A guide to video conferencing in DECS. Level 3, 31 Flinders Street

Transcription

1 A guide to video conferencing in DECS Level 3, 31 Flinders Street

2 Contents Page Contents 3 Checking that the equipment is switched on and ready for a video conference session 4 The video conference unit 5 Microphone placement 6-8 The features of the video conference remote control 9-14 How to book a video conference 15 How to edit features of your booked video conference 16 confirmation of your booked video conference 17 How to join a video conference if you are running late Effective video conference meeting procedures 20 Managing a multi point video conference 21 How to share content with remote sites 22 Developing content to share in a video conference 2

3 Checking that the equipment is switched on and ready for a video conference session The remote controls should be located on the lower shelf of the video conference unit. One remote operates the monitor and the other operates the VC unit video conference unit Ensure that the monitor is turned on. The light should be green. If it is red, then turn on the monitor using the remote control. This is the same as turning on a TV 3

4 The VC unit sits on top of the monitor. Ensure the VC unit is turned on. You should see a green light on the front LHS. If it is red then look at the reverse side of the VC unit then turn it on by switching it on by pushing the power button down. The on/off switch is located on the back of the VC unit on very the left hand side. The video conference unit This is the back of the VC unit This is the network cable connection. A small light should be flashing. This cable should be plugged into the educonnect data point in the wall. It is labelled EO4 4

5 Microphone Placement The microphone is on a long cable. It needs to be placed on the table where participants are sitting The microphone is very sensitive. Place it centrally on the desk. You should be able to talk in a normal voice and be confident that you can be heard by the remote sites. 5

6 The features of the video conference remote control 6

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9 How to book a video conference The scheduling tool will require you to Select all sites for the session Nominate the date and times of the session Features of the conference If required, edit features of conference The Bridge will dial your VC unit at the scheduled starting time. Please ensure that your unit is turned on prior to the starting time. To access the TMS video conferencing scheduling tool users need to access eduportal Enter your username and password Your user name is your DECS ID number and if you do not know your password then contact the CSC CSC metro Country csc@sa.gov.au 9

10 Select the video conference Bookings link Begin by selecting Start 10

11 Selecting sites to be included in the video conference Select participants from the directory and click the arrow. You must also select your site to be a part of the conference Click next once all participants have been selected Use the 3 drop down menus (A,B &C ) to nominate the sites, date of the session and the start and finish time. If a site has blue shading in the times chosen this indicates that they are scheduled for another conference at that time. They will not be able to participate in the nominated times. Adding some lead and lag time will ensure the session does not shut down unexpectedly. Select the recurrence tab if you wish to have a session booked on a regular basis Click next to continue the booking process 11

12 Selecting a recurring video conference If you would like a recurring conference then use the drop down menu to nominate the recurrence interval and then click OK Give your conference a title which is appropriate to the user group If you tick the record box your session will be recorded and this action will also bring up a dialogue box that gives the user a range of advanced options for the VC session 12

13 Advanced options for a video conference session Select the advanced tab to choose options for your VC session The advanced tab will enable the organiser to nominate the view of the remote sites that they see. That is, Voice activated: you will see in full screen the current person speaking or the last person who spoke, or Continuous presence: This enables a maximum of six sites to be displayed continuously Select OK when you have made your choice. DECS would recommend the default setting of voice activated. 13

14 Review your scheduled video conference bookings You can review your scheduled sessions by clicking on the My Conferences tab The last screen will confirm your booking and you can access details by selecting the My Conference tab. Click close when finished 14

15 How to edit features of your booked video conference When in the my conference tab, you can edit your session by selecting the conference to edit and then select the edit tab. The ability to edit applies to conferences scheduled in the future, not sessions currently in operation. Editing current sessions only offers the ability to edit the end time. To add participants or other changes you must contact the CSC and select option 1 Editing your scheduled Video Conference Once in edit mode you are taken back to the selecting participants page You can add or delete participants and then click next and Alter the date, start and finishing time Select record and then the advanced tab to change the features of the conference On the last screen click confirm and your changes will be saved 15

