Video Conference Etiquette for the Classroom and Workplace
- Cameras on
- Microphone on? Depends on context.
- Wait your turn to speak
- Where to physically be
- Use the correct account
- Display your full name
- Do not multitask
Some basic guidance on effective and polite videoconferencing with classmates and colleagues.
Cameras on
Turn your camera on and keep it on. The only acceptable reason not to use your camera during the meeting is if you do not have one.
Humans have evolved to recognize facial expressions and body postures, and we generally respond positively to faces. People have not yet evolved to respond positively to blank static boxes on a screen.
If you must leave the meeting or have visual privacy for a moment, turn the camera off as briefly as possible. In a small meeting, inform your colleagues that you are momentarily turning the camera off and when you will be back. In a large meeting, where you are not actively involved in the discussion, do not announce this.
Microphone on? Depends on context.
Microphone etiquette is different from camera etiquette. Whether to turn yours on depends on context.
For a small group:
- If in active conversation, keep your microphone on and participate, unless you do not intend to speak.
- If there is a lot of background noise where you are, mute your microphone when not speaking.
For a large group, or a meeting where you are not expected to be actively involved, keep your microphone muted while not speaking.
Hand raising
For a small group, there is no need to raise your hand to speak. Simply wait for an opportune moment and speak.
For a large group, if you feel more comfortable raising your hand, do so. If you are comfortable interjecting at a natural pause in the conversation without raising your hand, that is fine as well.
Microphone quality
Test your microphone beforehand to ensure that your audio is intelligible to others. Many laptops, headphones, and earbuds have poor quality microphones. If you intend to participate in video conferences regularly, you should invest in a decent quality microphone or headset.
Wait your turn to speak
Avoid interrupting others and wait for natural moments of pause or silence to speak. Preferably, find a pause where a specific topic has been discussed to completion by the speaker and you believe he/she is about to switch to a different topic.
Videoconferences have a high chance of audio or video lag and other technical constraints that easily lead to miscommunication and disruption. If you accidentally speak over someone due to audio or video delays, apologize briefly and wait until the next natural pause to speak again.
If one or two people are dominating the conversation and give no pause to allow others to interject for many minutes, you can interrupt the speaker to make your point. It is not you, but they, who are being impolite in this situation.
Where to physically be
Sit in a place where you are able to listen to, and participate in, as needed, the conversation. If you are unable to do this, then do not join the call.
It is possible to successfully participate in a video conference while in a noisy cafe, while driving in a car, while jogging in the forest, traveling on a train, flying in an airplane, or taking an underground subway train. However, it is unlikely that will succeed at this. Do not rely on luck.
Blurring the background
There is no requirement that video conference participants sit in sterile office cubicles. It is absolutely fine to sit in a place where the visual background behind you is active and/or messy. In some cases, this can provide a bit of welcome intimacy to an otherwise dull video call.
However, if you feel the background would unduely disturb other participants, or you wish to keep some facets of your physical space private, you are welcome to “blur” your video call background.
Use the correct account
Be sure to use the account that is appropriate to the meeting you are attending.
- If attending a class at a university, be logged in with your university-supplied account.
- If attending a work meeting, use your work account.
- If attending a personal meeting, use a personal account.
Display your full name
In a professional/academic video conference, it is expected that you display your full name so others can easily identify you when reviewing the participants on the call.
Where attendance is tracked, automated roll calls will require that your full name be displayed and that your Name settings in the software, if different from the Display Name, also be set to your full name.
Do not multitask
If you attend a meeting, it is expected that you attend to the discussion. Anything else is disrespectful to those who are participating.
Do not check your email, do not look at your phone, do not switch to another app on your computer. Sit or stand there, listen, and watch the discussion. Be present mentally. Participate as much as possible.
If you feel the need to attend to other tasks while on the call, or you feel that the meeting is pointless and/or uninteresting, then you would be better off leaving the meeting entirely. Why waste your own time and others’ time?