How to set up an online activity
Last updated: 27 April, 2020
Setting up an online activity means:
people in your community can still get together and interact with each other
there's no event space hire or catering costs
people can view a recording of the activity at a time that suits them
What you need
a PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone with an in-built camera and microphone
access to wifi
a quiet room
tripod or a stack of books
Top tips
1Decide whether to run the activity live or pre-record it
Live stream means that you all go online at the same time, interact with the activity together, then stop at the same time.
It can be a good option if you want:
other people to interact with you or each other during the activity – this can be via audio, video or messaging
to stream something as it's happening
to record the activity and share it with people later
Pre-recording means you record your activity in advance.
It can be a good option if you:
don't need other people to interact with you or each other during the recording
want a few attempts at recording it
want to share the activity with people later – you can still set a time to do this so that a group watches it together
2Structure the activity
Decide what format you want the activity to take. You can:
chat with others over video or audio
share your screen so that your guests can see what you’re seeing – that could be a slide deck, a video or documents
run a webinar (usually someone presenting a seminar of a topic, followed by questions)
record a session in advance, then watch it as a group to get feedback
Work out how long the activity will take.
Plan what you want to cover within that time and allocate rough timings.
3Choose what software you’ll use
You can live stream or pre-record for free on your device using:
whereby.com (max 4 people)
You need to register for these services but your guests won’t need to. Or you can record live videos and get live comments from people in your network using:
4Decide how you’ll take payments (if you’re charging for your online activity)
You can use:
5Let people know about your activity
Pre-record
If you’ve already recorded your activity, you’ll have a link to the recording.
You can send this to your network via email or on social media.
Live stream
You'll be able to get a link from the service you’re using which will only be active when you log on at the set time. You can send this out to your network in advance, via email or on social media.
Allowing people to register in advance can help you get an idea of how many people to expect, and who they are.
When you send it out include:
what the activity is
who it’s for
what they’ll get out of it
when it is
if there’s anything they need to prepare
that it’s online
6Share any materials and ask for feedback
If you’ve prepared any materials for the activity, like a presentation or video, share it with the people who attended.
This is often a good opportunity to ask for feedback too. You could ask them to reply to your email or social media post, or use a survey like Google forms.
Make it for everyone
explain how the activity will be structured and how people can contribute
reassure people that they don’t have to contribute if they don’t want to
let people know how they can turn their camera on or off
let people know how they can mute or unmute
regularly check in with the group, encourage feedback
if there’s a messaging or chat service, check if there are any comments there
make sure there are no flashing lights
use British Sign Language interpreters if possible
recap what you’ve been through at the end
share any slides or materials after the event
if you send out the recording afterwards, include a transcript
Useful websites
Readability guidelines: presentations
Guidelines on creating accessible presentations
A platform you can run online activities from
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