Distance Education / MSCVN
Advice for Presenters

Presenters should contact the distance education staff early in the process, preferably before a presentation has been created, to discuss options for presenting material. Presenters should become acquainted with how the compressed video works to understand how interactivity between sites occurs.

Prior to the day of the presentation:

1. It is very important that the presenter and distance education coordinator meet early. The coordinator will provide tips on presenting via compressed video. This will be the time to make requests for special equipment setups.

2. Handout materials should be prepared early so there is time to duplicate and mail to the distant sites. All essential information and a copy of the slides should be included in handouts.

3. If the presenter's laptop (or other equipment) will be used, the presenter should meet with the distance education coordinator or facilitator at least one day prior to the presentation for a test run. Not all laptops connect the same way, so it is important to allow time to locate the appropriate connectors.

Day of the presentation, prior to start time:

1. The presenter should plan to be at the training site at least 30 minutes early on the day of the presentation. The presenter and facilitator will use this time to go over the details of the presentation.

2. The presenter should obtain a list of contact numbers for the sites to be connected, for the facilitator on call, and for the requesting agency.

During the presentation:

1. The presenter should give participants a brief tutorial on the proper use of microphones.

2. The presenter should go over the agenda for the presentation. Break and question times should be mentioned. Breaks should be scheduled at logical division points in the content rather than strictly by the clock.

3. Questions from the participants should be repeated so that everyone will hear the questions. Some participants may not speak loudly enough or may forget to turn on their microphones. Participants in the room with the presenter must be reminded to use the microphones when talking with the presenter so that other sites will be able to hear the interaction.

4. The presenter should pause five to ten seconds after asking a question. There is a delay in the signal being sent to and from the distant sites.

5. It is recommended that the presenter try to involve the participants in the training when possible, for example, incorporating individual and small group exercises. To encourage interaction, the presenter should call on remote sites and participants.

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