Playtimes HK Magazine Spring Issue 2021 | Page 15

Zoom Fatigue
Over 1,400
Solar Panels Installed in ESF schools
Accessing Free Education in the UK
Box Hill International Kindergarten & Preschool Open Days
Zoom Fatigue
Yes , Zoom fatigue is real and Stanford University researchers have identified four causes for it , along with some suggestions to help .
1 . Excessive amounts of close-up eye contact is highly intense . Both the amount of eye contact we engage in on video chats , as well as the size of faces on screens is unnatural . Solution : Take Zoom out of the full-screen option and reduce the size of the Zoom window relative to the monitor to minimise face size . Use an external keyboard to allow an increase in the personal space bubble between oneself and the grid .
2 . Seeing yourself during video chats constantly in realtime is fatiguing . Most video platforms show a square of what you look like on camera during a chat . But that ’ s unnatural . Solution : Users should use the “ hide self-view ” button , which one can access by right-clicking their own photo , once they see their face is framed properly in the video .
3 . Video chats dramatically reduce our usual mobility . In-person and audio phone conversations allow humans to walk around and move . But with videoconferencing , most cameras have a set field of view , meaning a person has to generally stay in the same spot . Solution : Think about the room you ’ re videoconferencing in , where the camera is positioned and whether things like an external keyboard can help create distance or flexibility .
4 . The cognitive load is much higher in video chats . In regular face-to-face interaction , nonverbal communication is quite natural and each of us naturally makes and interprets gestures and nonverbal cues subconsciously . But in video chats , we have to work harder to send and receive signals . Solution : During long stretches of meetings , give yourself an “ audio only ” break . “ This is not simply you turning off your camera to take a break from having to be nonverbally active , but also turning your body away from the screen .” Source : Stanford News

Over 1,400

Solar Panels Installed in ESF schools
The English Schools Foundation ( ESF ) and CLPe Solutions Limited have completed a large-scale solar project with the installation of over 1,400 solar panels across eight ESF school campuses . It was a group of ESF students who came up with the concept and engaged CLPe Solutions in the design , construction , operations and maintenance . The project is one of the largest solar projects in the primary and secondary school sectors in Hong Kong . The eight schools are : ESF Bradbury School ; ESF Clearwater Bay School ; ESF King George V School ; ESF Kowloon Junior School ; ESF Renaissance College ; ESF Sha Tin College ; ESF South Island School ; and ESF West Island School .
Accessing Free Education in the UK

If you are moving to the UK and looking for your child to join a UK state school , this webinar by Top Schools will share a brief overview of the British curriculum along with tips and strategies for getting into a good state school . www . facebook . com / topschoolshk education

Box Hill International Kindergarten & Preschool Open Days
If you are interested to find out more about Box Hill , join one of the small group open days to experience a demo class , arts and crafts , a school tour and an information session . Open days run 8 May at Ma On Shan Campus ( Vista Paradiso ) and Tseung Kwan O Campus ( Mount Verdant ) and on 15 May at Fo Tan Campus ( Jubilee Square ) and Kwai Chung Campus ( Wonderland Villas ). For more information visit boxhill . edu . hk
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