Developing Your Professional On-Camera Competence

Imagine you are the virtual learner in this scenario. You log in to attend virtual training only to be greeted by an empty video frame. A webcam is on, but the facilitator is nowhere to be seen. Eventually, you watch a figure take their place on a chair. A spinning ceiling fan hangs conveniently just above the facilitator’s head, and they are silhouetted by a sunny window behind them. Your trainer’s face is cropped at the chin and appears larger than life as it peers down at you. The room behind them has a bright overhead light that creates a halo-like glare on the screen. As the facilitator begins to talk, they move their hands rapidly in and out of view, calling your attention to the blurs as the camera tries to capture the rapid movement. Sometimes their hands block the camera view, and, at times, even their face. In the background, you detect several bicycles against the wall. You try to figure out what brand they are and how they compare to your own bike since there’s that race coming up soon. …

Clearly, this is not the visual experience you want learners to have, especially as a first impression. So, what might an exemplar look like? Let’s contrast this opening scenario with a different one. Imagine again that you are the learner. This time, you log in to find your facilitator easy to see, well-lit, and wearing a smile that makes them seem friendly and approachable. You can hear them very well and notice their virtual background, which makes them look professional and credible. As you look at them onscreen, it feels as though they are right across from you and looking right at you. You see some of their upper body and even a few hand gestures as they begin to greet and welcome you to class. You think to yourself, “I bet this is going to be a really good class.”

As you can see, artfully weaving a facilitator’s live video into virtual training requires more than just turning on a webcam and letting it roll. Although this may seem like a basic skill, the fact that some practitioners do not yet demonstrate on-camera competence is why we address it here. There are still plenty of examples of poor lighting, distracting backgrounds, awkward positions in the camera frame, too much headroom, blurred gestures, no eye contact, or a facilitator looking away at another computer monitor for much of the duration, to name a few. Although it’s often a matter of not knowing what one doesn’t yet know, this new digital literacy is an essential core business skill for the 21st century.

This chapter is designed to help you develop your facilitator presence with on-camera knowledge and skills. Developing this capability will help you convey a sense of presence with learners while sharing space online. Growing in this area will also build your on-camera presence as credible, competent, and professional facilitator. When done well, it contributes to how closely and attentively learners decide to listen to you, because credibility—especially in the training topic area—is even more important online than in the traditional classroom. With synchronous classes, there are myriad potential distractions for learners, as we’ve addressed. Overall, mastering the facilitator presence capability will help you take your virtual training to the next level.

In this chapter, we’ll identify proven practices for effective and professional camera use and call out ineffective techniques as well. This chapter goes beyond the basics of turning on your webcam to see if you can pull it off somehow. It explores the benefits and challenges, offers specific guidance about when and when not be on camera, and discusses appropriate backgrounds, the technical aspects of lighting, nonverbal on-camera cues, proper angles, what clothing colors work best on camera, and framing yourself in the lens. So, let’s jump in and roll the camera.

Facilitating on Camera

Because most people are uncomfortable being on camera, in the past virtual trainers have sometimes opted to keep cameras turned off. When video technology was still evolving, many of us only taught with audio or just displayed a still photo of ourselves in the upper corner of the virtual platform. Back then, bandwidth was extremely limited, which presented additional challenges for video. The thinking was that an instructor’s photo could at least connect learners to the human being behind the disembodied voice. But because video technology, bandwidth, and virtual training platforms have significantly improved, displaying a still image of a virtual trainer for the duration of training has become old school.

We live in a world with growing demand for video. In modern learning environments, we have the capability and improved technology to incorporate quality video on most platforms. There is no doubt video has emerged as the dominant communication medium. In 2020 alone, 500 hours of new videos were uploaded to YouTube every minute, and 1 billion hours of YouTube videos were watched daily (Smith 2020). The video revolution is here.

Notably, in 2020 and 2021 the COVID-19 pandemic boosted widespread use of webcams by creating an unprecedented need for remote work and connection. This also affected formal training, as organizations rushed to convert traditional in-person training to online learning using video conferencing and virtual training platforms. Many online training offerings experimented with greater use of webcams for both facilitators and learners (Figure 5-1).

There are certainly exemplars of instructional models where webcams are not used. Khan Academy, for example, employs a generous and hugely successful virtual learning model without showing instructors on video. Founder and CEO Salman Khan created a virtual learning academy to provide free world-class education to anyone over the internet. Instead of on-camera video, he and his instructors record spoken audio while illustrating onscreen as they teach.

So, it appears you can still achieve learning objectives without a video of a facilitator’s face, but are there any other compelling reasons to use it? And how often are webcams currently used among virtual facilitators worldwide? According to virtual training expert Cindy Huggett’s The State of Virtual Training 2020 global survey, 83 percent of facilitators reported using webcams in virtual training and 66 percent reported using webcams more in 2020 than they had in previous years (Huggett 2020). In addition, 48 percent reported using them for the entire duration of their virtual training classes, and 36 percent said they used them for at least some of the class. This data was collected from nearly 900 respondents between May and July 2020.

Figure 5-1. Example of On-Camera Facilitator

The next question we might ask ourselves is: Just because virtual trainers can use live video, does this mean we should? Let’s examine the benefits and challenges webcams offer to see if we can discover some answers.

