Zoom works on three levels:

1. Account level, in your profile under "Settings":Here you can toggle on or off each function, such as Breakout Room, Nonverbal Feedback or Polls. This settings are valid for all meetings being started after you close the settings, not regarding when you planned them.
2. Planning level, in your meetings overview: Here you can turn on or off all relevant functions for this individual (recurring) meeting.
3. Live level, during a meeting: Here you can only use those function you toggled on before. All settings are valid only for this specific live meeting.

Recommended account settings

(Bold = particularly recommended) 

Audio type: computer audio
Mute participant when joining ON
Chat ON
Prevent participants from saving the chat ON
Private chat ON
Play sound OFF
Feedback to Zoom OFF
Poll for feedback OFF
Co-moderator ON
Polls ON
Screen transfer ON
1. all participants
2. host only
Annotation ON
Whiteboard ON
Remote control OFF
Feedback without words ON
Breakout room ON
Email notifications ALL OFF

Scheduling a meeting

In the menu on the far left of your screen click on "Meetings" and then click on "Plan a new meeting" (with a blue background). Now enter all the necessary data. You will, in most cases probably want to record a course that takes place on a weekly basis, thus with recurring dates throughout the semester.  You can therefore tick the box for "Recurring meeting" and enter the relevant information there. Finally you will need to save your meeting with the "Save" button at the bottom.

Instructions on scheduling a meeting

Inviting students to a meeting

When a meeting is created a link is generated. You will see a "Copy the invitation" option in your meetings view. You will receive a text template with the data and an access link that you can send to your students. Sending info on your course via OLAT is an useful option.

Instructions on inviting students to a meeting

Configuring the eligibility to participate

It is generally recommended that all students receive the link in order to participate in the live broadcasts. However, if you are concerned or suspect that other people are participating in your live broadcast via a forwarded link, you can set up a registration system in order to significantly reduce the likelihood of this happening.

Setting up your ZOOM registration

Conducting a live broadcast

To conduct a live broadcast, you should first plan the meeting in advance and send the invitation to the participants. Just before the meeting begins, click on "Meetings", on the far left of your Zoom account. Here you can see an overview of all your previously scheduled meetings. Click the "Start" button to the right of the relevant meeting entry. 

In the newly opened window, select "Share screen" and then "Share" at the bottom right. A live broadcast is now running, and you will notice that there is now a green border around your screen.

Instructions on screen-sharing during live broadcasts

Please note: Don’t use live conferencing for every facet of the course. Delivering new content is done best by a video recording. Use the live conferencing for highly interactive Q&A sessions to deepen the students` understanding of the content.

Recording a live broadcast

If you also want to record your live broadcast so that the students can access your course at any time, for example as a learning medium, you simply have to tick one additional box: when planning your event, where you also set the times, see at the bottom in the last line before the "Save" field, the text: "Automatically record the meeting on your computer". Tick this box. Now all of your live broadcasts for this course will be automatically recorded. Please note that converting the recording into a video file will take some time after your meeting has ended. Be sure to save the file in the suggested folder.

Instructions on how to automatically record meetings

Recording a meeting without participants

If you want to record a regular course, it is advisable to first schedule it as described above. Then make sure you tick the box for automatic recording, this ensures that no recording is lost and they are automatically saved with the correct name. Of course, you can choose not to send the link to the students. 

To record, start the respective meeting and give your lecture. PowerPoint and all other programs will work as usual. You can stop the recording just like a live broadcast by clicking on "stop". 

Furthermore, you can also start and record a meeting without any prior planning. To do this, hold the mouse arrow on the "Organize a meeting" option at the top right and select "With video switched off" from the dropdown menu. In the first window in which you select the image source, select "Record" in the bottom black line.

Video tutorial: Recording a Zoom Meeting

Please note: The video recording of your PowerPoint lecture will be more precise and thus shorter. Identify key topics that you want your students to learn and focus on those. Try to explain the key topics of a 90 minute lecture in less than 30 minutes when recording. Ideally, you can deepen the understanding of those topics in occasional live conferences, conducted as Q&A sessions, with your students.

