(This page is a rough instructor's outline for training Zoom beginners, but if you are one of those beginners, it will probably answer some of your first questions.)
For beginners who want a full self-guiding tutorial: Teach Yourself Zoom. Includes advanced features, including hosting and screen sharing.
Essential reading for Zoom beginners: Zoom Good Manners. How not to be annoying or disgusting.
Excellent tips for Zoom users: Zoom Tips.
Important: Always Show Meeting Controls
If it confuses you that the controls keep hiding shortly after you use them, here's how to keep them showing:
• On computer, under the zoom.us menu, select Preferences. You can also click either one of the little ^ arrows in the lower left and pick Settings (either way, you will get to a big white settings menu). In the left column click on General, then check the square next to Always Show Meeting Controls. Dismiss the whole settings menu by clicking the upper left red button.
• On pad, click More in upper right. Click Meeting Settings, and then turn on Always Show Meeting Controls.
• On phone, at bottom right, click More, then Meeting Settings, then turn on Always Show Meeting Controls.
If it confuses you that the controls keep hiding shortly after you use them, here's how to keep them showing:
• On computer, under the zoom.us menu, select Preferences. You can also click either one of the little ^ arrows in the lower left and pick Settings (either way, you will get to a big white settings menu). In the left column click on General, then check the square next to Always Show Meeting Controls. Dismiss the whole settings menu by clicking the upper left red button.
• On pad, click More in upper right. Click Meeting Settings, and then turn on Always Show Meeting Controls.
• On phone, at bottom right, click More, then Meeting Settings, then turn on Always Show Meeting Controls.
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Tutorial, proper
1) ASK: Any problems getting into Zoom and getting to class?
Show location of mute/unmute and video on/off buttons on computer (bottom left), pad (top right), phone (bottom left).
• Both buttons are toggles; same button on / off.
• At your first class, ask your instructor if they prefer all students stay muted and unmute to talk, or all stay unmuted.
• When you are muted, you can hold down space to talk (computer), then release to resume mute. On phone, find this function by swiping the main screen to the right. (On pads, someone help me out.)
• If a noise occurs in your house (dog, phone, doorbell, scream) please check to be sure you are muted, then deal with the noise. The noise is more noticeable to the class than to you. (And just so you know, little noises you make when unmuted are much more noticeable to the class than they are to you.)
• Please follow your instructor's instructions about how to be seen and heard. See note below about manners during discussion.
3) Adjusting your own screen view.
Show location of Speaker View and Gallery View. On computers, the View menu is at the upper right, and has the options Speaker View, Gallery View, and Full Screen. On pads, it is a blue symbol on the left middle of the screen. On phones, there is only Speaker View.
View settings affect ONLY your view of things.
• Speaker View brings image of speaking person to full screen (or if you are not muted, and you sniff or cough or slurp, it brings you to full screen -- remember that).
• Gallery View shows as many thumbnail images of students as possible on your screen. Person currently speaking (or sniffing, or coughing... ) gets a bright frame around their image. Thumbnail images sometimes move around, for secret reasons.
Pad users ALSO SEE https://assortedtools.blogspot.com/p/ipad-user-guide-to-zoom.html
• on phone: "more" at bottom right of main screen offers a menu that includes Raise Hand near the bottom.
Phone users ALSO SEE https://assortedtools.blogspot.com/p/iphone-user-guide-to-zoom.html
QUESTIONS?
ANYONE FEEL THE NEED FOR MORE TRAINING?
Contact Rob Hyssong at the OLLI office.
To the Instructor: In preparing this outline, I assume that your students are already in your virtual classroom; that is, that instructors have sent email instructions to trainees on how to get to their first meeting, and that trainees have followed an email link to show up at the class.
1) ASK: Any problems getting into Zoom and getting to class?
You might think of a Zoom class as a form of watching television. It's better to think of it as being ON television. Think about your appearance and your background. Zoom is much more public and close-up than being in a classroom, where most people only see the back of your head.
2) How to be seen and heard in Zoom.
ASK: How many people will be using each device? If you have a choice of what to use, computer is better than pad is better than phone. Generally bigger is better (but very old devices are not so good either). All devices all will allow full class participation.
2) How to be seen and heard in Zoom.