On-Camera Benefits

Two large-scale field studies out of Stanford University studied the impact of incorporating instructors’ faces with video versus providing virtual instruction with audio only (Kizilcec, Bailenson, and Gomez 2015). They found no significant differences in learning outcomes between whether the instructor’s webcam was shown or not. However, although turning on instructor webcams did not appear to significantly aid or degrade learning transfer, the Stanford study suggested it did have two additional benefits for learners:

• An improved overall experience

• An increased sense of social presence

These are significant findings. First, we recognize the importance of learners reporting improved experiences based on our discussion of LXD in chapter 2. Second, because this chapter focuses on the facilitator presence capability, we also recognize the value of establishing a sense of social presence online. The term social presence was defined decades ago in the book The Social Psychology of Telecommunications as learners’ ability to feel like they’re together with others and share a felt sense of virtual community, even though they’re remote (Short, Williams, and Christie 1976).

When you are on camera as a virtual facilitator, you want to build this sense of online community, which ties into both the social and emotional dimensions of learning. So, should facilitators use their live video cameras? If including live video of the trainer improves the overall experience and increases the sense of social connection, then yes, this is something we want to use. Later in this chapter, we’ll investigate more specifically when it is most optimal to be on camera.

This general sense of connectedness isn’t the whole story. Further research has revealed more specifics about how on-camera presence enhances learning (Figure 5-2). In a 2021 webcam study conducted by Florida State University (FSU), more than 500 learning professionals were surveyed to determine how webcams are used and perceived. Their results identified the following benefits (Dennen, Word, and Arslan 2021). Webcam use:

• Promoted a sense of closeness

• Made it easier for the facilitator to guide discussion among participants

• Discouraged multi-tasking among participants

• Enhanced listening

These relational and communication benefits should be additionally weighed for how they engage participants through the social dimension of learning. When bandwidth is sufficient, webcams can offer added value to virtual training programs.

So far, we have uncovered multiple benefits to including a live video feed of a facilitator in virtual learning. The next question, then, is what are the challenges of being on-camera and are there conditions for its effective use?

Figure 5-2. Webcams Influence on Listening

On-Camera Challenges

Although being on-camera appears to help facilitators better establish a sense of presence and place, feelings of closeness, enhanced listening, and improved experience, there can also be challenges to being on camera frequently. Let’s explore some of the challenges to the live video feature in training platforms next.

Screen and On-Camera Fatigue

If you facilitate several virtual training sessions a day, you may experience varying levels of fatigue. Virtual participants are not exempt from this either. When either you or your participants are on camera, people may feel like they are in the spotlight or feel the need to act differently (and not be themselves). As a result, they may intentionally try to be more facially animated or nod more frequently to show they are listening. However, if this is not their normal state of being, it can be taxing after a while. It is always exhausting to project something that is not who you really are. As Clemson University Professor Marissa Shuffler adds, you realize everybody is looking at you when you are on camera. Because of this, some people feel social pressure to perform like they’re on a stage, which can be even more stressful and fatiguing (Jiang 2020). According to Professor Gianpiero Petriglieri, when we communicate through live video, we also work harder to interpret nonverbal cues like vocal tone, facial expression, and body language. Because we are devoting more attention and processing resources to action, it consumes more of our energy (Jiang 2020).

Another mentally taxing piece is the scanning and processing people do to all the live, individual video streams of participants and their backgrounds. One solution for this is the Together Mode feature in Microsoft Teams, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to digitally place participants in a shared background. This view requires less mental effort because it brings all participants on camera into a singular and visual, virtual space. This view is also controlled by each participant individually. Zoom’s Immersive View also allows hosts to display shared background scenes for all.

So, there appears to be a need for balance and recommendations regarding webcams for virtual training. We know that long durations of use can be especially taxing for participants, and sometimes even for facilitators, depending on the frequency. But there’s also another challenge with being on camera. Sometimes, it can feel unnatural.

Being on Camera Can Feel Unnatural

Because virtual training can capitalize on the on-camera medium, how you show up on camera can set the stage for your relationship building, presence, credibility, connectedness, rapport, attention holding, and more. However, most people feel uneasy on camera. They may report feeling like everyone is looking at them, as if they were giving a presentation. Just because we’re facilitating from behind our computer screens doesn’t mean public speaking anxiety fades away.

One way to think about being on camera is to reframe it. Although it may feel like the pressure is on you as the facilitator, the reality is the video is not there for you. You turn on the webcam for your learners. Your goal is to establish an on-camera presence as their facilitator. This provides a visual way for learners to connect with you. We know from extensive research in online learning that a guide on the side, an avatar expert, or a pedagogical agent can provide supportive and helpful assistance to learning. Learners respond well to expert guides. And of course, an instructor’s video camera can provide more visual cues than learners would otherwise receive through audio alone. So, remember, the reason we turn on the camera is not for us, it’s for learners. It helps learners discern a sense of place, a sense of person, and a sense of presence.

Drawn to Self-Views

Interestingly, many people tend to use their webcam self-view like a mirror. They watch their own live video more than others. According to FSU’s 2021 Webcams at Work study, 75 percent of more than 500 learning professional participants said they watched themselves when they were on camera (Dennen, Word, and Arslan 2021). You have likely observed people fixing their hair or preening on camera. Maybe you have even done this yourself. If you find that you gravitate toward watching yourself and it becomes distracting, most platforms do allow the option to turn off your self-view. As Professor Shuffler adds, it’s very difficult for people not to be drawn to looking at their own face as if it were an onscreen mirror, or to be more conscious of what they’re doing in front of it (Jiang 2020).

In short, there are certainly some challenges with webcam use that include screen fatigue, feeling unnatural on camera, or even being mesmerized by the view of oneself to which we are naturally accustomed with mirrors. However, as previously established, there are also benefits that are compelling reasons for use. So, how do we balance it all? Let’s identify some practical guidelines next.

When Should Live Cameras Be Used in Virtual Training?