Hints for recording with ZOOM

To create a precise recording without the need for editing the video aftrerwards, you can manually control the recording. Remove the option for automatic recording in your settings, and manually start, pause, and end the recording during the meeting.

Settings:

• Account / Meetings: In the overview over your meetings click on the title of the meeting you are planning to record. At the very bottom click on "Edit this meeting" and then on "All". Again, scroll down and untick the box next to "Record the meeting automatically on the local computer". Then click "Save".

Manual recording:

1. Start the recording: Start the Meeting as usual and the your screen. As soon as you are ready, move your mouse to the top of the screen and in the task panel click on "More". Then Click on "Record".
2. Pause the recording: Open the menu under "More" in the task panel and click on "Pause recording". To continue, click on "Continue Recording".
3. End the recording: End the meeting as usual.

Editing a video

The recording of a lecture does not always turns out perfectly. You may want to cut the beginning, the pause and/or the end. You can record your PPT lecture in advance or live via ZOOM. Use Camtasia video editing software to remove the beginning, end, and pause (Get your license from helpdeskremove-this.@remove-this.unilu.ch). Afterwards, you can upload your video to SWITCHtube and provide your students with a link via OLAT or moodle.

 

 

 

Application for Camtasia licence for private devices (German)

Factsheet ZOOM-Video mit Camtasia schneiden (German)

Video ZOOM-Video mit Camtasia schneiden (German)

Tutorials for Camtasia

Making a video available to students

Please name the created video file according to the following pattern: 

FS20_VL_NAME_ TITLE _JJJJMMTT_ADDITION 

Then either upload the file yourself to SWITCHtube or forward the file to the responsible person in your faculty, who will upload the video file to SWITCHtube and send you the corresponding link. You can then send this link to your students.

Invite your students to participate actively. The online environment is new to almost everyone, which makes it necessary to get used to both the technology as well as the new form of social interaction. As you can see your students only in a limited way and only via video, try using the interactive tools offered by ZOOM. Without the nonverbal communication of on-campus settings you can hardly judge your students` attention and understanding of the content. Include your students to use the chat function, and pay heed to their messages, and use the Nonverbal Feedback function frequently.

Students will also miss the social interaction on campus, both within and without the lectures and seminars. Make frequent use of the Breakot Rooms to offer students an opportunity, not only to discuss the lecture`s topic, but also to experience the various social interactions of university life. Encourage students to also meet via ZOOM outside of the lectures.

Offer your consultation hours via ZOOM. For this purpose, activate the function "Waiting Room" under Account/Settings.

Chances and obstacles to teaching via ZOOM are discussed in this concise blog entry, including best practice examples.

Chat

The best way to use chat is to activate the chat window and move it to the edge of the screen. By doing thi, all participants can read the chat. The lecturer can respond to the questions and comments in the chat. It is recommended that you discuss the use of the chat function with the students beforehand. As a lecturer, you can encourage them to ask their questions immediately via chat and thus you receive feedback as to whether you need to explain a topic in more detail.

Non-verbal feedback

In the participant window you will see some option at the bottom: Ticks, crosses, etc. These are handy to use for quick feedback. 

Green tick mark (yes) and red cross (no): you can ask the students a question, for example, ask if they agree or disagree with a particular statement. Students can then click on the tick or cross. You will then see a small number above these buttons that shows how many votes were cast for ‘yes’ and how many for ‘no’. This way you can quickly get an idea of the mood. 

Getting in touch: behind the grey circle with the three dots, participants have the option of raising their hand. Only participants, not the host, can see this option. As the host, you will be notified immediately if someone clicks this hand. This person is shown at the top of the participant window with one hand next to their name. When the participant window is closed, you will see a small pop-up window in the top right corner of the screen that someone has raised their hand. You can now look in the participant window to see who raised their hand, address this person and invite them to ask their question.

