Webinars and Other Online Events

Download the Zoom app (for computer or smartphone) in advance of the session you would like to attend.

• If you aren’t talking, mute or turn off your microphone.

• If your microphone is on, avoid noisy activities like typing.

• For better audio quality, use a headset / headphones.

• If you are having network issues, try turning off your video and/or consider calling into Zoom via phone (more information below).

• Join a test meeting to familiarize yourself with Zoom and check your system. Learn more on the Zoom help website.

Download the Zoom app

Before joining a Zoom session on a computer or mobile device, download the Zoom app. Otherwise, you will be prompted to download and install Zoom when you click a join link (this can take several minutes and delay your access to a session).

• Once the app is downloaded, click the Zoom link in the agenda for the session you would like to join.

• You will be directed to the appropriate Zoom session. You’ll be prompted to join with either computer or phone audio. Select telephone if you do not have a microphone on your computer.  You will also be able to select the audio / video input and output once you are in the meeting.

Screen layout

In the upper right hand of your window, you can toggle your screen between “Speaker View” and “Gallery View.”

• • Speaker View: usually the default, video focuses on the person speaking

  • Gallery View: see up to 25 participants at the same time (can allow for more non-verbal communication for small/medium-size groups).

• To access your screen controls (video, chat, mute), hover your mouse over the bottom of the screen.

Communicate with host or participants

• Click the button labeled “Chat” in the meeting controls at the bottom of the screen.

• A chat will appear on the right. Type a message into the box to communicate with everyone.

• Click the drop-down next to "To:" if you want to send a message to a specific person, e.g., the host.

• The chat button will flash orange when a message has been sent to you.

• If you would like to let the session host know that you have a question or comment, raise your virtual hand.

During the session, click the icon labeled “Participants” at the bottom center of your screen.

• At the bottom of the window on the right side of the screen, click the button labeled “Raise Hand."

• Your virtual hand is now raised. Lower it by clicking the same button, now labeled “Lower Hand.”

• Select your own name in the Participant list: you can rename yourself (e.g., to add your full name, pronouns, affiliation, or other short information you want to share).

Join a session by phone

• Dial an in-country number. If you dial a toll number, your carrier rates will apply. Locate your country dial-in phone number on the Zoom website.

• Enter the meeting ID: the 9-, 10- or 11-digit ID provided at the end of the session link on the agenda, followed by #.

• If the meeting has not started and you join before the host, press # to wait.

Phone controls for participants

• Enter the following commands vida your phone’s dial pad:

  • *6 to mute or unmute

  • *9 to raise hand

Youth safety requirements and training

Need more info here.

Key responsibilities for facilitators

• Record the session (record to the cloud, see instructions in recording tab.

• Assign the chat monitor co-host role so that they can manage participants.

• At the beginning and end of each session, allow time for the chat monitor to read the script.

• Encouraged, but optional: once the session facilitator starts a Zoom session, assign the zoom technician “host” responsibilities (this is different from co-host). Doing so frees the facilitator up for discussion and allows the zoom tech to handle the nuts and bolts of recording, moving people between breakout rooms, muting people, sharing screens, etc.  

• Move people to breakout sessions, when applicable (see instructions in breakout rooms tab).

• Work with chat monitor to remove any participant exhibiting unruly or inappropriate behavior (see Code of Conduct, instructions under chat monitors > troubleshooting).

• NOTE: During virtual meetings it is critical to repeat instructions multiple times. List any instructions on a presentation slide, and take the extra time to go through each step. Provide examples of what outcomes may look like. 

Best practices

Host and speaker should be on the best internet possible—especially the host. If the host drops off, it creates technical issues for the meeting audio and recording. You (as host) and your speaker should be connected via a landline if possible.

• Start the recording (at least 15 minutes) early to be safe, you can edit it out later.

• Allow the chat monitor to read the script at the beginning/end reminding folks to stay muted, and other ground rules.

• Have designated a chat monitor and zoom technical (if relevant)address issues during the session (see troubleshooting tab for suggestions).

  • Make the chat monitor and zoom technician (if relevant) “co-hosts”

  • Click on participants > find the individual, hover your mouse over their name > click “more” > select either “host” or “co-host” (co-hosts can’t put people in breakout groups, but they can mute people).

• Archive the chat transcript, especially if there are lots of useful links and bits of info shared.

• Prevent participants from screen sharing during a call. Use the host controls at the bottom > click the arrow next to Share Screen > then Advanced Sharing Options > toggle to "host only" under who can share.

• Watch this great video about hosting a zoom session!

Make presentations available to phone participants

• If you expect participants to join by phone audio (likely in rural communities), make a PDF of your presentation available in advance.

• Add page numbers to every slide and refer to them during your presentation.

• Slides must be turned into low resolution PDFs that can be easily emailed.

  • In PowerPoint, export as PDF.

  • NEXT open file in Adobe Acrobat and reduce file size (File > Save as Other > Reduced Size PDF).

Recording

• The Zoom technician will be responsible for starting and stopping recordings, which will be done two ways.

• Record your Zoom meeting to the cloud. To initiate cloud recording click the “record” button at the bottom of the screen. Click again to stop recording.

• The recording will not be processed until the meeting concludes, and will be available to the account manager.