We know that when a facilitator is on camera, it can improve the experience for learners and increase their perception of a facilitator’s presence, which is important for learning. On the flipside, it can also distract attention from where learners need to focus if not done well, and it can be fatiguing. Weighing these benefits and challenges, the next vital question is when and how should webcams be used for virtual training?

Clearly, just because we have access to a feature doesn’t mean we should use it all the time. Balance is usually the best way to go. Think of the number of fonts and features available to use in a PowerPoint presentation. I recall looking at a colleague’s work in which she had attempted to use multiple fonts on the same slide, just because she could. What you’re thinking right now is exactly right. It was Overkill with a capital O.

Applying this to webcam use with virtual training, one common temptation for instructors is to leave webcams on for the duration of an entire virtual class. It is easy to see why. To begin, it is certainly easier. For example, facilitators can turn on their video cameras, let them run, and not worry about them again until their session concludes. However, is this the best option for all parties involved?

Intermediate and advanced facilitators are mindful of where they want learners to focus during instruction and have a pedagogical rationale for doing so. When we approach on-camera use from this perspective, learners do not always need to be looking at facilitators on camera, or themselves, or their colleagues. For example, you do not need to be on camera when you are no longer talking after introducing a guest expert or subject matter expert who’s joining your class. If you continue to talk and direct questions to an expert in an ongoing dialogue, then it makes sense to stay on camera. However, if you are observing and listening only, you do not need to compete with the other visuals onscreen for learners. In this way, we use the camera’s on/off switch to direct more attention and focus. Think about it as foreground and background. When you are the background and your learners are leading activities, a guest expert is sharing, or the group is working on the whiteboard together, you can go off camera.

We want to use video when it serves a purpose. I recommend turning your camera on during purposeful connection moments. These are the moments when the focus of the interaction is interpersonal and it’s essential for learners to see your nonverbal cues and facial expression. For example, when you lead a discussion with an open-ended question prompt, turn off your slides and invite learners to turn on their cameras. If a learner prefers not to come on camera, you should never force them, but as a preventive measure do set expectations in your pre-class communications for learners to be camera-ready to increase the likelihood of them doing so.

Here are some examples of what I call purposeful connection moments. These are times to optimize interpersonal connection and turn on your camera as facilitator:

• Welcoming and greeting participants

• Introducing the facilitator, producer, guests, or learners

• Large-group discussions

• Small-group breakouts

• When you share a story to illustrate important training topic points

• Explaining instructions for more complicated activities

• Modeling or demonstrating something

• Role plays

• When learners present or teach-back on something as a learning activity

• To emphasize key points

• When you close the training, as a bookend to how the session began

There are also times to explicitly turn off your camera. Webcams, for example, should be off when you step away from your desk before class starts or during a break. On one occasion, I logged in early to a virtual training class, and observed the trainer finishing up his technical setup and prep; then he proceeded to leave on his webcam and leave the room. As a result, my first impression, along with my colleagues who joined shortly thereafter, was being greeted by an empty chair.

Another time to remain off camera is when you want to direct focus: “Use webcams on the front-end to establish presence and place, but then you can turn them off to focus and direct attention to other visual points of focus” (Howles 2015). For example, if there is a complex diagram or visual that learners need to process, or if you want to focus exclusively on a whiteboard activity, turn off your camera to direct focus to the visual or whiteboard. You might also turn off your camera when you are training people how to use a new system by demonstrating the software or platform. For the same reason, you want to direct their visual focus to the elements onscreen while your audio fills in the explanatory gaps to supplement what they’re seeing.

However, in some cases, evidence-based research suggests that when concurrently screen sharing supporting visuals, a small video image of the facilitator, trainer, or instructor is more effective for learning (Pi, Hong, and Yang 2017). So rather than going off camera entirely, you can make the explanatory slides or supporting visuals large, while your camera becomes smaller. A small image is just enough to establish facilitator presence without competing with other visuals onscreen. This research from Central China Normal University studied the effect of multimedia with an instructor’s image and accompanying supporting visuals for video lectures. They discovered that “learners gained more knowledge from the video lecture with the small image of the instructor, and they experienced more satisfaction with it” (Pi, Hong, and Yang 2017).

All in all, facilitators can be on camera during purposeful connection moments to leverage the benefits discussed in this chapter. This balancing act recognizes that an all-or-nothing approach is not the best fit; instead, find the right times to aid learners by turning on your camera during opportune times.

Next, let’s look at what you can do to project the best on-camera image during those purposeful moments.

Clean Up Your On-Camera Image With BLEACH

Up to this point, we’ve explored the value an on-camera facilitator can add for learners and learning experiences. We’ve also clarified the conditions under which webcam use for facilitators is most optimal and when to consider turning it off. Now we’ll turn our attention to specifically developing your facilitator presence when you are on camera. So, what are the things you most need to do? I’ve identified six key elements to help you come across effectively and professionally. I use the acronym BLEACH to remind you and others how to clean up your professional image in the camera frame. BLEACH stands for background, lighting, expressions, angle, clothing, and headroom. As demonstrated in Figure 5-3, all these elements work together to present you in the most credible and professional way. Let’s explore each in more detail.

Figure 5-3. B-L-E-A-C-H: Good On-Camera Example

B Is for Background

To begin, the visible background behind you matters. Why, you ask? Because the camera frame subconsciously signals to learners that everything within this frame should be closely examined. It directs attention to its contents.

Think about what captures your attention the most. Is it something novel? Is it something interesting to you? Something surprising? Or is it movement, as we explore in chapter 8? It may, in fact, be all of the above. We, as human beings, are wired to pay attention to stimuli. Unfortunately, in virtual training, stimuli can also be distracting, like a ceiling fan visible right above a facilitator’s head.

