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How to Create a Zoom Room

Creating a Zoom Room - Steps (Click to Expand)

(You need to do this one time only.)

  1. Go to https://psu.zoom.us/
  2. Click the Sign In button.
  3. Log in via WebAccess if needed.
  4. Click the Schedule a Meeting link in the upper right of the window.
  5. Add a name to the Topic field (e.g., BA 101)
  6. Add a description to the Option field.
  7. Check the Recurring Meeting checkbox.
  8. In the Recurrence pulldown menu, select No Fixed Time.
  9. Check the Record the meeting automatically in the cloud checkbox.
  10. If you have a TA, TSS, etc. and want them to also have editing rights to this room, add their PSU email (e.g., xyz1@psu.edu) to the Alternative Hosts field.
  11. Click the Save button.
  12. Copy the URL from the Invite Attendees field (example: https://psu.zoom.us/j/012345678) . This is the URL you will now use and share with others.
  13. Paste this URL in your Canvas course or email to your students.

Start a Zoom Meeting

Start a Zoom Meeting - Steps (Click to Expand)

  1. Go to https://psu.zoom.us/ .
  2. Click the Sign In button.
  3. Log in via WebAccess if needed.
  4. Click on the meetings in the left navigation if you do not load to that page.
  5. Find the course meeting space in the list of meetings.
  6. Click on the Start button.

Please note if you just click on the link that was given to you when you created the meeting you may not be logged in to the Zoom, and therefore will not have full control over the meeting. Always enter this way to ensure you have full access.
 

Audio-only Zoom

Please consider turning off your video, and asking your students to do the same. This will help to conserve bandwidth (limit your data use). This can be accomplished by clicking the Stop Video button to stop sharing your video stream. You can also set all the meetings you host to automatically mute and turn off video for all participants. This can be done in the Settings section when you are logged into the Zoom Web Portal.

You also have the option to host and/or attend Zoom meetings via phone. The Zoom Help Center provides thorough explanations on its website for hosting/attending Zoom meetings using only a phone.

Recording a Zoom Meeting

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Important: When recording class sessions, please keep in mind the following:

  • You MUST inform students that they are being recorded.
  • We strongly recommend sharing the following verbiage prior to each recorded session and adding it to your course syllabus:
    • “Video and audio recordings of class lectures will be part of the classroom activity. The video and audio recording is used for educational use/purposes and may only be made available to students presently enrolled in the class. For purposes where the recordings will be used in future class sessions/lectures, any type of identifying information will be adequately removed.”

Other considerations:

  • Plan on deleting the recordings at the end of the semester.
  • If you intend to use the recordings after the end of the semester, any kind of identifying information must be removed.
  • Please contact course-support@smeal.psu.edu if you have any questions or concerns.

 

Recording a Zoom Meeting - Steps (Click to Expand)

  1. Move your mouse to the bottom of the Zoom window.
  2. On the control strip at the bottom of the window, click the Record button to start the recording. If you do not find a record button, then you are not the host. To be the host you must be logged into Zoom. Follow the instructions for starting a meeting above.
  3. Click the Pause button to pause recording at any time.
  4. Click the Stop button to stop recording.

Your recording will be available soon after you stop the recording. You will receive an email to your PSU email account titled Zoom. SAVE THIS EMAIL.

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Important: Always remember to STOP your recording when your session is finished!

 

Sharing Your Recording

Sharing Your Recording - Steps (Click to Expand)

  1. Open the Email message you received after you stopped the recording.
  2. Towards the bottom of the Email, look for Share recording with viewers: [URL].
  3. Copy that URL and share it with others as desired, or put it into Canvas in your course.

If you do lose this email, you can retrieve the recording by:

  1. Go to https://psu.zoom.us/.
  2. Click the Sign In button.
  3. Log in via WebAccess if needed.
  4. Click on the recordings in the left navigation.
  5. Find the recording in the list presented.
  6. Click the Share button to the right of the recording name.
  7. Click the Copy to Clipboard button to copy the link.
  8. Share the link with others as desired.

Sharing Your Screen or PowerPoint Presentation

Sharing Your Screen or PowerPoint Presentation - Steps (Click to Expand)

  1. Move your mouse to the bottom of the Zoom window.
  2. On the control strip at the bottom of the window, click the Chat button to open the chat.
  3. On the control strip at the bottom of the window, click the Share Screen button.
  4. If you have multiple monitors, choose the monitor you will display your PowerPoint, web site, or other files.
  5. Your students will now see your screen as you see it.
  6. Activate your microphone by clicking the Microphone button. It should not have a slash through it when your audio is broadcast.

Creating a Zoom Room with PSU Authentication

By enabling this feature, meeting participants must enter a valid ‘@psu.edu’ email address in order to join your meeting. This decreases the likelihood of disruptive behavior taking place during your meeting while providing a reliable means to identify those who choose to act inappropriately.

Enable domain authentication for your account (do this once):

  1. Go to https://psu.zoom.us
  2. Click ‘Sign In’ and log in with your PSU credentials
  3. Click ‘Settings’
  4. Navigate to the ‘Only authenticated users can join meetings’ option
  5. Click the toggle button to enable the feature:

Enable domain authentication for your meeting (do this for each Meeting):

  1. Click ‘Meetings’
  2. Select one of your class meetings
  3. Click ‘Edit this Meeting’
  4. In ‘Meeting Options’ check the box next to ‘Only authenticated users can join’
  5. Ensure that ‘psu.edu users only’ is selected from the dropdown menu
  6. Click ‘Save’

Update Zoom

Note: Please update your version of Zoom periodically. Please limit your use of Zoom to critical live sessions as much as possible, to conserve bandwidth. Also, please consider turning off your video, and asking your students to do the same. This will also conserve bandwidth.

Common Zoom Mistakes

    • Failing to be logged in. The most common thing we see is people not logging into psu.zoom.us before starting a meeting. If you want to record a meeting, you MUST do that first even if you think you’re already logged into Zoom. If you don’t see a record button, then that’s probably why.
    • Forgetting to mute when prepping for the meeting and having conversations with other people in the house/room with you.

Forgetting to unmute when talking.

  • Failing to check the chat.
  • Not ensuring that the correct screen is being shared (by asking a participant). Remember that the green box will be around whatever screen is being shared.
  • Be sure to provide students with clear instructions, schedule, and policies about attending live sessions.
  • To take attendance in a Zoom session, use the chat feature by asking students to type their names.
  • It is suggested to record live sessions, so you can provide the recording to any students that might be absent due to illness.
  • Have your TA or assign a student the job to monitor the chat during discussions.
  • Realizing that not all students have webcams and microphones. For students who don’t have microphones, we recommend sharing the telephone number and instructions for dialing in. See the “Inviting by phone while in a meeting” instructions.

 

Don’t Be This Instructor!

Tweet about videoconference. Read below for more information.

Video Lecture Tweet

…our professor was 20 minutes into lecture before realizing

  1. he wasn’t sharing his slide
  2. he wasn’t recording the lecture
  3. he had his computer muted so he couldn’t hear us
  4. wasn’t checking the chat and
  5. had his phone on silent so the TAs couldn’t get ahold of him

hahaha

Additional Zoom Resources