webcam (if computer, tablet, or smartphone does not have one)

• Headset (if computer, table, smartphone, or webcam does not have one)

• Lighting (if good ambient or house lighting is not available)

• Good desk and comfortable chair in a quiet distraction-free space (does this even exist?)

Recording Audio and Controlling Noise

Noise is any sound outside of the intended communication between the instructor and students. It is a major distraction for online teaching and learning. Examples include the sounds of dogs barking, people cooking, or children playing (or crying) in the background. Noise can disrupt the teacher’s or student’s concentration and one should take steps to control the environment to eliminate unnecessary noise.

Tips to keep noise to a minimum:

• Be aware that most computer microphones pick up all noise. If you don’t want everyone hearing what you hear, find a quiet space or practice muting yourself to keep others online from hearing the noise.

• If you are the instructor using an online video conferencing tool like Zoom, practice using the mute function to quiet students that have noise coming from their microphones to keep all students focused.

• Closing the door to your office space is the best way to minimize your noise when participating in an online meeting.

Tips to record audio:

• If you live/work in an area where there is no door to close, then consider using a “noise cancelling” headset to eliminate background noise. A noise cancelling headset filters out background noises while clearly recording your voice. In addition to reducing background noise that will get picked up on the microphone, it also lets others in the household know that you are working when they see you are wearing your headset. Optionally, if you are able to find a bluetooth/wireless headset, then you can stand up and move around just like you would move around in your classroom.

• Test your audio before you start your class to make sure it works properly.

• Before speaking, get in the habit of asking others if they can hear you before talking.

• Speak slowly and clearly. Zoom meetings with a https://cccconfer.zoom.us/ account create an auto transcription of the meeting by translating spoken words into text. Speaking slowly and clearly improves the ability of the auto transcription. Having an accurate closed captioning transcription of your recording makes the video accessible for all students to watch later.

Recording Video and Lighting

While recording video is not a requirement for teaching or taking an online class, being able to see and be seen by students helps create a positive connection in the course.

Tips for recording:

• Be sure your computer settings are set correctly. Zoom video conferencing may allow you to record in high definition. Be sure to check your settings on Zoom to ensure you get the best quality and performance.

• If you find your video is not streaming well during a live video conference, consider turning off high definition or the video feed completely. In your Zoom settings you can upload a profile picture of yourself that can be displayed when you are not showing video. Often when you are sharing a powerpoint or talking, video is not needed to communicate clearly.

• Set up your desk in front of a window or lighting source to get good ambient light.

• Whenever practical, do not set up your desk to show your bed or a distracting background in video. It is best to find a spot that faces a wall or pleasant background to maintain a professional look.

Examples of setting up video to show the proper background for an online class:

Tips for lighting:

• If taking classes during the day, a nice window will provide beautiful light. Place yourself directly in front of the window with your device camera pointing away from the window.

• If there is no natural light, find an artificial light source and place it above and in front of your face.

• Avoid placing the light below, behind or to the side.

• Look for harsh shadows. Add multiple lights or move them further away.

Other Tips

• Maintain Regular Work Hours. Working from home has many advantages, including flexibility. That’s why it’s important to have a schedule that you can adjust as needed. For example, take a walk during a time that you would usually be in the office. Working from home gives you the flexibility to incorporate this routine into your work schedule and strike a healthy work/life balance.

• Create a Morning Routine. We all have routines when heading in to work. Create one for your work schedule as well so you don’t just go from waking up to working. Some remote workers need that first cup of coffee and a good breakfast before starting the work day. Others need to shower and get dressed in work clothes to feel ready to transition to the remote office. Then there are those remote workers that want to read and respond to emails in their pajamas. The bottom line is one size does not fit all. Find a routine that works for you and give yourself permission and flexibility to adjust it. That’s one of the benefits of working from home.

• Change clothes to create a break. For example, if you plan to go for a walk or hike during your break, change into your workout gear. This trick can help you stick with doing what you set out to do instead of sitting at your desk.

• Schedule breaks and take them in their entirety. This tip is harder than it sounds. Give yourself time to stand up and walk away from the computer and phone to take a full lunch and stretch breaks.

• Get out of the house. During the extraordinarily unusual times we live in right now, it’s important to regularly leave your home or workspace. Again, your body needs to move and you don’t need to go to crowded public spaces. Maybe you can walk the dog that’s been asking you to play with her all day, weed the garden - something that gives you a change of scenery and a change of pace.

• Socialize with colleagues. Just like our students, feeling lonely, disconnected and isolated are common problems for those of us catapulted suddenly into this remote work “new normal.” Together, we can find creative ways to socialize and remain connected to one another. For example, we could create a Zoom meeting link for a virtual book club, discussion group or maybe even listen to music together.

• “Show up” to meetings, be heard, and over communicate. This work model requires us to over communicate. When you are invited to attend a meeting remotely, be sure to let people know when you’re available/unavailable. Know that it can feel challenging to speak up when you’re in the virtual conference room. Even saying hello when you join and goodbye when you leave the meeting shows you were there.

• Above all, keep your sense of humor. Just know that, no matter how prepared you are, it is inevitable that the dog will bark in the middle of your presentation, the trash truck starts picking up your trash, or you accidentally turn on the video before getting out of your pajamas. We are all human and can’t control every situation. Find humor in the situation and make fun of it. If you are commonly interrupted, have a standard saying that diffuses the situation. If, for example, your children are shouting in the next room, say to the class, “Oh sorry, my office is right next to a playground.” It’s the truth, and it’s funny too!

I hope you enjoyed this guide. We wish you the best of success taking your next online class!

©2020 CC BY Matthew Rivaldi and Deborah West Roth. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Feel free to Share, copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format. You may aAdapt, remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose.