Documentation:VSE Zoom

What is Zoom?

Zoom is a lightweight browser or application-based video-conferencing tool, designed for online lectures, meetings, and other kinds of learning environments. It allows an instructor to create a live broadcast session, in which they can share content, audio, and video with large numbers of students using a simple web link. It also has tools which allow for video, audio, or text chat, iClicker-like pollings, and breakout groups. It is very similar to Skype, or Collaborate Ultra, but has a few key differences.

Important Update as of August 24, 2020: UBC has now integrated Zoom into Canvas. Some of the guidance below has changed.

What do I need to use Zoom?

Figure 0: A good desk set-up for broadcasting using Zoom

Since Zoom can run through a web browser or a small application, you can give an effective lecture with only a microphone and a reliable internet connection and computer. This is can be accomplished with just a regular laptop, if it has a decent quality webcam - for example, a Microsoft Surfacebook, or MacBook work well.

Note: The browser-based Zoom works best in Google Chrome. If you are having browser issues (particularly using Safari on Mac), try switching browsers.

However, to most closely match the experience of lecturing in person (and get the most out of Zoom) I recommend having a set-up that includes (see Figure 0):

A reliable internet connection (Item 2, in Figure 0: a wired connection is more reliable than WiFi)
A microphone and headphones (Items 3 and 5: a set of headphones (Item 5), to minimize audio feedback, and a microphone built-into a webcam (Item 3))
A good quality webcam (Item 3: a webcam with both audio and video).
A computer set up with two monitors (Items 1 and 4, in Figure 0: Item 1 is a Microsoft Surfacebook, which allows for pen annotation using a stylus. Item 4 is a regular monitor, for the webcast controls.)

This is especially useful if your set-up includes a tablet-like display, such as an iPad, Microsoft Surface, document camera, or Wacom tablet which allows you to make free-hand annotations. This will allow you to use the primary monitor to control the webcast, and the secondary monitor to display and annotate content.

As an alternative to annotating slides, you can also point your webcam at a whiteboard or use it like a document camera by pointing it at a pad of paper.

What are the major differences between Zoom and Collaborate Ultra?

If you're already familiar with Collaborate Ultra, you will probably find Zoom very similar. There are a few differences, which are both pros and cons:

Zoom has a different layout for the controls than Collaborate Ultra (but most of the same controls and tools; see below)
Zoom does not support uploading and sharing files, only screen sharing; Collaborate Ultra supports both.
Zoom has better bandwidth and can support more concurrent video feeds (and higher resolution) than Collaborate Ultra.
Zoom allows you to save or store the "whiteboard" while Collaborate Ultra does not
Zoom has better recording options than Collaborate Ultra (but not by much)
You can pre-define breakout groups in Zoom, while you cannot do so in Collaborate Ultra
You can pre-create polls in Zoom, while you cannot do so in Collaborate Ultra
You can meet with people outside a class context using Zoom, while you cannot do so in Collaborate Ultra.
Zoom requires students to download and run the Zoom Client, while Collaborate Ultra is in-browser.

There are few other differences, but for most teaching activities the above are the most important. As you can probably see, there's no clear "best" option; both have their pros and cons. You can find a very detailed comparison of the two systems on Science Skylight's AV support page.

As of August 24, Zoom is now integrated into Canvas, which handles most of the authentication issues.

How do I set up Zoom?

Zoom can be set up as a stand-alone product then integrated into Canvas, which runs through an application and web portal. The process to set up your Zoom account is as follows:

Have UBC IT set up a UBC Zoom account for you

- Tip: don't use a personal or free Zoom account; the UBC version has more features, and is supported by UBC IT.

Configure your Zoom account using the Zoom Web Portal
Create or schedule a meeting
Broadcast

It's also a good idea to run some test sessions, and get used to the user interface so you feel more comfortable using Zoom.

Create a UBC Zoom Account

You can't sign up for a UBC Zoom account on your own; you need to have the AV helpdesk do it for you.

