Deadline

Poster videos: Friday, Sept. 5, 2025

Use WeTransfer, a free file transfer service, to send your video files to av@highedweb.org.

Presentation slides: Monday, Sept. 15, 2025

Session recording availability

Attendees will have on-demand access for four weeks after the event through the conference website. DigiCol paid members will have long-term access through the Professional Development Library.

In-person presentations

Here are more specifics about how each type of presentation format will work during the conference.

45-minute track session

The 45-minute track sessions are your standard conference fare. Presentations are limited to 45 minutes, but they typically run about 30-40 minutes, with a live Q&A to follow.

Lightning talks

Lightning talks are like a series of mini keynotes. Each year, five of our community members give high-energy presentations to all of our attendees. These presentations are 8-10 minutes long, with no audience Q&A. A DigiCol emcee keeps the energy flowing between each speaker.

Workshops

DigiCol hosts pre- and post-conference workshops on Sunday and Wednesday afternoons. When you lead a workshop, you get the chance to dive deep into a topic for three and a half hours. These sessions offer hands-on learning and thoughtfully designed content. We build in scheduled breaks to support both presenters and attendees.

Rooms and technical equipment

We ask that you bring your own laptop to run your presentation, or consult with your track chairs to make other arrangements. Each track room offers HDMI and USB-C cables for you to connect to the projector. If your device uses unusual or other connectors (or if you have needed other adapters for past presentations), please bring those adapters.

Poster presentations

Poster presentations will be available online in the week leading up to the conference, and presenters must be available online to chat during the hour-long session

(scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 23, Noon-1 p.m. CDT).

We ask all poster presenters to prepare a pre-recorded video of their presentation. Each session video should feature your presentation slides and also yourself speaking as you deliver your presentation. Think side-by-side or picture-in-picture.

Technical specifications (for poster presentation videos)

  • Poster videos should be 3 to 5 minutes long.
  • Your video should be recorded in high-definition, at least 720p. Most current laptop webcams can record in 720p.
  • Videos should be recorded in a horizontal, 16x9 aspect ratio (1920x1080 preferred). Be sure to check your display settings and the settings on your presentation software.
  • Leave an area at the bottom of your slides clear of important content. There will be captions that appear along the bottom of your video, and leaving some space clear on your presentation slides will help make your presentation and the captions easier to follow.
  • Acceptable file formats: MP4, MOV, MWV.
  • Using an external microphone is ideal and will provide a higher quality recording. Keep the microphone close to you while recording, but out of camera view, if possible. A headset is fine to wear if necessary.
  • Record in a quiet location.
  • Speak slowly and clearly. Do your best to speak normally and conversationally as if presenting live to an active audience. Speaking slowly helps to keep you calm and focused as a presenter, and also helps attendees to follow along with your ideas.
  • If you include any graphics or visual information in your slides — graphs and charts, screenshots, even funny gifs or memes — try to remember to briefly describe them on your slides and avoid rapid flashing or blinking animations. This helps to make your presentation more accessible to all attendees.

Creating your poster presentation videos

There are several tools you can use to record your presentation video. Here are some step-by-step instructions for some of the most popular options. If you have access to other technologies that will allow you to create the type of presentation video we need, that's also fine.

  1. Open your Zoom desktop client.
  2. Click on the gear icon in the top-right corner to open settings.
  3. From the left-hand menu, select Recording.
  4. Check the box for the option "Record video during screen sharing."
  5. Choose one of the following:
    • Check the box for "Place video next to the shared screen in the recording" for a side-by-side layout.
    • Leave it unchecked for your webcam video to overlay in the top-right corner.
  6. Close the Settings window.
  7. Click "New meeting" to start a new meeting.
  8. Join with computer audio and enable your video.
  9. Open your presentation file in a separate window.
  10. In Zoom, click "Share Screen" from the bottom toolbar.
  11. Select the window that contains your presentation.
  12. Begin your presentation in full-screen mode or slide show mode.
  13. Hover over the top of your screen to reveal the "You are screen sharing" toolbar.
  14. Click the "More..." menu, then select "Record."
  15. A red record icon will appear, confirming that recording has started.
  16. Deliver your presentation.
  17. When you are finished, hover over the top toolbar, click "More..." and select "Stop Recording."
  18. Click "Stop Share."
  19. Click "End Meeting."
  20. Wait for the "Converting meeting recording" message to complete.
  21. Find the MP4 video file in the local folder specified in your Zoom settings under "Recordings."
  1. Open your PowerPoint presentation.
  2. Go to the "Slide Show" tab in the top menu.
  3. Click "Record" and choose "From Beginning" or "From Current Slide" (depending on where you want to start). 
  4. If prompted, allow access to your microphone and webcam. 
  5. In the recording window:
    • Use the Settings (gear icon) in the top-right to select your audio input and camera.
    • Ensure your webcam is visible in the corner (unless you prefer to disable it). 
  6. Click the red Record button (top-left) to begin recording. 
  7. Deliver your presentation. 
  8. Click Stop when finished (also top-left).
  9. Press Esc to return to the main PowerPoint window.
  10. On each slide, you'll see your recorded video thumbnail — you can resize, crop or move it using the "Video Format" tab or by dragging it.
  11. When you're satisfied, click "File," then "Export," the "Create a Video."
  12. Choose your video settings (e.g., 1080p resolution recommended).
  13. Click "Create Video," choose a file name and save location.
  14. PowerPoint will generate an MP4 file of your narrated presentation. 
  1. Open your Keynote presentation and set it to present in window mode.
  2. Launch QuickTime Player.
  3. Go to "File" then "New Movie Recording."
    • Choose your FaceTime HD camera under the drop-down next to the red button.
    • Select your microphone (e.g., internal or external mic) in the same menu. 
    • You'll see your webcam preview on screen.
  4. From the menu, select "View" then "Float on Top," so the webcam stays visible over the other windows.
  5. Now begin your screen recording: go to "File" then "New Screen Recording."
    • In the Options drop-down, choose your microphone source.
    • For optimal quality, select "Entire Screen" recording. 
    • Click the red Record button.
  6. Switch to Keynote and start presenting. Arrange the webcam window to a suitable size and position so it's on top of your slides.
  7. Deliver your presentation. 
  8. When done, stop the screen recording from the menu bar and stop the movie recording window, if needed.
  9. Save your recordings: "File" then "Save" for each video (movie and screen) and name them appropriately. 
  10. Aligning picture-in-picture: If your webcam overlay doesn't embed automatically, you can combine the two recordings using iMovie or another editor to overlay your webcam on top of the screen video. 

