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Nathan

Make A Good Space

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A few weeks ago I shared four pointers that help when preparing for a video viva:

  • Read the regulations because then you know what your institution expects.
  • Talk to friends so you can find out about their recent experiences.
  • Practise! to rehearse for responding to questions.
  • Make a good space for yourself and that way you will have a good environment for doing what you need to do.

It struck me today that all of these apply for preparing for in-person vivas as well.

There are differences; the good space you need for an in-person viva is the space you’ll prepare in rather than the space for your viva. Even then you can do things to help yourself. Ahead of an in-person viva you can check the room out, be certain it has what you need and make arrangements for anything else that you require.

In-person or over-video, the viva is still the same event. There are differences because of the format, but they are not that great.

Neither are the differences in preparation.

Nathan

Preparing For A Video Viva

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Since 2020 video vivas have become much more common, first as a necessity and then later as an accepted part of practice. If you have one soon or are wondering whether it might be a good option for you, consider the following as a list of things you might do in preparation:

  • Read the regulations. Check which software you are expected to use and whether there are special requests to make in order to have a video viva.
  • Talk to friends. Find people from your department who have recently had a video viva and ask them what the experience was like. Find out if they have any particular advice.
  • Practise! Take time to get a feel for the software if your Zoom or Teams knowledge is a little rusty. Use the software to remind yourself of the rhythms of video chats.
  • Make a good space for yourself. If you will be at home then consider how you could make your environment a helpful one. Make sure you have enough space to work well. Consider your needs and how you can meet them.

Finally, remind yourself that a video viva is not a secondary or lesser option for the viva. It’s a proven process and just a little different from talking in person.

There can be difficulties with signal delays or adjusting to the constraints of a video chat, but also many opportunities that might make it the best option for you.

Nathan

Differences, Difficulties & Opportunities

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In-person and video vivas have differences but at the core is the same viva experience. The viva is the same whether or not you are in the same room as your examiners: same purpose, same drivers for questions, same outcomes and same people involved.

By now we know that some differences create difficulties. Awkward pauses. Signal delays. Rooms that are not wholly suitable. Logistical challenges for meeting in-person.

Oh, yes: not all difficulties come from vivas over video. In-person vivas could be difficult situations too.

It’s worth knowing that some differences create opportunities. Sitting around a table. A certain desired atmosphere. Being in one’s own space. Being in control of your working environment.

Your institution may or may not have a preference over where your viva would take place. Still, think about your circumstances and what you need.

What are the difficulties for you in having a viva in-person or over video? Are there opportunities for you if you had one or the other? After the last few years it’s important to acknowledge that there isn’t a best option generally: in-person and video vivas can both work well.

The right location and setup for the viva is what is best for you.

Nathan

Not There

Daily Post

A viva over video is still a viva. It’s alright that there are pauses caused by technology.

A viva over video is still a viva. Practise with the software you’ll use and think about the space you’ll be in.

A viva over video is still a viva. Expectations are different but that doesn’t make them bad.

A viva over video is still a viva. It doesn’t matter if you’re not there in the same room as your examiners.

Nathan

The Same, But Different

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In July, our daughter was in school and so my wife and I snuck to the cinema for a day-time date. Watching the movie on the big screen was amazing: the story, colour, the scale, the sound, all fantastic.

A few weeks ago we watched it all together at home. We drew our curtains, snuggled up on the couch with chocolate and watched the movie on a smaller screen. It was amazing: the story, watching it with my daughter, pausing for hugs in sad moments, stopping to get ice cream, all fantastic.

In both times the movie was the same: we just engaged with it in a different way. In the cinema it was great to be able to get lost in the movie. At home it was great to be super comfortable and together. It was the same, but different.

 

And this is how we can think about the reality of in-person and video vivas: they are the same, but different.

Same purpose, same parameters, same drivers, same roles, same needs but different locations, different ways of engaging and different opportunities. Depending on who you are, who your examiners are and the regulations of your university you may have a choice or not about where your viva is. But fundamentally, despite the differences, you can expect the same process from the viva.

Nathan

In-Person or On-Video

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It used to be that an in-person viva was the right way to have a viva. Video vivas were anomalies, rare arrangements made out of necessity.

Then they were the necessary arrangement. For a time they were the only way of doing things.

