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People Management Tips for Learning and Communication with Adobe Connect Meeting

 Nancy Franz, Extension Specialist Program Development
Joe Hunnings, eFARS and Planning & Reporting Manager
Dan Goerlich, Central District Program Leader, VCE
Carl Estes, Instructional Technologist
Belinda Carroll, Educational Technology Manager

This guide provides tips for those planning and executing a Connect Meeting.
Sections of this guide:
    1. Planning and Setting Up a Connect Meeting
    2. Technology Management Tips
    3. Communication Tips
    4. Facilitation Tips

This guide complements the Adobe Presenter presentation Conducting a Successful Connect Meeting

Planning and Setting Up a Connect Meeting

  1. Create a plan for the meeting session. Determine what you plan to teach, what examples you will use, which content (PowerPoint presentations, animations, videos, documents, and so on) will be shared, who will be allowed (or encouraged) to present, and so on.
  2. Create a meeting agenda.
  3. Plan interactions. Decide when you are going to ask and answer questions, when you are going to present polls, and when other presenters or students will present or share documents. Establish how you will call on other presenters and students to participate.
  4. Create and test all supporting content prior to the scheduled meeting session.
  5. Create the meeting room, schedule a meeting session, and notify users well in advance. If possible, include the Adobe Connect meeting time in your communication along with the web address (URL) participants will need to enter the room.
  6. Use the invitation feature built in to Adobe Connect to send reminder announcements. Plan to include all pertinent information in the e-mail message. For example, you will probably want to include:
    1. Name, date, and time of the meeting session.
    2. Names of all participants who will be assisting with or giving presentations.
    3. Expected duration of the meeting.
    4. Session agenda.
    5. URL for joining the meeting.
    6. Directions for participants to test their computer system prior to the meeting session.
    7. Instructions indicating whom to contact if they have technical difficulties.
  7. Include all prerequisites in the meeting announcement or provide a link to the prerequisite materials.
  8. Before the meeting begins, provide participants with a list of etiquette rules. For example:
    1. Wait for the planned question time to raise questions.
    2. Use the "emoticons" in the My Status list in the Attendee pod to indicate if the pace is appropriate and to request permission to speak.
    3. Pay attention to the presenter and refrain from multi-tasking during meeting.
    4. Turn off radios, alarms, cell phones, and other distracting sources of noise.
    5. If possible, close your door and/or put up a sign that reads "Quiet Please -- online meeting in session."
    6. Use appropriate language and show respect for the other participants.
    7. If broadcasting audio, use a headset with microphone.
    8. Stay involved--participate in discussions, surveys, and polls.
    9. Pause your microphone when not speaking. This cuts down on background noise and comments/chatter unintended for the group.
    10. Reminder: All content, such as text entered into the Chat pod, stays in the meeting room after the meeting has ended unless the host clears out the pod. Be aware of your contributions to the meeting.
    11. Reminder if recording a meeting: All of your contributions to the meeting (chat, whiteboard, audio/video,) will be recorded for others to view. Be aware of what you contribute.
  9. Provide necessary information to participants about using Connect Meeting. Documentation specific to the VT-CALS implementation of Adobe Connect is available at the AHNR-IT Adobe Connect site.
  10. Pre-load all content into the Share pod before the scheduled meeting. You can only pre-load the following file types into the Share pod:
    1. PowerPoint (.ppt)
    2. Flash Paper (.flv)
    3. Shockwave (.swf)
    4. JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg)
    5. Flash (.flv)
  11. Prepare resources or links to additional information. You can include a Web Links pod in the meeting room for presenting this information.
  12. Prepare a meeting session summary to reinforce what was presented during the session and to bring closure to the meeting.
  13. Conduct a trial run. Ask some participants or colleagues to log in, preferably a few days beforehand, to check the system. Test such features as application sharing, document sharing, running presentations, and playing video. 