A busy, cluttered, bright, moving, or odd background can call attention to itself and distract learners away from where they should be focused. Fortunately, there are several things we can do to pick an appropriate background. Whether you use a real green screen, a virtual green screen, a blurred image of your real physical room, a backdrop, slides as your background, or a virtual background, the measuring stick during your selection process should be to ensure that your background is secondary, not primary, and that it supports you and your topic, not the other way around.

Tidy What’s Visible in Your Physical Room

If you choose to use your real, physical environment as your background, find a pleasant room or background in your environment that looks professional (for example, a makeshift desk or work area is preferred over a kitchen sink in the background). With video, it’s even better to show a little depth behind you. You want to avoid being right up against a wall, if possible, which can come across flat. Try to show more of a room, home, or hallway to create more open space behind you for more depth. You can also purposely place things in your background to make the environment more appealing, such as simple artwork or a plant or two.

Some virtual instructors may not realize their background is distracting. For example, you’ve likely seen some people on camera whose backgrounds seem to be overflowing with storage items, crowded bookshelves, gigantic piles of papers and binders, or messy closets. These visual elements compete for viewer attention and direct learners away from key training concepts. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of removing the busyness on the wall behind you. Instead of eight plaques or picture frames hanging on the wall, consider simplifying it to a few. Avoid clutter as indicated in the poor example in Figure 5-4, and clean up the area because this can present you in a more professional light. Our job as virtual facilitators is to minimize or eliminate those background distractions so learners can focus their attention on the core learning objectives.

Figure 5-4. Distracting On-Camera Background

People can also be curious and start noticing things in your background and then stop listening to you. For this reason, real estate agents advise house sellers to empty or at least minimize the books on their shelves when they place their homes on the market. Why? People can be drawn to look at the book titles because they’re curious about what the homeowners might be reading. Instead, agents want homebuyers’ focus to be on the house. In a similar vein, we want to direct learners away from the background, as illustrated in the opening story, and instead direct their attention to what you’re saying as the facilitator. Attention is a precious commodity and we only have so much of it.

It’s also important to keep a designated space that’s free of clutter and ready to go. And you want to choose a space that reflects professionalism for your virtual training programs. For example, one of my clients who is an attorney was delivering a virtual legal message; after carefully considering the best backdrop for him and we decided that legal office best supported his professional message. However, if dedicating an entire room to be clutter-free is too difficult or not possible, as long as what can be seen on camera is tidy it’s OK if the rest of the room is a disaster.

Blur Your Background

Some virtual training platforms allow you to blur your background. This can add a very professional touch to your backdrop because it makes you, the facilitator, visually pop. This blurring capability also allows you to maintain your real environment with less concern about what’s, such as your colleagues behind you at the office walking by, or your kitchen, bedroom, attic, laundry room, or any other space you prefer not to professionally showcase.

Purchase a Backdrop

Another solution is to purchase a physical backdrop to place behind you. There are a variety of photo backdrops available. This provides a way to quickly cover your background if it’s not possible to tidy or declutter the space beforehand. Backdrops can be placed in such a way that all learners see is you, which neutralizes the background and still supports you as the feature on which we want learners to be focused (Figure 5-5).

Figure 5-5. Professional On-Camera Background

Use Slides as Your Background

Several virtual training platforms also allow facilitators to project slide content behind their own video feed as a backdrop. This way, learners see an integrated image of both you and your slide as the video feed is overlaid on your slide. For example, in Zoom you can silhouette yourself with your slide behind you. Your content slide then becomes your backdrop. If you use this feature, ensure important data on slides is not hidden from view by your silhouette. Practice ahead of time to know how gestures will come across with this backdrop and how best to interact with your content by strategically pointing when you are visually integrated into your content. Be ready to redesign slides once you test them out as needed.

Microsoft Teams also offers facilitators the ability to use Presenter Mode. This allows the facilitator to choose from several formats, which would project differently for learners based on what they select. For instance, with a Standout format, facilitators are silhouetted with the slide behind them. In Reporter format, facilitators can use the slide as a visual aid over their shoulder, as you might see in a traditional television newscast, and then the side-by-side option allows the facilitator to be in a separate frame with their slide content in a frame adjacent to them.

Explore a Virtual Background Option

Most video conferencing platforms have virtual backdrops from which you can choose. As technology evolves and improves, we will see many more customized options become available. The challenge is that backgrounds can also upstage facilitators and draw learner attention to the background instead of content material.

Ideally, a professional virtual background would provide a neutral scene or color that does not compete with you in the foreground. Be cautious of virtual backdrops that may be “fun and cool,” but could also be distracting. For example, if a background includes video movement like an ocean tide with waves that continuously crash onto a shore, it may draw learners’ attention away from you.

Overall, select a background that is truly a background, so you become foreground as you provide feedback to learners, offer explanations, ask for follow-up, share a professional example of a concept you’re teaching, and more.

L Is for Lighting

Video requires lots of light. Lots. One of the most common on-camera errors is poor lighting, either because the facilitator’s image is too dark, one side of a facilitator’s face is too bright, or one side of the face is in shadow. In virtual training, your learners want to be able to see you and your entire face.

An added benefit of good lighting is that it can even make you look younger. If that’s important to you, read on. With poor lighting, wrinkles are more visible. But proper lighting has a smoothing effect that can hide wrinkles. Not a bad perk, right? Fortunately, there are several things you can do to improve your lighting and help elevate your facilitator presence to the next level.

Light From the Front

First, always light yourself from the front. This means placing your light source in front of you, not behind you. So, avoid sitting or standing with a window directly behind you. As you can see in the poor example in Figure 5-6, when you are backlit, the light will either bleed in through the window like a halo-effect or cast you in silhouette. Natural light from a window in front of you does work well though. It’s about paying attention to how well-lit your face is. Good lighting will also separate you from the background. You’ll want to turn off visible ceiling lights as well, because these can become bright distractions that stand out and create shadows.