ASK: How many people will be using each device? If you have a choice of what to use, computer is better than pad is better than phone. Generally bigger is better (but very old devices are not so good either). All devices all will allow full class participation.
Main screen (computer) with participants list (right) and all controls visible
(click to enlarge)
Show location of mute/unmute and video on/off buttons on computer (bottom left), pad (top right), phone (bottom left).
• Both buttons are toggles; same button on / off.
• At your first class, ask your instructor if they prefer all students stay muted and unmute to talk, or all stay unmuted.
• When you are muted, you can hold down space to talk (computer), then release to resume mute. On phone, find this function by swiping the main screen to the right. (On pads, someone help me out.)
• If a noise occurs in your house (dog, phone, doorbell, scream) please check to be sure you are muted, then deal with the noise. The noise is more noticeable to the class than to you. (And just so you know, little noises you make when unmuted are much more noticeable to the class than they are to you.)
• Please follow your instructor's instructions about how to be seen and heard. See note below about manners during discussion.
Earbuds or headphones?
• Recommended: wired or wireless earbuds of the same type you use with a smartphone; these devices include a microphone. Many headphones also incorporate a microphone.
• Advantages: makes your speech clearer and more consistent in volume (independent of how close they are to computer); makes other speakers clearer. Disadvantages: need to be careful to mute them during breaks; the sound of a flushing toilet on them is unmistakable.
3) Adjusting your own screen view.
Show location of Speaker View and Gallery View. On computers, the View menu is at the upper right, and has the options Speaker View, Gallery View, and Full Screen. On pads, it is a blue symbol on the left middle of the screen. On phones, there is only Speaker View.
View settings affect ONLY your view of things.
• Speaker View brings image of speaking person to full screen (or if you are not muted, and you sniff or cough or slurp, it brings you to full screen -- remember that).
• Gallery View shows as many thumbnail images of students as possible on your screen. Person currently speaking (or sniffing, or coughing... ) gets a bright frame around their image. Thumbnail images sometimes move around, for secret reasons.
• Pin any image to make it full screen ("Unpin" or "Unpin Speaker" to return to Gallery View)
• Phones only have Speaker View, and you will only see current speaker.
• Older computers might only have Speaker View, and you will only see current speaker.
• Phones only have Speaker View, and you will only see current speaker.
• Older computers might only have Speaker View, and you will only see current speaker.
• TIP: Most people are less attractive when they are eating and drinking. Remember that anyone can look at you full screen, and see every bit of that oatmeal on your chin. To eat and drink during class, mute and turn off video -- or just indulge at another time. Suggestion: take a screen-shot of yourself eating or drinking; have a look at it. You'll never want to be seen that way again.
4) Raising your digital hand (aka virtual hand).
This is, in many ways, the best way to raise your hand, because the digital hand remains in the instructor's view until they respond to you. Then you or they can lower (hide) your hand. Some instructors might prefer that you wave your hand at your camera. If so, keep your hand up until called on. The instructor will quickly forget who had their real hand up. Instructors will learn what works best for their particular kind of class.
To raise your digital hand (mysteriously different for each device):
• on computer: Newest versions of Zoom have the digital hand at the right-hand end of the controls at the bottom of the screen. Just click to show it, click to hide it. If it's not there, then at the bottom middle of screen, find and click "Participants". List of participants appears. Look for Raise Hand button at bottom of list. And don't forget to update your version of Zoom.
• on pad: "Participants" at top right of screen. List of participants appears. Look for Raise Hand button at bottom of list.
4) Raising your digital hand (aka virtual hand).
This is, in many ways, the best way to raise your hand, because the digital hand remains in the instructor's view until they respond to you. Then you or they can lower (hide) your hand. Some instructors might prefer that you wave your hand at your camera. If so, keep your hand up until called on. The instructor will quickly forget who had their real hand up. Instructors will learn what works best for their particular kind of class.
To raise your digital hand (mysteriously different for each device):
• on computer: Newest versions of Zoom have the digital hand at the right-hand end of the controls at the bottom of the screen. Just click to show it, click to hide it. If it's not there, then at the bottom middle of screen, find and click "Participants". List of participants appears. Look for Raise Hand button at bottom of list. And don't forget to update your version of Zoom.