 

And now some candidates might have choice over which format they would like for their viva. Which brings a new question: is it better to have an in-person viva or an on-video viva, if the choice is put before you? What are the pros and cons?

Having thought about it I don’t think there are negatives to either. They’re just different. The viva is the viva: a different medium allows some things and not others. It makes some aspects less of a challenge perhaps, but neither format is worse.

An in-person viva allows you to make more of a connection perhaps. It would be the best situation if you were looking to build a connection with your examiners.

A video viva would allow you to control the space that you’re in. You could make an environment that you would feel comfortable and confident in.

These are my general thoughts – of course, it’s a negative to you if you don’t like having a meeting over video. Or it’s a negative if meeting in public is something you don’t want to do just now.

Then you have to think: what are your pros and cons? How do you weigh it up?

A viva is a viva, in-person or on-video. If you have the choice, reflect on how you feel and consider how you could make the most of the opportunity of your viva.

Nathan

Tech Woes

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In over eighteen months of delivering sessions from home I’ve had many minor tech problems.

My connection has failed. I’ve been caught out by lag and not realised people were trying to catch my attention. I’ve displayed slides and they’ve not been seen. I’ve had mics act up, cameras turn off and so many other little things – like forgetting to use an option or remembering I needed something to hand.

Over time I’ve found ways around these problems so that they don’t have an impact.

Using different software and practising with it has helped. Upgrading my connection and wifi router has really helped. Having a checklist before I go live has been a lifesaver. Rehearsal has helped me move past frustration and woe to being able to do what I need to do.

Most of these solutions apply to video vivas too. There’s no great secret or hidden knowledge: if you have a video viva coming up, check everything.

Practise with friends. Get used to the delay of saying something and seeing the other person respond. It’s not quite real time and you need to practice to feel happy in that space. Be sure your tech is working well. Know where all the buttons and options are.

Tech woes don’t have to get in the way of having a great viva. A little time invested in advance can make a huge difference.

Nathan

A Different Set of Challenges

Daily Post

Is an online viva “worse” in some way? No, it’s just different.

Is it “harder” in some way? No, it’s just a different set of challenges.

It could be harder to engage. It could be harder to have free-flowing discussion. It could be harder to show your personality over video – a particular concern I’ve heard from many candidates over the last year or so. It’s understandable and there’s no quick fix, but you could act in advance to help get closer to the ideal viva you hold in your mind.

  • Rehearse. Use the platform you will for your actual viva and have a mock. Practise with friends. Get a feel for the delays and restrictions of the platform – and consider if there are opportunities too.
  • Explore your setup. What could you do to make your space better for you? How would you arrange where you will sit or how you will be? What could you have around you to show something of yourself?
  • Dress to impress – yourself! What can you wear to help you feel good? What can you wear to help you feel comfortable and confident? Could this help your personality shine through, even if it’s being directed at a camera rather than across a seminar room table?

Rehearsing is key. It shows the limits but also shows what you need to help you.

You don’t have to play a character for an online viva, but you can make sure the stage is set for success.

Nathan

Arriving

Daily Post

You might not have to travel for your viva, but it’s still good to consider how you’ll arrive.

What will the journey be like, possibly from one room to another? What could you do to help you transition from a space in your home to the space for your viva?

What will you wear? Hopefully something comfortable, but could you also wear something that helps your confidence?

What will you take with you to the viva? What do you need when you’re there?

A little thought on arriving, even if it’s in your home, can be a great boost for how your viva starts and how you’ll feel throughout.

Nathan

Video Viva Prep

Daily Post

Let’s keep it simple.

  • Check the regulations and requirements for your institution. Find out who will organise the viva, what platform you will use and the procedure for a video viva.
  • Practise using the tech. Check you can use the software, so you know where the buttons and options are. At the same time check your wi-fi and internet connection are up to the task.
  • Consider where you will be for your viva. You may have a regular workspace, but that might not be the best place to have your viva. Think about light, think about quiet and consider your options. There won’t be a perfect place, but there will be a best option.
  • Rehearse using the tech. Practise means knowing how the software operates. Rehearse means investing time to simulate the experience of being in the viva with your examiners. Do this to get confident in your ability to manage the practical elements of that situation.
  • Let go of the idea of a video viva being “wrong”. Put to one side the idea that it would be better to have your viva in-person, in your department, around the seminar table at the end of the corridor.

These points are all simple. The last one, however, might not be easy.

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