Figure 5-6. Examples of Poor Lighting

Soften Lighting

It’s also best to ensure your light source is not too harsh, like direct light from a side window on a sunny afternoon. You can either close your window shades if the daylight is too bright or use soft lamps on either side of your computer. You can also bounce light off a wall to diffuse or soften it. There are very affordable collapsible light reflectors you can keep on hand for just such a purpose. This can be handy if you find you are frequently training near a side window when bright light streams in.

I have light sources on both sides of my computer, which helps prevent casting a shadow on half of my face. One of them is an Elgato Key Light Air, and I access the Control Center app for it from my smartphone. The app allows me to power the light and off, as well as control the brightness and color temperature based on the time of day and the current lighting in my home office. Daylight tends to be more blueish and incandescent light tends to have a more reddish-orange hue. It’s best not to mix these different types of light, so depending on the amount of sunlight streaming into your space or whether the shade is drawn, you can appropriately adjust the light in the room. With a little effort, you can significantly improve your visibility and create a higher quality image with good lighting.

E Is for Expressions

In addition to elevating the professionalism of a facilitator’s video image, your nonverbal expressions can play a role in your onscreen effectiveness. The camera can reveal personality, physical attributes, facial expressions, upper body language, and multiple other nonverbal cues that we would otherwise not be able to interpret in an audio-only space. It might be a nod of the head, a head tilt sideways, looking interested, or direct eye contact through the camera lens that hits a message home to learners. Thus, virtual trainers should ensure their facial expressions, eye contact with the lens, hand gestures, and other body movement all work together to create an engaging and professional facilitator presence.

Facial Expressions

Leverage your camera to convey your facial expressions, specifically your smile, as this can help learners connect with you. According to educational neuroscientist Janet Zadina, “A smile lights up the reward center of the brain” (Howles 2020). It also reduces stress by producing positive reward chemicals. When content-appropriate, allow yourself to smile naturally. This can also communicate that you are approachable (important if you want learners to ask you questions) and friendly. This does not mean you should shine those pearly whites throughout your entire training regardless of context. However, when it is appropriate to what you’re saying, smile in a way that is friendly, relaxed, and pleasant. Other facial expressions—such as raising your eyebrows, widening your eyes, and more animated expressions—can help build rapport with learners, especially as they first settle into virtual training. Based on a facial expressions study from China Normal University, video lectures where the instructors used a heightened level of expressiveness promoted better student arousal levels and learning satisfaction than conventional instructor expression or audio-only (Wang et al. 2018).

As the virtual trainer, you may feel that a cold, impersonal lens does not bring out your personality. In fact, video has a way of depleting energy for most people. However, there are ways to keep your energy up. Natural nervousness will fuel excitement, which can be channeled as energy. Additionally, energy decreases when you are sitting, so some find that placing their computer on a standing desk increases their ability to muster extra energy naturally. If you come across without enthusiasm and passion, your learners—even on the other side of the screen—will feel it too. If you only focus on the reality of the situation—that is, that you are speaking to a cold, camera lens in a room by yourself far away from everyone else—your training facilitation can also come across without connection.

Camera Lens Eye Contact

You are likely familiar with the basics of looking at the camera lens for virtual eye contact. However, as we discussed earlier, being on camera is unnatural for most people. In fact, many people forget to blink when they look at a video camera lens (almost like a deer in headlights). As one optometrist shared with me, most people naturally blink 20 times per minute, but when looking at computer screens (or cold, impersonal camera lenses), some people only blink five times per minute. So, remember to blink!

Obviously in the virtual space, trainers and learners alike do not have the benefit of direct eye contact. However, we can create the illusion of eye contact by looking at the camera lens when we can. Online instruction and teaching still is very much about relationships, and even though learners may seem invisible, eye contact is a way to help establish this direct connection. As the adage reminds us, eyes are the windows to the soul.

Looking into a camera lens when it is feasible to do so while training does not come easy to most people, even experienced virtual trainers. I’ve tested my desktop computer and used the front-facing camera and video recording feature to look at myself locking eyes with the camera in three different ways. Then I played back the video to determine among all those points of focus when it really looked like I was looking at the camera. Then marked this spot with a small X made of tape on my computer screen so I would know exactly where to look when I wanted to communicate with direct eye contact. Obviously, there are other places you need to look as well while teaching—for example, at chat, at participants on camera, and at the whiteboard. But for openings and closings, discussions, and key points, or when responding to participant questions during those key connection moments, you want to look directly at the camera lens.

You might be thinking, it’s not realistic for me to do that all the time. The point is to do it when you can. Sure, you must look away at chat or look down or search on your other monitor for the next file to share. But as you are able, come back to re-establish contact through the camera lens.

Whether speaking or not, where you choose to look is still visible to learners. If your eyes dart around or look down or to the side, learners will wonder where you’re looking. Your eye contact is not only a powerful way to connect to your viewing audience, but a useful tool for directing focus. Learn to leverage the power of eye contact with the camera lens.

Hand Gestures

Hand gestures are another form of expression. Some wonder if we should even use hand gestures on camera. I and many others say yes because gestures are a natural part of communicating and they help others interpret what we are saying. According to communication coach Nick Morgan (2021), hand gestures can help communicate emphasis, comprehension, and even conviction, so they should still be included in online video communications. One research study on gestures in video lectures found that instructors’ use of gestures—specifically pointing gestures—not only influenced learning, but also improved teaching (Yang et al. 2019). However, most facilitators believe they can just talk and use their hands in a virtual setting like they have always done. That’s not always the case. For example, you will need to make sure you are sitting a bit farther from your computer to ensure your hand gestures are still visible.

