Objective 3: Optional Materials
Conduct a skills inventory of your group.
Similar to preparing for working with smart devices, take a group skills inventory before you teach web conferencing to someone else. What is each member's web-conferencing expertise? Which apps does your team know? What will you do if someone has a different web-conferencing app that no one knows? Plan for all contingencies.
If possible, you could ask the older adults you are going to work with to also complete a simple skills inventory about web conferencing. Their responses will help you plan. You may have to have a paper-based option for some groups.
Use this Skills Inventory to collect information or create your own. You are free to use this to create an online survey for students or older adults to complete.
Determine grouping.
The easiest way to teach this topic is by using what they have on their phones, tablets, or computers. If you are working with a group, you may want to divide participants by platform--all of the Zoom users in one place, Google Meet users in another area, and so on. Or you can divide them by experience. Will it be a large group, several small groups, or one-on-one instruction? Determine how large the groups will be and who will be in charge of each. Having one person for each platform would be a big advantage.
Download and install apps (If necessary)
Try to determine the web-conferencing applications you plan to use before your session. Again, narrowing it down to one at a time can make it easier for everyone. Web conferencing is supported by apps or websites or both. Even if participants are using a laptop or desktop, they will likely have to install a web-conferencing client application.
Be prepared to walk people through downloading and installing web-conferencing apps for their tablet or phone or clients for the web version. Apps are usually specific to the Smartphone or tablet. Some services, like Zoom, can be used on any device.
Point out that there may be updates that need to be installed when you first open the app. There are updates that will have to be installed occasionally. Monitor to determine everyone is comfortable with this. Pop-up menus and directions on a screen can fluster some people who are not used to them.
Create an account and log in.
Some web-conferencing services may require that you create an account to use their services. Others may allow anonymous users. Creating an account can help the others you web conference with know exactly who is trying to connect. There have been malicious issues with anonymous user accounts, and some people won't allow them to connect to their web-conferencing sessions.
Help your participants set up an account if needed. Remind them to keep their passwords secure. Remember to turn your eyes away from the screen when they are entering their passwords or other sensitive information.
Most web-conferencing applications will ask for permission to access parts of your device, like the camera and microphone. Explain why the app asks for access to the camera and microphone. Ensure they understand how to grant these permissions.
This is a step that you want to stay on top of. If participants click "Don't grant access to microphone and camera," it's a lot harder to find the settings later and fix them. You might want to tell them what to anticipate and ask them not to click anything until you can help them. Screenshots on a tutorial handout can be very helpful in this situation.
Are there topics addressed here that would make a good one pager?