This guide will help users to conduct basic navigation and actions within a Zoom meeting. It discusses the features available to meeting hosts and what options may be available to enhance your future meetings.
Audio and Visual:
Audio Settings:
1. Select a microphone: Any audio input devices will be available here. This can include dedicated microphones, webcam microphones, or integrated microphones.
2. Select a speaker: Any audio output devices will be available here. This can include integrated or external speakers, headsets, and bluetooth devices (like earbuds).
3. Audio options: Allows participants to test audio equipment, change their audio to a phone via the meetings call in number (if available), and to set audio settings like volume, certain quality settings, and anything specific to your audio input/output device.
Video Settings: The video settings will allow you to select a camera device (integrated, external, or located within a room or on a desk etc.). You can also select different background images (either stock Zoom images or ones you provide) including blurring the background. The option to add certain "fun" filters are also available. These behave much like they do on popular social media platforms. The video settings will allow you to adjust lighting and other options specific to your camera device.
Zoom Security Settings:
4. Zoom security settings: Allows a host or co-host to enable the waiting room, which requires that participants be admitted to a meeting. It can also be used to send disruptive users into a "timeout" if you do not wish to banish them from the meeting entirely. The meeting can also be locked, which will prevent any additional participants from entering. This can be set to on or off by the host. The option to hide profile pictures is also present if they are inappropriate for the setting. The "waiting room" option is a standard security option and is recommended for all meetings.
5. Participants rights: Hosts can customize the rights a participant has. They can restrict chat options, the ability to change their names, unmute themselves or start their video. Screen sharing is often disabled by default for participants but can be enabled if desired. It is recommended that participants are given as few rights as possible to minimize disruptions. If necessary, all participant rights can be removed by selecting the "Suspend Participant Activities" option.
Participants:
Additional options are available in the "participants" window.
Hosts may enable or disable audio and video settings for participants by selecting the appropriate icon next to a participant's name. Hosts cannot force a participant to turn on their camera unless they agree to it. Hosts can also invite additional participants at any time or mute all participants. The "3 dots" icon offers additional options. Audio options such as mute or unmute all is available, along with the ability to give this permission to participants on their own. Enabling the waiting room or locking a meeting are also available here. An audible tone can be played if someone joins or leaves a meeting, however this feature is not often used as it is considered distracting to many.
Polling:
Polling options can be setup ahead of time in the Zoom web interface at https://zoom.us.
Chat Features:
Meetings of several options for chat. Participants can either chat with everyone, with hosts/co-hosts or with no one. Hosts must determine which level of chat is appropriate for their meeting.
Participants can chat with the entire meeting, hosts and co-hosts, or individual participants. If the "3 dot" button is selected then a host can determine what chat access level a participant has. This is a global setting for all participants who are not assigned either the "host" or "co-host" role.
Screen Sharing:
By default, only a host can share their screens with the meeting. This can be changed however.
By selecting the "up" arrow icon, a host can set who has sharing permissions. This can either be only the host or everyone. The permissions cannot be further customized by a participant. The host can also set if multiple people can share at the same time, however this is not common.
Other Features:
6. Record: Give the host the option to record the meeting. This can be set before the meeting begins or during the meeting. The host is presented with the option to send to Zoom cloud or to their local computer. Zoom cloud recordings at FSU are retained for 180 days unless migrated to Panopto. A notification of a recording is sent to all participants upon enabling this feature.
7. Live Transcript: Information on live transcripts can be found here.
8. Breakout Rooms: Hosts can configure "mini-meetings" by using breakout rooms. These are sub-meetings that participants can be placed in to have small group discussions or to enable additional presentations for a subset of the meetings participants. Can be configured during or before a meeting begins. **Not available in Zoom Webinar**
9. Support: Allows for remote support from an external source. Feature is not enabled for most FSU users.
10. Reactions: Graphics or other visual cues that convey certain emotions or ideas without using a microphone or camera. Often used as a less disruptive way to indicate approval or disapproval to participants.
Further questions or comments can be directed to the Technology Resource Center at myit.framingham.edu, IT@framingham.edu or 508-215-5906.