While being on camera enables you to use movement and gestures to engage your learners, video is just a series of still frames played in rapid succession to give the impression of movement. When we view a series of still images at a set speed, it gives the appearance of moving video and the illusion of movement. Video technology cannot capture every movement in real space. Think of it like animation. You see the individual drawings with slight changes in each drawing. When those same drawings are flipped in rapid succession, you perceive the illusion of movement or animation. It looks like movement, but it is really a collection of slightly different still images.

You may have heard the term frame rate. Frame rate specifies the speed at which still images are displayed for you, usually indicated as “frames per second” or fps. Each frame consists of one still image. Let’s say, for example, you view a live volleyball game on television at 30 fps. This means you are really seeing 30 unique, still images in one second. Surprising, right?

Why is it important to realize that video is a collection of still frames? Because knowing this helps us understand how we should move on camera. Although there’s not a lot of high motion when presenting on camera or meeting with webcams, there are still guidelines that apply. For example, professionals inevitably use their arms and hands to gesture, not realizing the impact it can have on viewers. For example, if we move too fast with our bodies or gestures, the movement can become a blur and call attention away from the central message. You can liken this to excessive and repetitive um’s from in-person presentations that call attention to themselves.

Because of the current frame rate with web conferencing technologies, make your hand gestures significantly slower when they are visible in the frame. Movement naturally grabs our attention, but on camera, we need to slow down overall movements to avoid jerky, distracting blurs (Figure 5-7).

Figure 5-7. Example of Blurred Gestures With Fast Hand Movements

There’s another aspect to gesturing you should be mindful of as well. If you have had to address a big audience on stage, you know that you fill the space available. In person, we do this by gesturing larger and bigger to fill the space, whether it’s an auditorium or the TEDx stage. We move physically—albeit staying within the red circular carpet—and we gesture bigger. On camera in virtual training, we can still work to fill the space. But we must be mindful of the amount of real estate we have and how we fit into it.

When I took screen acting classes in Chicago, we were trained to ask before filming a scene, “How big is my frame?” Would it be an extreme close-up, a close-up, or a medium shot, to name a few? This informed your acting. With live video, we should still be very aware of what is in the frame and what’s outside the frame. Are my gestures not visible because they’re out of frame? Should I move farther away from the computer? Where should I raise my hand gestures so they can be seen? This is why I call it a camera frame, because it frames you.

It’s best to frame yourself before participants join on camera to identify the height your gestures should be to stay visible in the frame. Then learners will see them as you intended, rather than watching your hands appear and disappear out of camera frame. Also, remember to use gestures sparingly. Constant gesturing creates chaotic movement that can be distracting to viewers. Avoid using of the same gesture over and over. And avoid pre-calculating what to do with your hands at certain times. This can come across as artificial and disingenuous. Instead, just let your hands naturally support what you want to say by letting them freely move inside the camera frame.

Other Body Movements

Beyond hand gestures, there are several body movement principles to keep in mind for virtual training. Body posture makes a difference because everything inside the frame makes a difference. Facilitators may not realize they’re slouching. Imagine a string pulling you up from the top of your head. Envisioning this should lift your posture to an upright position. A facilitator with good posture has better breath support and sends a message of confidence that, in turn, enhances your credibility. Also, keep your shoulders even and balanced and slightly lean forward to communicate you are engaged and alert. This will help you stay relaxed, keep you grounded, and look more natural.

If you are sitting, your movement on camera should include slight side-to-side shifts, never front to back. The reason for this is because as you move toward the camera (downstage), you or your head or your hands appear to grow exceptionally large on camera (Figure 5-8). Instead, it is best to maintain equal proportions and keep movement in the same plane, equidistant from the camera. When standing, try to avoid pacing, which may cause you to move on and then off camera while facilitating.

Figure 5-8. Hands Grow Gigantic Moving Toward Camera

A Is for Angle

You have likely seen others on webcams during virtual training with odd camera angles. Perhaps it felt like they were standing way above you and looking down, or their mouth wasn’t visible because the screen cut off under their nose, or their head was cut off from the top, or worse. These odd camera angles can be distracting because it’s not our natural way of viewing and interacting with others and it draws attention to how the facilitator looks, not the content.

When you facilitate virtual training, make sure you come across credibly and professionally with a proper camera angle. It’s best to position your webcam to be level with your face. This means you will need to distance yourself appropriately from the computer. Avoid camera angles that give the impression that learners are looking up at you as this can be an intimidating posture. As author and social psychologist Amy Cuddy (2015) shares in Presence: Bringing your Boldest Self to your Biggest Challenges, when people seem or appear bigger, it’s an expression of power and dominance. Applying this to facilitator video, the viewer feels small and submissive when a figure looms above them. For better rapport, move the device, adjust your chair, or prop your computer or camera up so that the lens is level with your hairline. Sometimes I prop up my laptop with something sturdy so it’s even. This will help your eyes get closer to eye-level with your camera.

Notice how in Figure 5-9, not only does the facilitator create an intimidating posture because it feels like the learner is looking up at them, it’s also just an awkward camera angle. The ceiling fan doesn’t help either because it becomes a distraction in the background. This is something I observe more often than you might think. Sometimes, that ceiling fan is even on, which is even more distracting because it looks like a spinning hat.

Figure 5-9. Example of Ineffective Camera Angle

Other Awkward Angled Movement

I also recommend not facilitating with a computer in your lap as this can cause the camera to move up and down as you type or otherwise use the device and make learners dizzy. Instead, make sure your device is on a flat, even, steady surface. Another point to keep in mind with camera angles is to avoid excess movement, such as if you are swiveling in your chair when on camera. (Some people have been known to sit on a large bouncy ball while they facilitate, which I don’t advise.) We want to focus learners on the message and content, not distract them from it.

