How to Use Zoom for Online Teaching

Zoom can be a practical way to move a class online. Use it for live teaching, class discussion, screen sharing, and recording. Before you begin, decide which parts of your course work best in live sessions and which parts can happen asynchronously.

Table of Contents

• Before You Begin
• Using Zoom to Teach Online
• Advanced Features for Teaching in Zoom
• Sharing Zoom Best Practices with Students

Before You Begin

• Set priorities. Online teaching is different from face-to-face teaching. Decide what belongs in a live Zoom session and what can move to another tool. For example, you may want to use the Discussions tool in Canvas instead of holding every discussion in Zoom.
• Use tools you already know. Start with tools you are comfortable using. Only add a new tool if you need it or if you feel ready to learn it.
• Communicate right away. Tell students as soon as the class format changes. Canvas Announcements and the Canvas Inbox are simple ways to reach everyone. Let students know where they should expect updates. If email will be your main method, say so clearly. Also explain how the course structure will change.
• Check your equipment. Zoom works well from a quiet office or other quiet space. Most laptops have built-in cameras and microphones. Many desktop computers need a separate camera and microphone. Logitech is generally a good choice if you or your department need to buy a webcam with an included microphone.

Using Zoom to Teach Online

Before you teach with Zoom, practice with the meeting link you plan to use, or join this Test Meeting. If you have not used Zoom before, it will prompt you to install the app the first time you click a meeting link. You can also download Zoom anytime from Zoom's Download Center.

Practice the Basics

Use these steps to test the main parts of a Zoom class before you meet with students:

1. Join the meeting and choose Join computer audio.
2. Click Test speaker and microphone.
3. Confirm that you can hear audio.
4. Confirm that your microphone works.
5. Mute and unmute your microphone with the microphone icon in the lower-left corner.
6. Turn your camera on and off with the camera icon next to the microphone icon.
7. Share your screen to show a PowerPoint, a Canvas or Sakai course page, a website, or other class materials.
8. Mute all participants if you are teaching a large class.
9. Record the meeting by clicking Record and then Record in the cloud under More (•••) on the right side of the toolbar.
10. Share the recording after Zoom finishes processing it and the file transfers to Panopto.

If you plan to record, make sure you are logged in to Zoom before you start. If you are not, you may see this message when you click Record: "Please request recording permission from the meeting host."

You can also use Zoom as a way to pre-record your lectures if meeting in person is not required or not possible. Join the meeting, press record, teach, and send the link to your students after you receive the email from Zoom. Zoom will begin processing the recording. When processing is complete, the recording will automatically transfer to Panopto. This usually takes 1 to 2 hours.

After the recording is imported, Panopto makes it easier to organize and share. Panopto also helps viewers find content with Smart Search, video thumbnails, and a transcript they can use to move through the recording.

Advanced Features for Teaching in Zoom

Once you are comfortable with the basics, consider these features to make class more active and engaging:

• Breakout Rooms: Split the class into smaller groups for think-pair-share activities and small-group work. Zoom supports up to 50 breakout sessions.
• Annotating the Screen: Use annotation tools to draw on a shared screen or whiteboard. The feature is enabled across all accounts. You can also use Spotlight as a laser pointer so students can follow your mouse more easily.
• Polling: Use polls to ask simple multiple-choice questions and keep students engaged. The meeting creator, usually the instructor, must enable this feature.
• Non-Verbal Feedback: Let students communicate without interrupting class. For example, Raise Hand places a hand icon next to a student's name. The meeting creator can enable this feature.

Sharing Zoom Best Practices with Students

Do not assume students already know how to use Zoom in a class setting. Many have used video chat tools with friends and family, but web conferencing for class is different.

• Remind students to download and install the Zoom app before the first class meeting.
• Share the Zoom Student Guide with your students. You may download and adapt it.
• Give students a short tour of the Zoom interface during the first class session. Show them how to mute and unmute themselves.
• Decide whether students must keep their cameras on for the full class or may turn them off. Make that expectation clear at the first meeting.
• Remind students to think about what appears behind them when their camera is on, including other people who may appear in the background without realizing it.
• Show students how to get your attention. In small classes, some instructors ask students to raise a hand on camera. Others ask students to unmute and speak. In larger classes, Zoom's nonverbal feedback buttons may work better.
• Demonstrate how students can maintain eye contact by looking at their camera, not their screen.
• Set clear rules for using the Chat box. Consider disabling private chat unless you want students to send one-to-one messages to other students.

Suggested titles:

• Teaching Online with Zoom
• Zoom Guide for Online Classes
• How to Use Zoom for Online Teaching