Your audience:

• Please speak slowly and use plain language.
• Participants will have diverse backgrounds, knowledge, and experience.

Points to consider when preparing and holding your presentation:

• Please remember very technical slides and descriptions may confuse the audience. Key points may be highlighted. Try to reduce technical abbreviations. Try to use only one single term even when multiple near-identical terms exist.
• Stick to the time allocated to your presentation. Participants will want to ask questions and discuss the issues you raise during your presentation.
• Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities.

Technology preparation:

• You will be presenting in an online meeting via Zoom.

Room conditions:

• Do a pre-test in the room where you will hold your presentation. Rule out potential noise, lighting, and Wi-Fi quality.

Audio quality:

• Use a headset, participants want to hear you.
• Use a headset with a noise-reducing microphone. Holding the presentation without a headset / with a built-in microphone can be linked to poor sound and echo that will disrupt the meeting.
• Is the microphone well positioned, with the microphone close to your mouth?
• Can your voice be heard loud and clear by other participants? If not, is there anything you can change, e.g., another headset or less distance to the microphone?
• Remember to always mute your microphone when not speaking.

Video quality:

• Use your camera, participants want to see you.
• Is your web camera working?
• Is the camera positioned correctly (are your eyes directed to the camera)?
• Is your face in the middle of the camera image, so textual overlays with your name do not cover your chin or mouth?
• Are you close enough to the camera, so others can see your face when you are speaking or looking puzzled?
• Is the lighting good? Please avoid bright background light (e.g., a bright window behind you), as this will turn you into a dark silhouette.

Wi-Fi quality:

• Is the Wi-Fi bandwidth in your room sufficient for a call with a lot of webcam videos? Can you check that no one on the same Wi-Fi will use bandwidth-consuming applications (e.g., streaming TV) during your meeting?

Make yourself familiar with Zoom functionality:

• Further information on how to use screen sharing for a PowerPoint presentation via Zoom can be found by clicking here.
• Additionally, please request a technical test.
• When you are sharing your screen, please make sure you turn off all messenger apps, email pop-up windows, and other screens that may turn up in front of your slides while you are presenting, and that you show the slides in full-screen mode.