Webinar Guidelines and Policies

Guidelines and Expectations for GSOLE Webinar Presenters

Welcome to the Global Society of Online Literacy Educators (GSOLE) webinar series. We are committed to providing high-quality, engaging, and accessible webinars that foster learning and collaboration among educators worldwide. To achieve this, we have established the following guidelines and expectations for our webinar presenters:

1. Interactive and Engaging Presentations

Zoom Tools: Presenters are encouraged to utilize Zoom’s interactive features, such as breakout rooms, polls, or chat to encourage active participation and conversation among attendees.
Participant Interaction: Structure your webinar to include opportunities for attendees to engage in discussions, ask questions, and interact with both you and their peers. Consider incorporating Q&A sessions, discussion prompts, or small group activities.

2. Accessibility and Universal Design Instruction

Alt Text for Images: Ensure that all images included in your presentation are accompanied by descriptive alt text. This text should succinctly describe the image content to support attendees using screen readers.
Verbal Descriptions: During your presentation, provide verbal descriptions of any visual content displayed. This includes images, charts, graphs, and other visual aids. Descriptions should be clear and detailed enough to convey the visual information to those who may not be able to see the content.
Subtitles for Videos: If you plan to show any videos during your webinar, please ensure that they include subtitles.
Inclusive Language and Content: Use inclusive language throughout your presentation, and ensure that examples, case studies, and materials reflect diverse perspectives and experiences.

3. Technical Preparation

Familiarize Yourself with Zoom: We recommend that presenters familiarize themselves with Zoom’s tools and features prior to the webinar. If you are unfamiliar with any aspect of the platform, consider scheduling a practice session.
Check Your Equipment: Ensure that your microphone, camera, and internet connection are functioning properly before the webinar. If you need assistance or anticipate any connectivity problems, do not hesitate to contact us prior to the event.

4. Preparation and Submission of Materials

Presentation Materials: Submit any presentation materials (e.g., slides, handouts) at least one week before the webinar. Please use the GSOLE template for the title slide (Slide 1) and upcoming webinar announcement (Slide 3). Slide 2 is entirely optional if you would like to use it for the rest of your presentation.
Recording and Archiving: Be aware that GSOLE webinars are recorded for archival and future access by our members. Please ensure that your presentation is designed with this in mind, and avoid sharing any proprietary or confidential information that you do not wish to be included in the recording.

5. Post-Webinar Feedback

Feedback and Reflection: At the conclusion of the webinar, we solicit anonymous survey feedback from attendees regarding their webinar experience. Once available, we submit all responses to webinar presenters.

By adhering to these guidelines, you will help ensure that our webinars are engaging, inclusive, and valuable experiences for all participants. We appreciate your commitment to excellence and look forward to your contribution to our GSOLE webinar series.

For any questions or further clarification, please feel free to contact our webinars committee. Thank you for your dedication to advancing online literacy education.

Certificate of Completion

Certificates of completion are available upon request. Please send an e-mail to webinars.gsole@gmail.com if you are interested.

Information about our future webinars can be found here. You can also request access to the past webinar recordings (see webinar recording policy below). If you have any questions, do not hesitate the contact the webinar co-chairs at webinars.gsole@gmail.com.

Webinar Recording Policy

All GSOLE webinars will be recorded by the Webinar co-chairs. After the webinar, one of the webinar co-chairs will edit the recording (to remove participant IDs who requested to be removed) and upload to the Webinar Archives within one month of the webinar. The recordings will be kept in the Webinars Google Drive folder, which is password protected.

Member Access to Webinar Archives

All members have access to the webinar archives, free of charge. To access the archives, members should navigate to the “webinars archive” page on the GSOLE website and log in. In accessing the recordings, GSOLE members commit to only using the webinar for personal purposes. Members are not permitted to distribute the webinar to non-GSOLE members.

Non-Member Access to Webinar Archives

Non-members can purchase a recording of a former webinar for $15. To make this purchase, non-members should email the webinar co-chairs to confirm that the recording of the webinar they are interested in is available, and then make the purchase through the GSOLE website. In accessing the recordings, the viewer commits to only using the webinar for personal purposes and to not distributing the webinar.

Gaining Consent from Webinar Leaders

The webinar co-chairs will share this policy document with webinar leaders in advance of the webinar and gain written consent to record and distribute the recordings accordingly. The consent form will read: “I consent to the internal free distribution of webinar archives to GSOLE members and the potential of for-purchase distribution of archived recordings to non-members.”

Gaining Consent from Webinar Attendees

By entering a webinar, you are stating your agreement that you understand webinars may be posted publicly, and your identity, image, and participation in this webinar may be made available on our public-facing website. At present, all webinar archive videos will be available to GSOLE members.

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