With so much teaching never designed to be delivered via distance learning being delivered via distance learning, we wanted to chip in and offer some of our experience amassed during 64 episodes of (distance) recording the podcast. Granted, while these are more applicable to asynchronous teaching than synchronous Zoom-lecturing, we nonetheless hope that there might be a bit of something for everyone here.
So, lo and behold, the TAOP list of do’s and don’ts of academic-ing at a distance:
The Do’s
DO schedule your class in advance and post the link/details as early as possible.
DO arrive early and, if possible, put a bit of light music on in the background.
DO welcome and greet every single new person joining the virtual class.
DO engage in some small talk (‘how are you’, ‘where are you joining from today’, ‘isn’t spring indoors a whole different level of fun’, etc.). N.B. some of this is also good for asynchronous teaching.
DO split your content up into 8-20 min topical segments. Nothing beats pragmatics when it comes to virtual content, and you definitely want to make it very clear to your audience what they are watching and why. Doing shorter segments will also make it easier for you to record with enthusiasm and edit afterwards, if necessary. If teaching synchronously, DO take regular breaks (split content by means of breaks).
DO work on your mic technique. Much like sitting in a lecture theatre where you can’t hear the lecturer is a suboptimal learning experience, listening to microphone interference, plosives (the ‘b’ and ‘p’ sounds), high or low volume, etc., is pretty bad for engagement levels. The crudest but, perhaps, most effective way to check how you sound and if there is anything you need to improve upon is to give a 5-10 min recorded speech to your cat/dog/partner/mirror. Listen back and learn.
DO put your phone away at least 2m/6ft away from wherever your microphone is, and put on airplane mode if possible.
DO make sure that you are connected to a power supply if using a portable computer.
DO prepare a hot beverage to aid your vocal cords – recording into a mic can somehow be more demanding than doing the same thing in a lecture theatre.
DO mute yourself, and anyone else who is not meant to be talking, as much and often as possible.
The Don’ts
DON’T start right on time. People will be late and/or have issues connecting to you. Keep an email open/TA available to help anyone in need of help.
DON’T worry about how you sound on record. You sound fine. Everyone sounds this way. And no, nobody cares even a little bit at all. While terrifying for so many people, the embarrassment of listening to oneself on record is overcome by just forcing yourself to do it. Give it a few minutes and you’ll be fine. Trust us on this one!
DON’T treat your recorded content the same way as your physical lecture – this is a different medium and it carries different demands/expectations (the whole thing about short segments etc.).
DON’T touch your microphone while recording (even to move it). MICROPHONES HEAR, AND WILL PICK UP, EVERYTHING!
DON’T click your pen/squeak your chair/tap your fingers on the table/shuffle papers (mic will pick up and it’s super annoying).
DON’T talk away from the microphone or rock back and forth. This will result in varying sound levels, which is also super annoying. Look at the mic and talk past it (to a screen or an imaginary interlocutor) for best results.
DON’T be afraid to use a firm hand to guide and manage the conversation/discussion. This is a different medium and so different rules apply.
DON’T say anything you would not want to stay on forever on record. Some of us on the podcast are very fond of puns, dad jokes, off hand comments, etc., that would kill (well, maybe not) with a live audience but should never ever be preserved on the internet for posterity and undue close attention.
Finally, DON’T make this all too serious. A degree of formality is called for (this is a class, after all), but don’t forget that most of people online/listening to you are likely not to be wearing pants. Acknowledge errors and novelty of it all, ask people if they hear you, ask for feedback and suggestions. Be compassionate.