• on pad: "Participants" at top right of screen. List of participants appears. Look for Raise Hand button at bottom of list.
• on phone (iPhone, at least): at bottom right, touch "More"; menu appears, at bottom touch "Raise Hand". After asking your question, same procedure, touch "Lower Hand".
• TIP: raise your hand and leave it showing until the instructor calls on you, or until you decide not to speak. Click the hand symbol again to cancel it (lower your hand).
One last thing: if a control at the bottom of your computer screen seems to have disappeared, look in the "more" menu at the bottom right, or try widening the window a bit. When your Zoom window is too narrow, some of the commands at the bottom get moved into the "more" menu. (Widen a window by grabbing (click and hold) its bottom right corner and pulling it to the right.)
Other/Optional
Renaming?
Renaming?
Pad users ALSO SEE https://assortedtools.blogspot.com/p/ipad-user-guide-to-zoom.html
• on phone: "more" at bottom right of main screen offers a menu that includes Raise Hand near the bottom.
Phone users ALSO SEE https://assortedtools.blogspot.com/p/iphone-user-guide-to-zoom.html
QUESTIONS?
ANYONE FEEL THE NEED FOR MORE TRAINING?
Contact Rob Hyssong at the OLLI office.
Practice with Zoom live:
Password, if requested: olli
For information about advanced features of Zoom, click on Teach Yourself Zoom at the top of this page.
Discussion Etiquette -- Mind Your Discussion Manners
Discussion Etiquette -- Mind Your Discussion Manners
More extensive training in manners: Zoom Good Manners
Please follow your instructor's preferences about how to be seen and heard. This is especially important in discussions. The best way to contribute to a discussion is to raise your digital hand and leave it raised until the instructor recognizes you. Then unmute yourself and speak; interrupting someone else makes it impossible for the class to understand either of you.
A discussion leader who asks a question already knows the answer, of course. If you already know the answer without much thought, don't blurt it out. Just raise your digital blue hand and wait.
Why wait? Good discussion leaders often ask questions not to get an answer, but to get students to think about something. If someone answers the question quickly and completely, they rob others of the opportunity to think, and to wonder. Even if their thinking does not lead them to an answer, it is satisfying, once the question is answered, for them to see if they were thinking on the right track, and how far they moved towards an answer. The quick answerer short-circuits this process, and forces the other students to stop thinking in order to listen to them.
Discussion often makes for better learning if it stops and goes, takes detours, includes silences, and finally arrives at something interesting. A quick and complete-sounding answer (from student or leader!) stops discussion, rather than making it more effective. Help your discussion leader by giving your classmates the opportunity to wonder.
Discussion leaders might apply this advice to themselves as well.
••••••
* This training outline is based on ZoomTips, by E. Anne Cardale, Rob Hyssong, and Star Pelsue of OLLI-USM. If you have signed up for an OLLI course by Zoom, someone has probably already sent you this document. You may share ZoomTips freely, but not for commercial use. Please request permission and make us an attractive offer if you wish to include this outline in some grand money-making scheme.
••••••
A discussion leader who asks a question already knows the answer, of course. If you already know the answer without much thought, don't blurt it out. Just raise your digital blue hand and wait.
Why wait? Good discussion leaders often ask questions not to get an answer, but to get students to think about something. If someone answers the question quickly and completely, they rob others of the opportunity to think, and to wonder. Even if their thinking does not lead them to an answer, it is satisfying, once the question is answered, for them to see if they were thinking on the right track, and how far they moved towards an answer. The quick answerer short-circuits this process, and forces the other students to stop thinking in order to listen to them.
Discussion often makes for better learning if it stops and goes, takes detours, includes silences, and finally arrives at something interesting. A quick and complete-sounding answer (from student or leader!) stops discussion, rather than making it more effective. Help your discussion leader by giving your classmates the opportunity to wonder.
Discussion leaders might apply this advice to themselves as well.
••••••
* This training outline is based on ZoomTips, by E. Anne Cardale, Rob Hyssong, and Star Pelsue of OLLI-USM. If you have signed up for an OLLI course by Zoom, someone has probably already sent you this document. You may share ZoomTips freely, but not for commercial use. Please request permission and make us an attractive offer if you wish to include this outline in some grand money-making scheme.
••••••