Technology Management Tips

  1. Take care of all technology issues prior to the start of the program. Tips for everyone attending the meeting:
    1. Do not use wireless Internet connections.
    2. Set room screen resolution to 1024 X 768.
    3. Optimize room bandwidth to DSL.
    4. Shut down any programs NOT being used for the presentation.
  2. Have participants set up and check audio/video prior to the meeting date.
  3. Everyone who is broadcasting audio should use a headset with a microphone or webcam.
  4. Recruit staff technology support before and during the meeting. This person should be able to resolve technical issues such as helping participants who are having trouble logging on or starting their video and/or audio broadcasts. You can set up a separate chat pod for your moderator to use to communicate directly with you without interrupting the meeting.
  5. Promote the phone number and e-mail address of the staff technology support person to participants if and when they have technology problems during the meeting/program.
  6. Recruit a moderator to help you run the Adobe Connect meeting room. This could be the staff technology support person or a colleague.
  7. If using video from the webcam, instructors should wear plain, lightcolored clothing and be in a moderately lit room.
  8. When setting up a meeting/program as a host, turn off all features not needed for the event. (i.e. people like to play with technology features when instead they should be focusing on the meeting/program).
  9. Have a back-up plan in case the technology doesn’t work. (i.e. broadcast audio by phone conference if needed).

Communication Tips

  1. Send the meeting/program announcement by e-mail with links for the connection and audio/video check-in a week before the meeting.
  2. Send a meeting/program reminder by e-mail 24 hours before the program.
  3. Minimize distracting background noise before the meeting session. Turn off phones, pagers, and watch alarms. Close the door to the room and/or place a sign on the door.
  4. Make the meeting/program agenda visible so participants know what to expect.
  5. Use the Record feature to record the meeting. You can make this recording available for participants who missed the scheduled meeting. You can also learn a lot about the meeting and your delivery by reviewing the recorded presentation.
    1. Let participants know if the meeting/program, including the Chat feature, is being recorded and archived.
  6. Set an engaging pace and monitor the audience. Vary your pace to keep participants interested. Encourage participants to give you feedback on the pace of the session using the MY STATUS "emoticons" in the Attendee List pod.
  7. Get feedback from participants about the meeting to improve your use of the technology and facilitation of future meetings.

Facilitation Tips

  1. Determine which technology is appropriate for the intended meeting/program goals. (This is often a tradeoff between content transmission and conversation).
  2. If the meeting involves many new Connect Meeting users, consider having a 15-minute demonstration prior to the meeting. This allows you to show and let participants practice using the main functions of the meeting interface that you will use during the meeting/program.
  3. Arrive early and greet participants as they enter the room.
  4. Instructors/presenters should pause their webcams/microphones when not speaking to prevent distraction, then resume/activate when they are speaking.
  5. If the meeting/program has more than 10 participants, there may be limited opportunities for meaningful conversation. It may be best to present all content and then open up the microphones for questions and comments.
  6. Actively engage the participants.
    1. Call on participants who aren’t fully engaged.
    2. Ask learners to share their opinions or experiences with the group.
    3. Ask thought-provoking questions and select participants to respond.
    4. Turn participants into presenters. Use the Enhance Participant Rights feature to change roles and access for individuals.
    5. Use the whiteboard and annotation features to draw attention to certain items on the screen.
    6. Include multimedia elements such as video clips, pictures, and sound clips.
    7. Use polling throughout the meeting. Polling results are immediate. Share and discuss them with participants.
  7. Don’t let a few people dominate the session. (i.e. you may want to engage them through a private chat feature).
  8. Have someone besides the presenter monitor and attend to the chat function.
  9. Considering having a co-presenter. Taking turns talking adds variety and gives the presenter(s) a break to prepare for a new topic or a change in activities.
    1. Carefully choreograph the flow and format of the meeting/program with co-presenters to prevent downtime or confusion “on the air.”
  10. Be flexible in delivery. (i.e. people and technology are unpredictable).
  11. Don’t love the sound of your own voice as an instructor unless your meeting/program goal is only content transmission.
  12. Participants at a distance often “check out” even though they are listed in the Attendee pod. To determine who is engaged, ask them to raise their hand electronically or have them respond to a question through e-mail.
  13. Use software features to post action steps and/or a summary of the presentation/discussion. The Notes or Whiteboard features are good choices for these types of activities.