Send them an email at av.helpdesk@ubc.ca with and include:
- The name of the course (or courses) you want to use Zoom with (and if they are larger than 300 students)
- Your UBC email address (your.name@ubc.ca)
- Your faculty
- Your department (or school)

After you've sent them an email, they'll send you a ticket, then after a couple of days you'll receive a confirmation email which will ask you to activate your Zoom account.

Follow the instructions in this email to create a Zoom account
- Note: your Zoom account is not tied to your UBC CWL, so don't reuse your passwords!
This will then prompt you to also download and install the Zoom Client (a local application to help schedule and run meetings); do this
- If it doesn't prompt you to do so, you can download [www.zoom.us/download the latest Zoom client here].
Log into the Zoom Client using your email and password.

You're now set-up with a UBC Zoom account; the next step is to configure your account and your settings.

Configure your Zoom Account

There are two ways to do this, either via the Zoom Client application or the Web Portal. We recommend using the Web Portal, since it offers you a more complete set of options than the application. You can access the Web Portal by visting zoom.us/profile and logging in with your password and email.

First, make sure you change your profile picture and name, so that people will be able to recognize you even if your camera is not on.
Next, configure your account by clicking on settings. We recommend enabling or choosing the following settings:

Under the Security and Schedule Meeting settings:

Require a password when scheduling new meetings: on
Require a password for participants joining by phone: on
Embed password in invite link for on-click join: on
- You may want to turn this off if you circulate your Zoom invitation publicly, or believe it may be.
Enable personal meeting ID: on
Mute participants upon entry: on

Under the In Meeting (Basic) settings:

Chat: on
Private chat: on
- You may also want to enable "auto-saving chats" if you rely on the chat for judging participation
Co-host: on
Polling: on
Always show meeting control toolbar: on
Screen sharing: on but set to Host only
Whiteboard: on and allow saving of whiteboard content
Non-verbal feedback: on
Allow participants to rename themselves: on

Under In Meeting (Advanced):

Breakout room: on and check allow host to..."
Closed captioning: on
Save captions: on
Virtual background: on and allow use of videos enabled
Identify guest participants in the meeting/webinar: on
Use HTML format email for Outlook plugin: on

Under email notifications, you can choose in which cases you'd like to receive emails; I usually enable all of these. Finally, under Other, enable "Blur snapshot on iOS task switcher."

As you can see, there are a very large number of settings in Zoom. You can tweak some of them, to help you manage your course as you would like, but this should be a good basis for getting started. You can also change many of these within your Zoom Client or within a meeting itself; but it's best to arrange this ahead of time.

Canvas Integration

To enable Zoom in Canvas, go to "Settings > Navigation" then drag Zoom to the top section of the menu, then save. A "Zoom" item on the side-bar will now appear. This sidebar will allow you to schedule meetings for your course, and students can access the meeting by clicking on the Zoom menu item.

This section also displays the cloud recording manager for Zoom, where you can publish or hide cloud lecture recordings.

Schedule a Zoom Meeting

You can create Zoom meeting either by using the Canvas, the Web Portal, or the Zoom Client; the only real difference is that the Web Portal and Canvas allow you to add polls directly, while the Client does not.

Using the Web Portal:

On the sidebar, select "Meetings" then "Schedule a New Meeting"
This will bring up a window where you can add details about your meeting (including date and time), and tweak any settings.
- Note: the setting will default to the choice made above, but you can also change them individually for each meeting
You can also create a recurring meeting (for example, a lecture) which will use the same invitation link and password
You can also designate alternative hosts, you can control the meeting if you're not present (e.g. a TA or colleague)
Once you're happy with your meeting, hit "Save" and your meeting will be scheduled.

This will then bring you to the Meeting management page, where you can see all the details of your meeting. The most important part is the invitation link: you provide this to individuals in order to join your meeting.

If you scroll to the bottom, there is a section which says "Add polls"; this is where you can create iClicker-like polls (see below for details).

