MCPHS Writing Center

All online sessions are automatically enabled for sharing video and audio. When each participant enters an online session, a pop-up will appear asking for permission for “wcoocms.com” to access your device’s camera and microphone. If you would like to use audio or video during your session, select “Allow” when prompted.

Once you enter the session with video and audio enabled, your video screen will appear on the left side of the shared whiteboard. The default setting is to begin with video and audio already streaming. You may wish to have a flap of paper over your device’s camera that you can remove if video is desired.

At the bottom of the video screen are four buttons:

Figure 4 four buttons for managing the audio, video, screen share, and screen size.

Clicking on the microphone button (the left button) will mute the audio.

Clicking on the video button (second from the left) will turn off the video but keep on the audio.

Clicking on the screen share button (second from the right) will open a new window for screen sharing. Audio remains enabled when using this function.

Clicking on the expand button (the right button) will enlarge the video screen.

1. Have your light source falling on your face, ideally illuminating both eyes. Avoid being backlit. Natural or diffused light provides a clearer view of each participant.
2. Before the session, you may wish to check your camera angle and environment using another application. Because the session automatically begins streaming video, checking what appears in your camera’s transmission may be desirable. If using an Apple product, you may wish to use Photobooth. You can also sign into a later or previous reserved online session (where you would be the only participant) to see if you need to adjust your camera’s position or items in your immediate environment.
3. Wear headphones or turn down your device’s speakers to avoid an echo during the session. Your device’s microphone may pick up sounds played over the device’s speakers, leading to an echo that only ends upon one participant muting their audio. This problem can be avoided by using headphones or keeping the speaker volume low.
4. Your tutor can still provide key feedback in the chat function. While the text of online sessions is saved for later review, audio and video are not. If the student plans to review the session at a later time, the tutor can provide key feedback in the chat and shared screen.

The tutoring screen during a video and audio enabled session looks similar to a session without video and audio. The video screen appears to the left of the shared whiteboard:

The screen share option allows both the tutor and the student to share either 1) their full screen, 2) an application window, or 3) a tab in a web browser. When the screen is shared, the other participant can enlarge the window by using the expand button:

When the screen share is exited, the video is automatically off but the audio remains on.

Rachel Schneider
Instructor of English
School of Arts and Sciences
MCPHS University
179 Longwood Avenue | Boston MA 02115
rachel.schneider@mcphs.edu

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