C Is for Clothing

What virtual trainers wear on camera contributes to perceived credibility. In the past, I’ve worked as a professional voiceover artist and on-camera talent. In television commercials, we would bring a selection of clothing options to wear to the shoot, and the hired stylist or director would select the final outfits. They often preferred those brilliant, solid blues and greens because they popped on camera.

Solid, muted colors such as blue, teal, turquoise, green, tan, and browns work best on camera. Solid colors are best because they pop in the camera frame. You’ve likely observed professional journalists and news anchors often wear solid colors for TV broadcasts. (If you know you’re going to be sitting the whole time and not visible elsewhere, what you wear on the bottom can be completely up to you.) But non-business attire is not appropriate, because as facilitator you always want to be dressed a step above your learners. You should look professional to enhance your credibility.

You also want to create a contrast that sets you apart from your backdrop. So, wear light colors on a dark backdrop and dark on light. This is the also the same principle that works well developing PowerPoint slides with font color and backgrounds. What this means is that if you’re up against a dark background, wear a lighter, solid color. If you have a lighter background, it would be better to wear a darker, solid color. What I see a lot is people wearing white shirts with a white background or a gray shirt with a gray background. This washes you out. Instead, a blue shirt would pop nicely on a light background.

Also avoid wearing thin stripes, busy or loud patterns, or distracting logos. Thin stripes can appear wavy and shimmery on camera. Large, distracting jewelry can call attention to itself. Watch out for jewelry that is noisy when you use the keyboard or rest your arm on the desk. I’ve advised clients in the past to remove their watch, bracelet, or necklace if they are very large and boisterous.

H Is for Headroom

Next, let’s touch on how to frame yourself in the camera. Most people do not know what they don’t know when it comes to being on camera, and this includes headroom. Face-to-face environments offer binocular and peripheral vision. In the real world, we have so much longitude in our ability to see near and far, move our heads in all directions, and expand our visual field. We even have the freedom to turn our body and change our perspective with 360-degree movement if we so choose.

But when we look at a frame, its two-dimensional boundary provides closure and directs us to study everything inside the frame. Let’s take a great piece of artwork, for example. Claude Monet’s water lily painting invites us to take in every stroke, color, and technique, as well as the artistry of the whole. The framed perimeter directs our focus to everything inside the frame.

When we look on-screen at a facilitator in a box or circle or other shape, the two-dimensional visual window remains constant and the border calls attention to its contents. In the same way, when you are on camera we see you, everything to your side and top, and everything behind you. Make sure anything that is visible in the frame is in sync with you and your profession. What is visible must support you and not distract or call attention away from you.

Adjusting Headroom

It is quite common, but not advisable, to see a huge amount of room above one’s head. Unfortunately, it is also common to see the head cut off at the hairline. Here are a few important tips to keep in mind about headroom. Frame yourself in the camera by either raising your device, lowering or raising your chair, or stacking something even and sturdy under your device to raise it up. Ideally, you should give yourself a small margin of space right above your head inside the frame.

Be wary of showing excessive amounts of headroom above you as well as truncating your head at the top. Often, people will leave most of the real estate in their camera frame to headroom and then their head is cut off at the chin at the bottom of the frame (Figure 5-10). In this example, all the real estate above your head is wasted on empty space. You want to fill the real estate in the camera frame to feature you. Ideally you would include more than just your neck and head in the frame. Better to see some of your upper body and hand gestures too.

Figure 5-10. Example of Excessive Headroom

There is also such a thing as being too close to the camera. As you’ll notice, the closer you move toward camera, the larger your image becomes. We discussed this with movement and hand gestures. If your face is too close to the camera, those watching you will feel like you are up close and personal, but this distance is usually reserved for intimate relationships or conflict because it can feel like someone is invading your space. To avoid this distraction, extend your arm from where you are either standing or sitting. Your fingers should be able to touch the screen from this distance. If not, move back or forward to align yourself so that your fingers just reach the screen from where you are. Sitting or standing approximately an arm’s length away from the screen will serve you well.

You’ll want to place yourself in the center of the webcam. Make sure the spacing to your camera left and the spacing to your camera right are equal. This way you don’t appear lopsided by being too far left or too far right. Most people are unaware of where they might be positioned in the frame. However, it makes a difference because of how you come across.

The Three-Finger Rule for Measuring Headroom

To properly frame yourself, use the three-finger rule as a measurement guide. The amount of space these fingers create is an appropriate amount of headroom to leave above your head or from the top of your hair. Essentially, hold up your index finger, middle finger, and ring finger together like you’re counting to three. Lay them sideways so they are horizontal and place them right on top of your hair or head. Line up yourself in the frame, so that there is a three-finger margin of space between your head and the top of the frame.

If you are using a USB external microphone, you may think you need to be closer to the microphone, but it’s better to see more of your body than just a head shot. Ideally, we want learners to be able to view your head and upper body so they can see more of you and your nonverbal movement.

Most experienced photographers learn to imagine the frame of the photo in thirds and place items where those thirds merge. When you are working with a webcam, centering yourself in the middle third of the frame is a good place to start. To help get comfortable, practice looking at yourself on camera, as uncomfortable as this might be, so you can see yourself as others see you.

On-Camera Participants

We’ve discussed at length how to develop your on-camera presence as a virtual facilitator. What about your virtual participants (Figure 5-11)? Should they also be required to be on camera during virtual training? According to virtual training expert Cindy Huggett’s The State of Virtual Training 2020 global survey, 55 percent of participants use webcams during virtual training either for the entire time or part of it (Huggett 2020).

