Workshops, Courses, Larger meetings

Skills

The following skills are needed by participants and hosts for Workshops, Courses and Larger meetings.

participants

• Raise hand
• Reactions (emoji’s)
• Use chat

tech hosts

• Breakout groups (random, manual, self-select)
• Share screen
• Chat settings
• lower hand
• Usual controls: mute all, video off, waiting room, remove from meeting, invite, assign co-host
• Polls (optional)

Suggestions and advice

Screen share (screen/apps/video/audio)

• Show Powerpoint slides, video/ audio presentations, draft minutes on host computer file or on shared Google Docs, create a brochure together online… etc

Breakout groups

• Small group discussions (random, manual assign, or self-select options). Private place for leaders to meet while others remain in the main meeting room. Extra room for individuals with high tech support needs or for meeting with an Elder if in need
• Group participant has option to ask for help – host gets notification
• Host can join any room and move from one room to another. Self-select breakouts can also move from one room to another.
• If not in a breakout room, you remain in the main meeting room.
• Leave breakout room to return to main meeting room. Different from leaving meeting.

Chat permissions

• No chat;
• host/ co-host only (for tech support);
• enable chat for all (public) – allows people to sign in, add ideas or say goodbye without interrupting the presentation, offer suggestions & resources, give feedback. Can be distracting;
• Private chat allows people to talk with one another privately. Is a bit like whispering in class – not recommended.

Raise hand (participant) & lower hand (host/co-host)

• Useful to manage large numbers (say, >15 people) in classes or business sessions. Host lowers hand when the question has been addressed.

Waiting room

• Allows presenters to get ready before letting folks in the to meeting. Admit from waiting room prevents distraction of multiple/ late entries – can be done by cost or co-hosts
• Can set up waiting room in advance or activate during meeting.
• Set sound tone for host/ co-host only or it’s very disruptive.

Record session/ save chat

• To have a record or a resource for future use. Must have permission. There is an auto setting for getting permission, or you can announce at start of the recording that you are recording, and for what purpose, and give opportunity for non-consenting people to leave.
• Can record to local computer (limited subsequent access) or cloud (access by permission but limited storage)
• Save chat is a good way to collect an attendance record, answers to questions, get feedback (not anonymous), shared resources, etc
• All chat is saved, even private chat.

Pin video

• Gives one image that people see – e.g. flowers rather than speaker view where active speaker appears (including a cough). Useful when recording a talk with slides if you want to avoid recording person(s)

Follow host video order

• For going around the circle, everyone sees the same screen order. Release order to allow you and others to change the screen order by drag & drop on your own screen