If you are using Google Slides or any browser-based presentation software, tools like ScreenPal (Screencast-O-matic) or Awesome Screenshot (Chrome extensions) allow you to record your presentation, webcam video and microphone audio — all in one video file. 

The free versions are limited in recording time and exports and paid upgrades unlock longer or unlimited recording, watermark removal, editing and sharing capabilities. Pricing typically ranges from $2 to $4 per month depending on plan.

Tips for looking good on video

When it comes time to record yourself giving your presentation, here are a few tips for looking and sounding good.

  • Sit in a well-lit area, with natural light sources preferred over artificial light.
  • Keep the light source in front of you, and not behind or above you.
  • Position your computer so that you are just barely an arm's length away from the screen.
  • Position your computer so that your webcam is at eye level, rather than having to look up or down at the camera. You may try taping notes or the photo of a loved one/pet by the webcam to help with eye contact.
  • Check out this tutorial for more tips about self-recorded video.

Equipment

Sometimes the mic built into your webcam/PC just doesn't cut it. Consider these:

Accessibility

Please consider these accessibility best practices when designing your presentation slides and recording your videos.

  • Check your type and background colors for a nice contrast. Choose bold over subtle. Use this color contrast checker to verify your color sections.
  • Make sure your font size is large, and be aware of the amount of type you are placing on a single slide. Choose simple, short and large type size over complex, long and small type size. Fonts like Calibri and Calibri Light (defaults) are easier to read than more elaborate fonts.
  • When using images on your slides to illustrate your point, include a reference to or description of the image while you are speaking, so those with low vision or those who aren't able to view your slides will still understand the substance of your point.

More resources on accessible conference presentations

Inclusive language

Words are powerful. They shape the stories we tell, how we share knowledge, and how we connect with one another. Even with the best intentions, our language choices can have unintended, harmful effects.

Many common terms and phrases carry histories or references that may not be widely known but can still cause harm. At DigiCol, we promote inclusion and ask all presenters to be mindful of the language used during sessions. What feels neutral to one person may feel exclusionary — or even offensive — to someone else.

Harmful language can be perceived as harassment and may violate our code of conduct. Please avoid language that is harmful to people with disabilities, language of a sexual nature, language that leverages racism or gendered language.

As you create your slides and deliver your presentation, take time to review your language. If a word or phrase could make someone feel excluded, look for a more inclusive alternative. Your thoughtfulness helps ensure everyone in our community feels welcome, respected and heard.

  • "...so that we couldn't just ask the web guy to do it…" versus "…so we couldn't just ask the web person to do it…"
  • "…we were going into the project totally blind…" versus "…we were going into the project with no information whatsoever…"
  • "…our first designs were so lame…" versus "…our first designs were really awful…"

Industry jargon and technical acronyms are often appropriate and necessary in a DigiCol presentation, but be sure to include an opportunity to quickly explain or describe the term for those in the audience who may not already be familiar.

Keep in mind that during the conference, attendees will be participating from all over the world. Avoid assuming knowledge of United States or North American laws, and be mindful that not everyone is in the same time zone.

It’s fine to include an in-joke or pop culture reference in your presentation, but consider the folks in the audience who may not be in on the joke. Let those who get the reference have a laugh, but also provide an explanation or some context to bring new people in, rather than leave them feeling left out.

Language both reflects and reinforces our assumptions, biases and stereotypes. We will all make mistakes sometimes. If someone calls your attention to language choices in your presentation, take a moment to thank them for letting you know, and reflect on how you might improve your presentation style or content to help remove those barriers going forward.

More resources on inclusive language and conference presentations

Questions?

Email conference@digicol.org for support.