Non-verbal feedback

Polls

You can ask questions either during the preparation for an event or spontaneously during an ongoing meeting. Questions can be asked in multiple choice or single choice format. 

During preparation: in the menu view, in which you are planning a meeting, you can add surveys at the bottom. Here you can also choose whether the survey should be anonymous or not. During the meeting, start the survey by activating the survey field in the user interface, and selecting the relevant survey. 

Spontaneous: During a meeting, open this option in the user interface and follow the self-explanatory instructions. You can then start the survey and observe live, how the answers are chosen. This poll is anonymous, you can't see who is selecting what. You will see the results and can share them with everyone. Please note: the participants also see the first window in which you enter the question and the possible answers. You can use this directly for didactic purposes by giving the students time to think about the question, or by just writing the question and asking the students to name possible answers that can then be voted on.

Prepare questions and ask them during the live broadcast

Working in small groups: Breakout Rooms

You can simulate working in small groups during a live broadcast. To do this, activate the "Breakout room" function in your account settings before the session starts. This is the first option under "In Meeting (Advanced)". You have an option in the user interface under "More" in the dropdown menu titled "Breakout Room". There you can set how many rooms the participants should be divided into. The allocation is random, but you can also do this manually. You can set the time, visit groups, and the participants can also write to you. This function is also very suitable for a think-pair-share unit, for example.

Video-tutorial on breakout rooms

You can also pre-define set working groups before the session and for the entire semester. To do this, you have to select the option "Pre-select the breakout room" in the overview of your meeting and follow the steps.

FAQ: Pre-assigning participants to breakout rooms

Get Creative with Your Use of Breakout Rooms

... upload a video file to SWITCHtube?

Go to tube.switch.ch and log in. Then click on your name on the top right and then two fields further left on "Channels". This shows you the channels to which you can upload files. Most of the time, only one channel will be visible here, that of your faculty at the University of Lucerne. Select it with one click. Here you can see a grey "Upload Video" option at the bottom, click on this, and then on the blue "Add Video" option, and select the appropriate file from your folder. Please note: depending on the file size and internet connection, the upload may take a few minutes.

... bring PowerPoint and your chat window in line

When you switch to presentation mode in PPT, even the smallest possible ZOOM chat hides part of your presentation. There are two very simple solutions for this, choose one of them and tell your students how to do it: 

1. You want to see your PPT in full, the chat window is too annoying.

Solution: Reduce the PPT window to edit mode. Start it in read mode. 

To do this, click on the icon with the two consecutive squares (zoom out) in the top right corner. Do not start your presentation as usual, but click on the field at the bottom right that looks like an open book (reading view). The PPT then stays within this framework. As usual, the window size is adjusted using the mouse. Tell your students that they should also align the chat window so that it fills the area not taken up by your PPT.

Aligning your PowerPoint and chat window

2. The chat window doesn't bother you, but you want to enable students to see both the chat and the full PPT.

Tell your students that they should activate the "side by side mode" in their ZOOM menu during the meeting. You can then continue as usual.

Switching on the side by side mode as a participant

... interact with students in a lecture?

For this, ZOOM offers two very good, simple and quick options: written or oral.

Written: for this, the chat window, which you should ideally have open, is useful. However, the chat window will overlap part of your screen. (See the follow-up question of this FAQ list for a solution.)

Oral: With the "raise hand" option that the students have in their participant window (you do not see this function as the host), the raise hand is simulated in physical space. If someone clicks on "Raise hand", it will be displayed on the top right of your screen as a green bar with the text "XYZ has raised a hand". You can then respond directly to the question through the participant window by allowing the person to ask the question orally.

Both variants can be done anonymously if the students does not enter their real name but, for example, their matriculation number.

... simulate group work?

There is a "breakout room" function for this. Unlock this option in your account settings before the session begins. It is the first entry under Meetings (extended section). In the meeting, you will see the option "Breakout Session" in the dropdown menu under "More", in which you can set, in a new window, how many separate virtual group rooms the participants are divided into and whether they should be assigned automatically or manually. If you click on "Create Sessions", a new window will open, where you can use the "Options" field below to set the duration of the group work, countdown and other things. Clicking "Start all sessions" starts the virtual group room. 

