Zoom

Zoom offers communications software for teachers' that combines video lecturing, online sessions, chat, and mobile collaboration. Zoom is available for all staff members and students at Aalto University.

You can use Zoom with either Zoom client software or from webportal (aalto.zoom.us). We recommend to take Zoom client software into use and sign in with your Aalto SSO credentials. For teaching purposes, we recommend to create Zoom session via MyCourses course workspace: Create a teaching session with Zoom in MyCourses.

1. Zoom components:

2. Zoom basics:

Before session checklist

Zoom includes different roles

Host - Session creator "The Boss"	Alternative host	Co-host	Participant
Starts a session	Starts the session instead of host	Manages participants	Enjoying the ride
Edits settings of a session	Has co-host rights during session in case the session creator is hosting.	Monitors chat
Facilitates breakout rooms		Facilitates breakout rooms (Sign-in + Zoom application needed)
Defines alternative host before session		Presenter / performer
Gives rights to co-hosts during session

HOST - Tech checklist

Tech-check

• Mute your phone

• Video and audio settings

• Network (Min. 2Mbit/s upstream)

• Presentation materials open and ready

• Zoom polls added for the session, if wanted

• Preassigned breakout rooms added for the session, if wanted

• Additional platforms ready

• Presemo etc.

• Coordination with co-hosts

Security check

• Passcode

• Waiting rooms

• Registration

• Sign-in Zoom

Deliver rules of the session to the participants

• Camera on/off
• Mute mic if not talking
• Dress up as if in classroom
• Check your environment. What others will see / hear of you?
• Check your tech ready (Video and audio settings, network, electricity)
• Do you use screen sharing? Hide unnecessary browser tabs, desktop, e-mails, mute notifications
• Is session recorded? If yes, then advice how to anonymize oneself if wanted

In the session checklist

Options	Checklist
Security	Lock session if you do not want students or other uninvited guests to show up late. Disable screen sharing while students are in a big room. Disable "students are allowed to rename themselves" during the session. Or enable, in case they want to anonymize themselves during recorded session.
Participants	You can mute and unmute all.
Chat	You can select with whom students can chat. You, everyone or both?
Share screen	You can select that only one can share screen.
Record	You can record the session by pressing the record button but remember to ask students for consent to record the session.
Breakout rooms	Breakout rooms are Zoom’s own small groups. You can automatically divide participants in up to 50 breakout rooms. Alternatively you can pre-assign rooms and participants in advance in the aalto.zoom.us web portal.
Reactions	With participant reactions you can activate audience with extempore votes and polls.
Polls

During screen sharing

While you prepare to share your screen, we recommend you to “Disable Annotation for Others” by clicking More (…) button after screen sharing. Disabling annotation will help the session go smoothly without any unwanted writings on the screen.

Checklist – Recording

Auto recording option in the session settings
Hide video panel
Share computer sound if you play media with sound (videos)
Use “normal” size monitor
16:10 or 16:9 for screen sharing
Upload to the Panopto.aalto.fi and share link or embed on a webpage

After session checklist

AFTER SESSION

• End the session by pressing the red "End" button in Zoom window. Choose "End meeting for all participants".

• If you want to see how many students participated in the session, you can check it from Usage Reports from your aalto.zoom.us web portal.

• If you have recorded your session, you can upload and edit the recording in Panopto. You can share the recording from Panopto via link or embed it to your course page in MyCourses.

3. Case studies:

Case 1: Online and in-person lecture simultaneously

HYBRID CLASSROOM

Simple setup for teaching sessions where some of the participant's are onsite and some online.

Create the usual Zoom meeting for the session.
Run and host Zoom session from the presentation laptop or AV-computer of the classroom.
Attach a smartphone on a lightweight tripod
Connect wireless Bluetooth speakerphone (Jabra Speak 510 or similar) to the smartphone
Join the Zoom session with the smartphone and (re)name that participant as "Mobile Camera".
Use the "Mobile Camera" participant microphone/speaker as an audio source for the session by keeping that microphone and speaker open during the session and the presentation laptop/AV-computer microphone and speaker muted.
Run your session. You can turn the smartphone to point to the presenter or where ever the onsite participant's attention is pointed. Also, bring the Bluetooth microphone close to the speaker at all times so that online participants can hear clearly. If questions or comments are coming from the onsite audience and you cannot move the microphone there, repeat it aloud before answering or commenting. It is a good idea to have a co-host assisting you with these tasks if you need to concentrate on running the session.

Image about the setup for hybrid classroom teaching session

4. Guidelines, templates and tips:

Example message for the students before the Zoom meeting

You can use this example message as a template. Send an message to the students before the first Zoom teaching session, so that everybody knows the "rules" for the meeting beforehand. Edit the message to fit your needs.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Welcome to the Zoom teaching session!

You can join the Zoom session from the provided link. For the Aalto users, it is recommended that you install the Zoom application in advance. See for instructions:

https://www.aalto.fi/fi/palvelut/zoom-pikaopas (FI)

https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/zoom-quick-guide (EN)

The laptop/desktop computer works best for the session, but joining with mobile is also manageable. Headphones with the microphone can, in many cases, improve audio coverage.

When you join the Zoom session, first turn off the microphone and turn on the video camera (lower-left hand corner of the screen).

The meeting host shall give the floor. When you want to comment, raise your virtual hand. (Raise hand -function) or use the chat.
When you don't have the floor, keep the microphone muted.
Keep your comments concise.
Focus on the meeting. Don't do anything else at the same time if the meeting is intended to be interactive. We're taking breaks for everything else.
If you want, you can choose a virtual background for your video so that other participants don't see your surrounding space.

First, we'll take a short introduction round and, at the same time, test the sound coverage.

The speaker can share his/her desktop view with others. Any participant can do this as needed.

Meeting online is more exhausting than an IRL encounter. We take breaks and shorten the online meetings. Work continues on MyCourses or on other remote platforms.

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Guidelines for using the breakout rooms

Before sending the students to breakout rooms, it is good to:

Ask students to keep cameras on in breakout rooms, even if they are used to having them off in the lecture. That will increase interaction. Provide advice about the virtual background feature to give them the option to prevent seeing their surroundings.
Tell them about the learning objective.
Motivate the students to participate. Everyone should have a feeling that they can contribute to the common goal and learn something at the same time by doing this as a group.
Include clear instructions on what your students are supposed to do, how many students are in each group, how much time they have for the discussion, what they need to report back to the class and how much time they have to do so.
Tell them what happens after the breakout rooms i.e. how will you continue with the subject.
Either assign or have students select roles, at least chair/reporter and note taker. Rotate the roles during the course.
Tell them that you or one of the other teachers will come to visit the groups and tell them to use ask for help -function if they need it.

Keep the groups small, maybe 3 to 4 students (depending on the task and the total amount of students). That allows each student to contribute to the discussion. Think length of the time; The longer the time the more likely they are to leave, but think also of the task, so that it is possible to finish in the given time.

Also, if this is a part of recurring series of meetings, should the groups be the same as in previous group works. Keeping the same groups can help group work efficiency and lower the social stress of the students.