UCEM will be using Zoom to conduct webinars from Spring 2019.
Zoom software provides many additional features and has a si
mpler user interface than the Blackboard Collaborate that has previously been used.
Zoom Help Center Video Tutorials are a great way to learn about Zoom features.
***To avoid issues during webinar hosting ***
Before you attempt to start your session from the VLE using the link, start the Zoom application from the Start menu on your device. If you are required (usually Zoom remembers you) use your Zoom login details to login. Zoom will display your account name and should have “Pro” against it if you click the Profile image in the top right corner. IT Services will be able to help install Zoom on your computer if it is not already installed.
Activate Zoom Account
Students can enter a webinar rooms 15mins prior to a session starting, but as the host our tutors are recommended to join the webinar earlier and prepare for hosting it. To host a UCEM webinar, you will need to activate your Zoom account. Even if you have previously used Zoom with a private account, you will still need to activate your account to access UCEM institutional subscription. Activating your Zoom account video will guide you through this process.
Zoom terminology may seem confusing at first but remember UCEM webinar is a Zoom meeting. Zoom Meetings allow your participants to actively take part in the session as opposed to Zoom Webinar, which is almost like a one-way broadcast. We will not be using Zoom Webinars at UCEM hence any session we hold at UCEM is a Zoom Meeting.
Zoom Controls
Please follow this Zoom Meeting Controls guide to get yourself familiarised with the Zoom Controls.
Recording a Webinar
Zoom allows two options for recording a webinar. However, at UCEM we have only enabled Cloud Recording as this option generates an automatic transcript which improves material accessibility.
Sharing Content (Screen)
Zoom provides many features to share content. Unlike Blackboard Collaborate where you only had static images of PowerPoint slides, Zoom allows you to use animations and other features in your PowerPoint presentations. Furthermore, if you wanted to play a video, or show an Excel Spreadsheet on your screen, basically any window on your screen can be shared with the students. It is a good idea to open the applications you want to share in the webinar in advance so that once you want to share the application in the webinar it is ready to be shared. This video shows how you can share your screen with participants.
You can also follow the How do I share my screen? guide by Zoom to better understand screen sharing with Zoom.
Assign and Reclaim Host
In Zoom webinars you can assign a participant to act as the host or co-host during the webinar. To take back the control you should know how to reclaim your host status. This assign and reclaim host video will show you how to assign and reclaim host status.
Breakout Rooms
Breakout rooms is a great feature in Zoom to encourage group discussion activities within a webinar. This guide gives you more information on using Breakout Rooms with Zoom.
Polls
Polling participants is a good way to create active participation. Zoom provides two ways to create polls.
- Using Zoom web interface
- On the go while in a webinar
We encourage you to create Polls in the webinar and the video below explains how this can be done.
Schedule Meetings
At UCEM all programme and module webinars on VLE will be set up by the core services team. However, you can schedule adhoc meetings using your Zoom subscription. How do I Schedule Meetings? guide will help you understand how to setup your own meetings with Zoom.
I am a Learning Technology Researcher and the Chair of the Online Learning Research Centre at the University College of Estate Management. My principle research interests lie in the area of social implications of information and communication technologies, especially eLearning.