... allow students to give a presentation?

Use the "Co-Moderator" function for this. Unlock the function before the meeting begins in your account settings, which can be found under "In meeting (basics)". During the meeting, open the participant window and hold the mouse arrow over the correct person. You will now see two new options. In the dropdown menu under "More" there is the option "Co-Moderator". This allows this person to share their screen and give a presentation. At the end of the presentation, you as host can revoke the right and share your own screen again by clicking on "New release".

... teach in pairs (co-teaching)?

You can do this with the "Co-Moderator" option. Unlock this in your account settings under "In Meeting (Basics)" before the meeting. You can then select the person from the participant window and click the "Co-Moderator" field under "More". This person can now share their screen and (with slightly limited options) lead the meeting. As a host, you can revoke the rights at any time. 

Another option is to appoint a person to be the "host". In doing so, you assign all rights to that person, but you can still withdraw the host appointment at any time without the appointed host’s consent. 

... share my PowerPoint but not my email window or others?

At the beginning of a meeting under "Share screen" or in the current meeting under "New share" (always the green rectangle with the black arrow), do NOT select the field on the top left "Screen", but one of the fields in the lower lines. You can see all the windows that you currently have open on your computer, in thumbnail view, for example PowerPoint. If you now switch to another window during the transfer, your students will still only see your PowerPoint.

A video can be used as a learning tool regardless of time and place, it can be viewed faster or slower or even repeatedly, and thus can be used flexibly by the students according to individual learning preferences. But only when a video is embedded in the entire course does the potential of a learning video really unfold. In view of the sudden corona situation, the mere presentation of videos is of course a very good step, which everyone involved is happy about. If you also find time to deal with videos, you can find step-by-step instructions for the move from video to educational video here.

The basics: Recording a PowerPoint lecture

Do you want to record a PowerPoint lecture as a video? You don't have to use Zoom for this, it's much easier to use PowerPoint itself. First, create your PowerPoint presentation as usual. Then select the "Record slide show" button in the "Slide Show" tab. Now give your lecture orally as if you were giving it to an actual audience. Then save the file with "Save As" in mp4 file format. 

Did you set up your PowerPoint lecture for a 90-minute lecture? For the video, it makes a lot of sense if you divide the lecture into subject sections, i.e. create a separate video for each topic. For example, a 90-minute lecture could result in four videos (depending on what makes sense). This makes creating the videos easier for you, the file smaller for uploading, and gives students the benefit of being able to access videos that are easier to use for learning. Simply divide your PPT presentation into corresponding sections, which you save under a suitable name, and now talk your way through these PPT files.

Advanced: Inverted Classroom Model

Now add tasks to the finished video that the students can work on whilst watching, or after watching the video. For example, you can ask questions in advance that can be answered by the students in text form whilst watching the video. Students can work out an outline for their lecture or write a summary. You can find examples of the topic discussed from your own life perspective or references to current events. You can also critically question the statements made, compare them with another position, develop further questions yourself.

So you have already provided your input in video format and added well thought-out tasks to these videos. What do you do now in the presence phase or during the live broadcast? Use the valuable time together to deepen the content! Ask the students what was most difficult for them and start there. Go beyond this in individual points that were well understood by everyone, increase the level of difficulty and accompany the students in these tasks. Give the students space to discuss and work out solutions together.

Expert: Create interactive videos with H5P

As a next step for the future, but also to give you an idea of what is further possible with a video: H5P can be used to create didactically very well-founded learning videos with comparatively little effort. For example, you can include questions in the video that automatically pause the video and have to be answered first: if the answer is correct, the video continues, if the answer is incorrect, the video jumps back to the point where the question is explained. These and many other interactions, integrated into the video, are possible with H5P. You are welcome to contact the Zentrum.Lehreremove-this.@remove-this.unilu.ch if you are interested to learn more.