To ensure the technical aspects of meetings, the selected videoconference software/application must be installed, ideally on more than one device (notebook, phone). Due to the technical requirements of both of the above software, the software must be installed on the side of the examiner and the examinee. To prevent technical problems, it is recommended that all exam participants (administrators, committee members, and exam takers) do the following:
- Prior to testing, check that the selected software is functioning and up-to-date (so that it does not start to update when the videoconference starts);
- Check the camera, microphone, and earphones (earphones are preferred to speakers because they produce less audio feedback which worsens the sound quality); check the Bluetooth connection for the earphones, etc.;
- Check software controls, switching of windows, opening a chat window for resolving problems, feedback, etc.;
- Make a test call in the software sufficiently in advance verifying all key functions (sound, picture, sharing desktops, and recording).[1]
For recording videos, it is recommended to use OBS Studio. This must be installed by the administrator (or a person who is responsible for making the recording) – see the instructions for installation and setting up OBS. In this software, a separate recording will be started at the same time after starting the test in the selected tool. When set correctly, the output format will be suitable for saving to ESSS CU without further modification. In addition, a double recording prevents potential problems when making recordings (typically a Wi-Fi outage, a damaged recording in the test tool, etc.).
If a student does not have appropriate technical equipment (e.g. a laptop with a video camera, microphone, and speakers, Internet connection), they may contact the Carolina Centre to borrow such equipment: centrumcarolina@cuni.cz (however, the capacity of the Carolina Centre is limited).
[1] In the settings, MS Teams allows you to make a test call without connecting, but with respect to tuning any possible technical deficiencies, it is recommended to make a test call between the administrator and the student.
