Thank you for agreeing to become an Egypt Exploration Society course tutor! We’re here to support you in your role as well as advertising it to our members around the world. Below is some general guidance that you should read before you begin creating your course content. If you have any further questions, then please contact us for details.

You will need:

• PowerPoint presentation (Keynote for Mac is acceptable, but PowerPoint works best with the webinar software)
• Laptop/PC – we do not recommend giving your presentation using a mobile phone or tablet
• Webcam (optional, but recommended)
• Microphone
• Speakers (your laptop should have audio enabled)
• Zoom – ideally, installed on your machine from here: zoom.us
• To send us your course content proposal, including title, abstract, biography, schedule and images with as much detail as possible for the entirety of your course, at least two months before the start date (ideally earlier), using this template. Then email this proposal to [email protected]
• To sign our teaching agreement before your course begins.

General guidance for presenters:

• Make sure that you have a strong and stable internet connection
• Block out background noise by closing doors and windows, and turning your phone off
• Check that the backdrop for your webcam is not too bright (i.e. not a window) or too busy.
  • Both can detract from the quality of your video stream and distract attendees. We also recommend having a light source in front of you to aid clarity.
• If you prefer not to use a webcam, ensure that you include a photograph of yourself on your title slide and introduce yourself to the students. You might also consider adding any social media channels you use.
• Keep the main information of your slides in the centre – items at the bottom or top can be cut off on smaller screens, particularly in recordings on YouTube.
• Project clearly to your microphone (this might be in your webcam or your laptop depending on what you use) and speak slowly so that attendees can follow you.
• Arrive at your class at least 15 minutes earlier than advertised to ensure that all of the technical arrangements are set up with your EES staff host.
• If you will present images of human remains, please make this clear in a warning before sharing. We recommend ‘mummified human remains’ rather than ‘mummy’.

What do I do if I get logged out?

Don’t panic, simply go back to your email and re-join the event as before. The host will explain to attendees. We will allow 5 minutes before closing the event.

Top tip: Share your mobile phone number with the host so that you can be contacted in an emergency.

Top tips for teaching online

The Egypt Exploration Society is committed to an active learning programme where attendees should be encouraged to interact and engage with the content – whether introductory or challenging. We have experimented with several formats over 2020-21 and found that the following guidance is helpful to keep in mind:

• Think about the audience you are trying to engage with on your course. Make this clear in your marketing materials and in the content you provide online and in the presentation each week. The EES has three levels for its online events: Scribe, Nomarch and Vizier. These levels correspond to the prior knowledge required for each course and should determine the level of resources you offer.
• Do not offer weekly handouts or further reading. Instead, plan your course ahead and provide the Engagement Manager with a series of extra resources that attendees may wish to use and that can be uploaded to a shared online space. These resources should be tailored to your course and not include lengthy articles for reading each week. You might even consider activities such as wordsearches, crosswords, or jigsaws depending on your course. Many of these can be made using free online software – ask us for tips if you cannot find them.
• If you have further reading suggestions, you may wish to keep a document on the shared online space where you can add further links to reading – try, where possible, to make these available online and appropriate to the level of your course.
• Leave some time for questions at the end of each session or, if you prefer, as a brief break in the middle and the end. You will not get through all of the questions submitted, but you might wish to save some and answer them more fully in summary documents or at the start of your next session, i.e. “Julia asked X last week and I thought I’d include a slide this week to answer it.”
• Engage the attendees throughout your session by asking questions and inviting them to submit answers or thoughts in the chat box. These could be open, exploratory questions or more specific.
• You might want to include the occasional poll to test your attendees’ level of learning or engagement. These must be set up ahead of the session and should be sent to the Engagement Manager at least the day before the class. If you need guidance on how to set up a poll then let us know.
• Each live session will be recorded and made available to attendees for re-watching or for those unable to attend the session. Keep this in mind when answering questions as those watching the video will not be able to read the chat so you should fully articulate your answers and, where possible, read out the question you are answering.

Good luck!

Teaching for the EES should be a rewarding experience allowing you to explore your own subject with those passionate about learning more. We’re here to support you in that journey.

Thank you for supporting the Egypt Exploration Society by contributing to our online course programme.

If you have any further questions then contact Charlotte Jordan, Engagement Manager at [email protected].

You may want to also refer to our guidance on chairing and speaking as EES events. Also, here is the guidance for attending EES online events. 

Updated on 15th October 2021