Using Canvas:

All of your Zoom meetings are in the Zoom menu item, once it is enabled:

Click "Schedule a New Meeting" on the top
All of the next steps are the same as above under "Using the Web Portal"

Using the Zoom Client:

If you're using the desktop Zoom client, the process is a little different.

Open the Zoom Client application, then click "Schedule"
This will bring up a window where you can add your details, like in the Web Portal, and tweak settings (under Advanced Options)
You can also create a recurring meeting (for example, a lecture) which will use the same invitation link and password
You can also designate alternative hosts, you can control the meeting if you're not present (e.g. a TA or colleague)
Once you're happy with your meeting, hit "Schedule" and your meeting will be scheduled.

This will then bring up a Zoom invitation window, where you can see all your meeting details. You can also now see this meeting in the Zoom Web Portal (and add polls, as above).

Regardless of which method you used, once you're happy with your meeting, you're ready to go. Click on the invitation link, or hit "start Meeting" to begin your Zoom meeting.

How do I broadcast using Zoom?

Once you have joined the meeting, the main meeting window will open in the Zoom application. In Zoom, all of the meeting controls (called "Host Controls") are located along the bottom of your window. You can find Zoom's guide to host controls here, which has a video walkthrough. Going from left-to-right:

Mute/unmute audio: which enables or disables your microphone.
- The small arrow lets you select a microphone, test your microphone, and configure other microphone-related settings.
Show/hide video: which enables or disables your webcam
- The small arrows lets you change webcams, configure video settings, and display a virtual background (which hides your background).
Security: which allows you to enable or disable different security features, such as allowing participant to share their screen.
Participants: which shows or hides the participants sidebar, which lists all of the individuals in a meeting (see below).
- This also shows non-verbal communication tools, which appear in this tabe
Chat: which shows or hides the chat tab (this nests with the participants tab if both are open).
Share Screen: which allows you to share an application or screen on your computer
- The small arrows allows you to configure screen sharing settings
Record: which allows you to record a copy of the meeting to your PC.
Reactions: which allows students (or you!) to display non-verbal reactions on their profile card
More: which includes breakout rooms and polls (see below)

The most important are the audio and video controls, and then the "share screen" options. Enabling audio and video will allow you to chat with students (and see you!), while the share screen options will allow you to share content (like slides, etc.) with students.

How do I Share Content Using Zoom?

All content sharing in Zoom is done using the "Share Screen" button; this allows you to share an application or monitor attached to your computer to your Zoom meeting, like a video feed. For example, if you wanted to share some slides, you would open the the slides on your PC, then share the screen with the slide output with your students. When you click "Share Screen" it will bring up a set of options, both basic and advanced. On the basic tab, you will see (i) all of the screens attached to your PC, (ii) a whiteboard option, (iii) an iPhone/iPad option, and (iv) a lot of all the windows you currently have option on your PC. On the advanced tab, you will see options for a portion of your screen, a secondary camera, and audio only.

The screen options will share your entire screen, including your PC user interface and any applications open on this PC. This is similar to connecting to a projector, in a second.
(Recommended) The window options (for each window) will ONLY share that window, and your mouse pointer interacting with it
We will discuss the Whiteboard and iPhone/iPad options below

We recommend the window option, since you're less likely to accidentally share something you didn't want to, but a second screen works very well too. Once you've chosen what you want to share, hit "Share". You will see the content being display on your PC in a green outline, and a red "stop sharing" icon above. The main Zoom interface may become smaller (if you've enabled that feature). Your students can now see the different content.

Using the Zoom Whiteboard

Zoom has an integrated "drawing" whiteboard, which allows you (and/or your students) to draw and annotate on a white screen. This can be used as a tool for student engagement, or for sketching (if you have a PC or tablet that supports drawing). Basic drawing controls are at the top of the whiteboard, including the option to save the results and erase material.

iPad/iPhone Sharing

One excellent feature of Zoom is integrated iPad/iPhone screen sharing, without requiring either an adapter or an external application.

