If you’re planning to teach online, you don’t need an expensive studio or lots of specialist equipment. In most cases, a good HD webcam, a clear microphone, reliable internet, and a suitable laptop are enough to deliver professional online lessons. This guide explains the equipment we recommend and why each item is worth considering.
Essential equipment for teaching online
To teach online successfully, you’ll normally need:
- HD webcam
- quality microphone
- lighting
- laptop
- teaching platform
- stable internet connection
Optional:
- ring light
- green screen
- wireless microphone
Equipment for Teaching Online
(Please note: All online teaching equipment items recommended on this page are either presently used or have been used. Some of the links below are affiliate links.
1. What Is the Best HD Webcam for Teaching Online?
Why It’s Needed: One of the easiest ways to provide online lessons with the least effort is to use a desktop or laptop computer and a webcam. If using a webcam, then to get the best results, you will need an HD-quality webcam.
There are many excellent HD webcams available today. Look for a model that records in Full HD (1080p), includes autofocus, has good low-light performance, and connects easily via USB. Logitech continues to offer several excellent webcams, including models in the C920 and Brio ranges.
Although there are newer webcams available, the Logitech C920 continues to be a reliable and affordable choice for many online trainers and tutors, and costs under $100.
Suppose you are a freelance teacher or trainer working from home and looking for an excellent quality webcam at very little cost. This is it! The Logitech C920 webcam.
Most new laptops these days use a 1920 x 1080 screen, meaning that they are HD quality. Do not worry if this confuses you.
The key point is that if you buy a new webcam, then you want it to be Full HD (1080p), and this camera is.
As an online teacher or trainer, you might not necessarily have great I.T. skills, but this webcam:
- is incredibly easy to use because you just plug it into the USB socket
- comes with a privacy shutter – you can flip the shutter down after use to cover the camera so that people cannot see you when you are not using the camera (a useful feature they have added onto the previous version of this camera)
- is portable, and you can buy it with a small carrying case if you wish to (also available on Amazon)
Why it’s good for online teaching: This provides a very easy way to be seen in high-quality HD video by those viewing you. As an online teacher, this is an affordable way to achieve professional-looking results and to make sure that your students or team can easily see you clearly.
2. Why Do You Need a Lavalier Microphone for Online Teaching?
Why It’s Needed: Whether you use a camera or webcam for filming yourself, you will need good audio, i.e., a good microphone.
For audio, RØDE is arguably one of the best brands in the business, and this includes lavalier microphones.
‘ Lavalier ‘, by the way, refers to a set of headphones that also have an inbuilt microphone so that you can also speak into. You might well have seen TV newsreaders or TV presenters with these small microphones.
Why it’s good for online teaching: The worst scenario is to be teaching online and for your students not to be able to hear you clearly. Great-quality audio, including effective noise cancellation, is essential. I recommend a lavalier microphone.
3. RØDE Wireless GO – Compact Wireless Microphone System
Why It’s Needed: You might choose to buy the lavalier microphone mentioned earlier. This is another great option for high-quality, crisp, clear audio and is especially good if you want to avoid any cables.
If you are moving as you teach, then this is an excellent option if you want high-quality audio without cables.
– the RØDE Wireless Go microphone system.
Teaching yoga online? Teaching Pilates online? Or teaching some other fitness classes in an online digital classroom? This can be an extremely good system for you as you move around a room and teach.
Why is the Wireless GO so good? Well, it:
- has outstanding audio quality
- comes with a clip that you simply use to attach to an item of clothing (it’s very small)
- can send the audio up to 70 meters
- easy to take anywhere as it’s very compact
How the RØDE Wireless GO Works
- You have two very small boxes (devices) that come with the system.
- You simply pair the two devices (takes seconds and is automatic) and then clip one onto yourself, i.e., onto your belt or somewhere, and the other you attach to your recording device (i.e, laptop or camera)
- And you are ready to go. You can move around a room or stand, or sit wherever you want, and you will have no long dangling cables, and yet you’ll be able to record amazing quality audio with very little effort!
Why it’s good for online teaching: Incredible audio recording, no cables, clip-on, very easy to use, and you can also teach as you move (if needed). It is arguably not cheap at around USD$200, but it is all you will ever need for your audio. Find them on Amazon.
4. MS Teams (For Freelance Teachers & Trainers)
Why It’s Needed: You do not have to use Microsoft Teams as your teaching platform. Zoom and Google Meet are also popular choices, depending on how you teach and the features you need. If you’re comparing different teaching platforms and software, take a look at our guide to the best online tutoring tools for trainers and teachers.
The teaching platform that you use to reach and communicate with your students online will greatly depend on whether you are working for yourself as a freelance trainer (or teacher) or if you are working for an established online school (such as for teaching English to Chinese students in China).
If you are teaching one-to-one online, then MS Teams is incredibly cheap to use and very easy to use overall (it can take you a little getting familiar with the settings at first, but you should soon get used to it).
Why it’s good for online teaching: MS Teams is affordable and very easy to use. Buy a microphone (see above) and an HD webcam.
5. Background Lighting for Online Teaching
If Using a Camera to Film Videos
Why It’s Needed: Lighting is one of the key pieces of equipment for teaching online that many people forget or do not bother with, yet it can be essential if you want to be clearly visible online as you teach.
As a teacher, you do not want your students online to be struggling to see you because you haven’t got acceptable lighting set up as you record or stream video of yourself teaching.
As a teacher online, there is no excuse for poor lighting because there are some very affordable and excellent options online.
The product we recommend is the Neewer Mini LED Video Light Pocket-size On-camera Video Light 12-piece LED Lighting CRI 95.
If using a Smartphone for Teaching Online ( Docooler 12-inch Ring Light )
If you are willing to pay a lot more, then there are some more expensive and very good options, but in this post, I am trying to provide great value options. So my choice is the DoCooler 12-inch lighting.
6. What Laptop Do You Need for Teaching Online?
There are so many laptops out there, and they range so greatly in terms of costs that I am going to withhold suggesting a specific laptop to buy if you need one for your online teaching and tutoring business.
What I will do here, though, is to give you one key tip when choosing a laptop for your online teaching.
Make sure that you buy a laptop that has at least:
1920 x 1080 Screen Resolution
For some reason, laptops are still on sale that are not HD 1920 x 1080 or above. Most new laptops do seem to now be HD, but just make sure that the one you look to buy is.
A laptop that is 1366 x 768, for example, will NOT be full HD and, if you make teaching and tutorial videos that include recording your computer screen, they might not look very good quality when people view them on a newer HD-ready laptop or desktop.
If you’re getting started, you only really need:
- HD webcam
- good microphone
- laptop with a Full HD (1920 × 1080) display
- reliable internet
Everything else is optional.
Additional Online Teaching Equipment You Can Consider
In terms of choosing the best online teaching equipment, you can also buy a background screen such as a green background for any filming or in front of which to present yourself on video online when teaching and giving training.
A background is not by any means essential. You can easily do without this type of equipment for teaching online if you wish to.
Free Training Activities eBook for Online Teaching Activities
You might also find this a handy resource with a free 54-page training activities eBook that you can download for free right now!
Having the right equipment is only part of delivering successful online training. Good planning, learner engagement, and effective facilitation techniques are just as important.
If you’re looking for delivery tips, read our guide on how to be a good online teacher.
Further Resources for Teaching Online
New to teaching online? Visit our Online Teaching Guides hub for tutorials, teaching tips, online tools and virtual classroom resources.
If you are fairly new to teaching, you might want to consider the ‘Train the Trainer’ online course that you can do in your own time online.