16 confirmation An will automatically be generated and sent to conference organiser The will have details similar to what is shown below. Please forward this to all conference participants You have successfully saved the following conference: Conference title: Scheduled Meeting 21/09/ :42 Conference id: 3302 Numeric id: 303 Date: 21/09/ /09/2009 Time: 15:41-15:45, (GMT + 09:30) Adelaide Participant(s): Pipalyatjara AP School - Kathy Smerdon - PVX (IP/H323: 50694@vc.central.sa.edu.au) 15:41-15:45, (GMT + 09:30) Adelaide DECS - Phil Purling - PVX (IP/H323: 50596@vc.central.sa.edu.au) 15:41-15:45, (GMT + 09:30) Adelaide DECSMCU3 (IP/H323: 29303@vc.central.sa.edu.au) 15:41-15:45, (GMT + 09:30) Adelaide DECS - Enver Malkic - PVX (IP/H323: 50532@vc.central.sa.edu.au) 15:41-15:45, (GMT + 09:30) Adelaide The participants will connect using this route: DECSMCU3 Pipalyatjara AP School - Kathy Smerdon - PVX H323: DECSMCU3 DECS - Phil Purling - PVX H323: DECSMCU3 DECS - Enver Malkic - PVX H323:

17 How to join a video conference if you are running late If a conference is booked to start at 9 am the VC session will start at that time If you are late for a conference you can still join The bridge is set to dial / ring end points at the scheduled starting time. The bridge will ring every 30 seconds for 3 minutes If your unit is not turned on, the VC bridge will view this as you do not want to attend To manually join in a conference use the numeric ID of the conference with a prefix of 29 If we are using the example from the previous page, you would turn on your VC unit and key in on the remote control and press the green call button 17

18 Effective video conference meeting procedures Sound If you are not talking, always mute your mic. This will prevent any audio feedback. Press the yellow mute button the remote as shown on the next page You do not need to shout in a VC session as the mic is quite sensitive Voice activated conferences will always show the site talking or making a noise Furniture If your table is rectangular, its long side should face the VC equipment. This allows a front on of all participants Clothing appropriate for VC Your usual business clothes will be fine - avoid very busy patterns as these can blur and make your picture fuzzy. Pastel colours are better than white. Avoid bright, flashy jewellery as this can reflect the light and be distracting. Body Movement during VC Small actions look large on camera Shuffling, looking away from the camera and fidgeting are all distracting Movements such as swaying from side to side will look odd and will cause the picture to break up Consider your position during a VC session For an individual participant the best shot for the screen is from the waist up Leaning slightly towards the camera will make you look more sincere and interested. 18

19 Camera Shots Close ups can appear a bit in your face Waist up is best for individuals Allow some room around your body so you do not lean out of view What you wear and do will be seen. Use the zoom function on the VC remote adjust the best view that remote sites will see Yellow mute microphone button This button controls zoom and the 4 way arrow controls the field of view captured by the camera Stay a little focussed Try not to shift your gaze about the room - This looks like you are avoiding people at the other site/s. The same applies to constantly looking down at notes on a table 19

20 Managing a Multipoint video conference: Some protocols Have a chairperson, agenda and let participants know in advance the exact date and time of the session Ask participants to mute microphones unless talking ( use remote for this : yellow button, top LHS of VC remote Preset your camera to the person or persons at your site Do a roll call at beginning of session to see who is there and ask them to unmute, say hello and check volume levels Don t ignore sites. In voice activated mode it is easy to engage with the site on screen and overlook other sites Don t be a talking head as you will bore participants Let sites contribute towards either discussion or ask questions Perhaps keep track by listing all sites who have had a chance to contribute 20

21 How to share content with remote sites Set your laptop screen resolution to 768 To select this screen resolution right mouse click on your desktop, select properties, select settings, adjust resolution by dragging slider with mouse, click apply and finally click OK Connect your laptop to the VGA cable attached to the VC unit You are now able to push any content on your laptop to the remote sites and they will see this in full screen mode. Pressing the blue presentation button once will push the content on your laptop to remote sites. Push it once more and the content will stop being sent. Do not rush your content as it will take a few moments for all sites to receive your content 21

22 Developing content to share Video Conferencing has some limitations and it is wise to modify any documents to conform to the recommendations below Use 36 pt for the title body text should be 24 pt Use Sans Serif fonts - Ariel, Helvetica, Geneva as these are easier to read You are not making a cake or a cocktail, so do not mix fonts Eg, Bold, italics, underline ALL CAPS IS HARDER TO READ Traditional colours for VC content Mid blue background with yellow text Try other colours with black background and apricot print. What looks good for you may not be the case in VC Do not use overly detailed backgrounds as picture quality can suffer and can be distracting Do not overcrowd your page with text or graphics. KISS, 7 lines per screen 22

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