Make sure your iPhone/iPad is on the same WiFi network as your PC, and neither is behind a VPN
Select "iPhone/iPad" sharing; this will bring up a screen with instructions
- Note: the first time you launch this, it may prompt you to install a plugin.
On your iPhone/iPad, select screen mirroring from the control center, and then your Zoom device as the target

This will display exactly what is on your iPhone/iPad to the audience as content; you can use this with an Apple pencil like a document camera, or annotate slides using your favourite application.

Advanced Sharing

The main use for advanced sharing is the "secondary camera" option - which is designed for a document camera. If you've got a document camera, or have rigged up a homemade one using a basic web camera, this is the way to share this content without replacing your main video feed.

Who do I Interact with Students Using Zoom?

Zoom has several different features for interacting with students. The two main ones are the chat and the non-verbal interaction tools.

Using the chat, students can talk with your or with one another; for example if they have questions or want to discuss
They can also click on the "reactions" on the main control menu, or on the non-verbal communication in the participant menu to send feedback; you can see these on their Zoom profiles or in the participants window.

This are an effective way to interact with students online. You can also use the partipants menu to unmute students, if they have a question; hover over their name, and select "unmute".

Using Zoom Polls

Zoom has a built-in iClicker-like system which allows you to create multiple choice style questions, then pose them to the audience. You can only create these via the Web Portal, by selecting your meetings, editing it, then click on "add Polls".

You can find a detailed guide and video walk-through here.
You can also save the poll results; but note that the responses will be based on the names of your Zoom meeting participants.
You can create polls ahead of time and upload them as a CSV via the web portal or Canvas interface

Using Breakout Rooms

Zoom also allows you to create breakout rooms, which are little mini-meetings with a subset of the student in each meeting. This allows for small, in-group discussions or other activities.

You can find a detailed guide and video walk-through here.
Groups can be either pre-defined, using the option in the Web Portal interface before the meeting, created manually, or created automatically using random assignment

It's generally a good idea to have a TA help out if you're using breakout rooms extensively in your sessions.

Recording Using Zoom

Zoom offers two different recording options: to your personal computer, or (if using Canvas) to the cloud. The quality of both recordings are very similar.

Cloud recordings are automatically processed and can be streamed from the Zoom menu item in Canvas
Select the "cloud recordings" tab in the Zoom menu item to access and manage your recordings.
To make them visible to students, switch the toggle to "Publish"
Recordings take some time to process; Zoom will send you an email once it is ready
Note that you (and students) can download the recordings from the cloud

If you record to your computer, Zoom will place a recording on your computer (usually under your documents > Zoom; you can find the location in the Zoom app under Settings > Recordings). You can then edit or upload this file to the service of your choosing.

Overall

Zoom is a powerful webconferencing tool, which strikes a good balance between ease-of-use, flexibility, and teaching tools. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like some help.

You can email questions to jonathan.graves@ubc.ca or we can arrange an online or in-person tutorial. Let me know!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my TAs use Zoom for office hours, labs, or tutorials?

Yes, but you will have to schedule the meetings for your TAs unless they have your own Zoom account. In order to let them host the meetings, add them as "Alternative Hosts" when you set up your account.

When I try to set up a camera (or microphone), it doesn't work

For example, if you get a grey screen with a crossed out camera (or microphone) symbol. This indicates that Zoom can't detect or manage the device properly. First, try to restart your computer. If you have another camera (or microphone) you can use, try that instead. Finally, try uninstalling the device drivers, then reinstalling them. You might want to contact Arts ISIT for help with this!

Can I use Zoom on an iPad?

Yes! The interface is a little different, but you can do it. Try checking out Zoom's guide to host controls for iPad. For lecturing, iPads work best as a secondary device (where you draw or share slides) rather than as a main device.

How can I test my set-up?

Just schedule an individual meeting and test it out yourself. You can even join the meeting on another device (e.g. your phone) to test it out from a student's perspective as well.