• See the complete Zoom help page on recording

Recording individual breakout rooms

• When you start breakout rooms, the recording with "follow" the host around. For example, if the host moves between breakout rooms, the recording will show a snippet of each room for however long the host was there. Similarly, if the host stays in the main session the recording will just be of them. Ideally, the host will use the pause button to stop recording during the breakout rooms. They can restart the recording once participants return to the main session.

Breakout rooms

Automatically assign participants to breakout rooms

• Once in meeting: Start breakout rooms by selecting the icon at the bottom right side of the zoom screen (4 white boxes).

• A pop up box will appear. Choose the number of rooms, and select either “automatic” or “manual” to assign participants.

• Automatic fill of rooms is self explanatory—simply click the "Automatic" button.

  • Once auto-filled, you can move people by individually hovering your mouse over the person’s name, a “move to” bottom will appear.

• Before sending folks into breakout groups,remind them they will enter muted and that it may take several seconds so be patient.

Host navigation and communicating with breakout rooms

• Host breakout room tools are in the “Breakout Rooms” pop-up box.

• Move between Breakout Rooms by clicking the blue “Join” button next to the room name in the pop up box. Move back to the main session by selecting the red “leave breakout room” in the bottom right corner of the screen.

• Send a message to all rooms using the “Broadcast a message to all” button at the bottom left of the Breakout Rooms pop-up.

• Participants can contact the host by selecting the blue and white question “Ask for Help” button in the upper left corner of their screen.

• At the end of the breakout session, close the rooms with the red button at the bottom right of the pop-up. This will bring everyone back to the main session.

Taking notes: Zoom Whiteboard method

Note: The Zoom Whiteboard tool is fairly clunky—please test in advance if you plan to use.

• Anyone can pull up the whiteboard by hitting “share screen” > select “whiteboard.”

• Each participant needs to access writing tools. Select the drop-down arrow at the top of the screen (usually next to a bunch of numbers) > select Annotate.

• Anyone can add text, draw, copy, and paste text from another source.

• Add new whiteboards, in the bottom right corner.

• Zoom can be pre-set to save the whiteboards. As backup someone in each room should save the whiteboards and drag them into the appropriate working group Google Drive folder.

As chat monitor, your responsibilities include:

• Reading the prepared script and laying out ground rules at meeting start and end.

  • Monitor the chat conversation.

  • Troubleshoot problems.

• Provide participants with links.

• Help facilitate questions.

  • Answer the ones you can in the chat.

  • Hold the rest for the end of the presentation.

• Remove any participant exhibiting unruly or inappropriate behavior (see Code of Conduct, instructions under troubleshooting).

Script ideas -- edit to fit your own situation

Some logistics before we start the presentation:

• You joined with your camera off and your audio muted. If you unmute yourself at any time, please remember to re-mute after speaking. 

  • How to mute: Press *6 if your phone does not have a dedicated mute button. Please keep your phone muted during the presentation and do not put us on hold.

  • Why? We can all hear your typing and conversations when you aren’t muted, and the hold button may cause disruption in the presentation.

  • Avoid the echo! If you have the option, please use headphones or a headset. If you are on the phone, please turn your computer speakers all the way down. We can get an echo when the phone picks up your computer audio.

• See your controls by hovering your mouse at the bottom of the screen.

  • You can chat and see the other participants via these controls.

• Have a question? Type your questions into the chat window and they will be read out loud.

• Need help? Message the moderator via the Chat tool or the "Raise Hand" tool which is accessed by opening the participants window).

• Want to join the discussion? Unmute yourself and speak up, or raise your virtual hand and we’ll call on you, or you can send a chat message to the group “Everyone” and the moderator will read the question out loud.

• For folks without mics type into the chat, the chat monitor will read questions out loud.

• If you receive an odd or inappropriate direct messages, report it to the host immediately. Do not open suspicious links associated with a direct message. 

Script prior to breakout rooms

You are about to be moved to breakout rooms for small group discussion. It may take several seconds. Once in the room, remember to unmute yourself and turn on your video. If you need help, you can contact the host by selecting the blue and white question “Ask for Help” button in the upper left corner of your screen.

Computer audio not working or cutting out/skipping

• Likely cause: unstable internet on viewer’s end.

• Recommend they connect via the phone option instead of via the VOIP option.

• Have the call-in info ready to be able to paste into the chat for folks who need to switch their audio. Much easier for the moderator to paste it in than for the participant to try and find it!

Slides frozen or not advancing

• Likely cause: unstable or slow internet on viewer's end.

• Try leaving the room and re-entering.

• Have a PDF of the presentation posted online someplace so you can direct people to that if they cannot make the webinar slide part work. They can then call in and follow along via the PDF and phone combo.

Background noise from unmuted phone

• Identify the phone that is the possible culprit.

• Universally mute people if you have that control.

• You might have to stop the speaker and mute everyone and then unmute the speaker with this option.

• Ask everyone to mute their phones. *6 should mute if you do not have a dedicated mute button.

• Sometimes the phone number causing issues must be traced and the host must try to call them to ask them to mute their phone.

Removing inappropriate participants from a session

• If a participant becomes unruly or inappropriate, you can remove them from the session.

  • Locate the individual by clicking the participants list > on the "more" drop-down select "remove"

• Zoom support article for managing participants

If you have other issues, you can also consult the extensive Zoom help website.

Immediate help from UAF OIT during a zoom meeting

• ua-video@alaska.edu

• 907-450-8300 (OPTION 1)