Digital Innovation

Professional work increasingly requires new, “virtual presence” skills. Learning and practicing these skills will benefit not only you but also the whole class.

We expect the following:

Set up

• Attend class from a quiet place, with few distractions.
• Sit/stand at a table or desk where you can type and take notes easily.
• Ensure your background is professional. Avoid virtual backgrounds unless you have privacy concerns.
  
• Avoid backlights like windows and bright lamps behind you.
• Place your web camera at eye level.
• Wear headphones with a microphone if you are in a space with ambient noise.
• Disconnect from your VPN and turn off programs or applications that might be consuming bandwidth to ensure better video quality.
• Test Zoom “view options” to find an option that allows you to see both the shared screen and the tiles of your classmates.
• Connect to a second screen, if possible, to see more of your peers.


Conduct

• Prepare for class with rigor. Expect to participate actively.
• Dress and behave as you would in a face-to-face meeting.
• Keep the video on to be more present.
• Mute your microphone when you are not speaking.
• Raise the ‘digital hand’ to signal you have a question or comment (or follow the lead of your instructor). Lower it once you have spoken, or if the topic changes.
• Use nonverbal icons: thumbs up/down, applause, and nodding in agreement.
• Use the chat feature as directed by faculty. The chat log is recorded and available for faculty to review after class. Appreciate that some faculty will not review it, and that some may consider it a distraction from the ongoing discussion.
• Keep classroom discussions private. Do not record, post, or share them with others.