As a guideline, you can invite or request learners turn on their cameras, but ultimately they should be able to choose whether to turn them on or keep them off. We are simply not privy to all the reasons participants do not wish to come on camera. (For example, they may have stayed up all night finishing a project, their camera isn’t working right now, it’s early hours in their time zone or middle of the night, or they’re not feeling well.)

Figure 5-11. On-Camera Participants

To a certain extent, participant webcam use appears to be influenced by what their colleagues do. For example, nearly 70 percent of respondents in FSU’s webcam research study reported feeling pressured to turn their cameras on when other people did (Dennen, Word, and Arslan 2021). But note that the study also found that as the size of the virtual event increases, “fewer people are comfortable having their webcams on.”

Another reason to allow participants to remain off camera is because of screen fatigue. A compromise can be to give them advance notice before training day to be camera-ready on their top half and invite them to be on camera for certain parts, like introductions and breakouts. As facilitators, be cognizant that we unconsciously tend to focus more on participants we can see on camera, and it’s human to sometimes forget to call on or talk directly to those we cannot see. We must make a note to deliberately include those we cannot see on-screen. So, when you ask a discussion question, make sure you call on others who are not on camera first to balance airtime with those who are. You might ask, for example, “Jon, we haven’t heard from you yet. What are your thoughts?”

Individuals who know they are expected to be on camera tend to take two distinct actions before the live event. In FSU’s 2021 webcam study, respondents said that if they anticipated they would be on camera, they would spend more time grooming beforehand and tidying their workspace surroundings. In fact, 82 percent of the more than 500 respondents said they groomed more carefully beforehand, and 79 percent said they tidied their surroundings first (Figure 5-12; Dennen, Word, and Arslan 2021).

Figure 5-12. Grooming and Tidying Affect the Decision to Be On Camera

Grooming and tidying workspaces are just two factors affecting a person’s decision to turn on the camera. Respondents were also asked what their decision was influenced by, whether they were in virtual training, meetings, or online in general, and the top reason was the individual’s degree of involvement in the live event. Other factors included what others do, attention, how many people were there or class size, and other related factors. Reference Figure 5-13 for percentages by factors.

Figure 5-13. Other Factors Affecting the Decision to Be On Camera

For these reasons, if you know you’ll invite participants to come on camera during the parts of the training that are most relational (such as introductions, group discussions, and breakouts), set those expectations for participants well before class day. For example, you could communicate this either through your LMS’s automated messages, instructor welcome video, or pre-class email. In more robust virtual training programs where you meet multiple times over the course of several weeks or months, it’s important to invite all to come on camera for initial introductions to build those relationships. Inviting—although not forcing—participants to come on camera for introductions can help to facilitate relationship building.

If, however, learners are working on the interactive whiteboard collectively or annotating on slides, you may invite them to turn off their cameras. Do share the rationale with them: to help them focus on the whiteboard or slides. To decide whether to encourage participants to turn their cameras on, ask yourself where their attention focus should be. If there is too much competing with the primary focus of an extended whiteboard activity, for example, you can invite them to turn cameras off. However, we also don’t want to incur webcam whiplash by turning them on and off again repeatedly. Use your discretion to invite them to turn on cameras for extended activities like breakouts or large group discussions. Then, invite them to turn cameras off so they can focus better on the slide content, if they’re annotating slides, or when you are explaining complex material. It is the responsibility of the virtual trainer to gently suggest when it might be a good time to go on or off camera and why.

Summary

Overall, establishing a sense of facilitator presence and place is an essential capability for virtual trainers. One of the main ways we can effectively project this is through our on-camera competence. As we have seen, there are many aspects that contribute to building professionalism and rapport through effective webcam use. These include instructor framing, nonverbal on-camera cues, and technical aspects such as audio quality and lighting. Because there are so many distractions that compete with learners’ attention in today’s modern learning environments, focused attention is critical. And so, it is our responsibility to do everything we can to eliminate and minimize distractions with video technology and leverage it as a relationship-building and connection tool to support our learners’ virtual journey.

Ultimately, we want to be on camera with proper lighting, background, and framing during purposeful connection moments. These are the times when the focus is interpersonal connection. This can help to effectively establish a facilitator’s presence for learners. Also, remember to use the acronym BLEACH to help you remember to clean up how you come across in the camera frame: B for Background; L for Lighting; E for Expressions; A for Angle; C for Clothing; and H for Headroom. In the next chapter, we will continue to build on this capability by exploring the various elements of vocal delivery. Projecting through live video and audio work together to establish a sense of place and presence for learners. All these components build toward a proficiency and competency in these areas.

So, the next time you are on camera and training others virtually, remind yourself that you are connecting with real people in real time, across space and distance. They just happen to be … on the other side of the camera.

Pro Tips for Developing Facilitator Presence through On-Camera Competence

TIP 30	Minimize or remove visual distractions from view in the camera frame.
TIP 31	Select a virtual backdrop that does not call attention to itself.
TIP 32	Light yourself from the front with plenty of soft, even lighting.
TIP 33	Be facially expressive in a natural way to aid learning.
TIP 34	Adjust yourself to be more eye level with the camera, and when instructionally feasible, look directly at the camera lens.
TIP 35	Avoid significant front-to-back body movement on camera; use slight side-to-side movements instead.
TIP 36	Dress in solid colors on top, so you can visually pop.
TIP 37	Contrast the color of your clothing with your background—light on dark, dark on light.
TIP 38	Center yourself in the camera frame with a small margin of headroom using the three-finger rule as a measurement guide.