Setting up classes online is no child’s play. Having the right classroom setup lends a professional touch to your online courses and ensures students’ attention. Lighting is an important element of your online learning classroom. You simply cannot afford to neglect it. Having the right angel and amount of light will help your students to see your expressions and body language properly. Note that these two attributes are an important part of non-verbal communication. Proper and focused lighting setup for online teaching will also help your students to have a proper view of your background props like the whiteboard. All in all, your lighting setup is an important factor in determining the quality of your online class.
If you are wondering how to get good lighting for your classes online, this post will give you a detailed idea of how your lighting setup for online teaching should be. You can then set your classroom lighting according to your preferences.
Best lighting setup for online teaching
You may have designed the best online courses but poor lighting will dull all your efforts. While taking classes online, light is an important asset for us. You may be there in front of your class in your jogging suit, but good lighting will still let you look professional. While online teaching has made us educators on a global level, we tend to neglect the importance of a professional setup for our classroom. When you are looking at a movie or presentation, will you not pass it if it’s dull to look at and strain your eyes? It’s the same with your students. They would rather pass than force their eyes to look at something barely visible. The next big question is what type of light to use. Well, we already told you that it is totally up to you what you prefer. Here is a list of lighting ideas for online teaching.
Types of available lighting for online teaching
- Selfie ring lights – These are lightweight, rechargeable, travel-friendly, affordable, and provide bright light. They come with a tripod for your convenience. Simply recharge these before your class, click them on and you are good to go. It might tire your eyes after a few hours of looking at it. You can get them for anything between INR 500 to INR 3000. Check out the best ring light for online teaching options
- Adjustable LED light with clamp – You can clamp this light to your desk for focused light. It is adjustable, so you can shift the focus by adjusting the direction of the LED. Some even come with adjustable brightness levels and light tones. Most of them are powered by USB and may have a control panel for you to make the necessary adjustments. Check out the best webcam lighting setup here.
- Desk lamp – This is easy to set up and will give less glare than the ring lights. Getting a rechargeable one with a white shade is a good option. A desk lamp with a white shade will disperse the light all around instead of focusing the light on your desk or laptop. The white shade will also ensure a clear and natural sight of your face. You will get them easily online on Amazon, Flipkart, etc. But I would suggest doing a little homework in your local market. You will find some good quality desk lamps for camera lighting setup at great prices there.
- Softbox lighting setup – These are the best video lighting options for a more permanent solution. Soft natural lights behind diffuser screens mimic natural light and take care of the glare issue that you might be facing with other types. These will however require some space. Hence, go for this video lighting for online teaching, only if you have some extra space at your disposal. They will come a little pricey, however, are worth every penny you spend. This particular softbox lighting kit gives a decent performance at a good price.
Dos of designing an ideal lighting setup
For the best lighting for virtual classes, having a portable, adjustable, and lightweight lighting system is mandatory. Besides these light setups, there are other important points to keep in mind while designing the lighting system for your best online courses.
- Using your room lighting to the optimum. While the add-on lights purposely focus on your face and background, the necessity of good room lighting cannot be denied. Design your space such as you face your wall-mounted lights. In contrast, if your room lights are too aside, they will cast shadows. If budget permits, you can install some ceiling lights to add to your class ambiance.
- Leverage natural light. This is something we cannot control. However, if you are planning to shoot a video try to time it to daytime or the time you feel, your room is lighted maximum with sunlight. Natural white light is soft to your eyes as well. So, you will be able to work without unnecessary strain on your eyes.
- Have a plain white backdrop. A plain, white backdrop is good for a professionally looking online learning class. It has another important benefit with regards to the lighting. A white backdrop will reflect a good amount of light, thus making things look brighter and with greater clarity.
Your classroom is your workspace, a place where you spend a lot of time and effort. Keeping it well lit and bright, will keep you upbeat and energetic. Think of it this way, if you go to work in a dull place – will you feel like giving your 100 ℅? Therefore, invest some time towards lighting for online teaching When you are upbeat, your expressions and body language will transmit your energy to your audience too. Better videos increase the chances for you to sell your courses online.
If you are someone who shoots videos of your online courses regularly, then this post on all studio setups will interest you. You may like to check out the Classplus app to take care of all your other needs while you focus on designing the best online courses.
