Zoom Basics

Zoom is a web conferencing system you may be asked to use.

Start Using Zoom

1. First, you need a good internet or cell signal and a quiet place that is free from distractions.  HINT: If you have low bandwidth, try turning off your video.
2. Download the Zoom software.
3. Check your internet connection, audio, and video. HINT: If your audio is not working, check the volume and mic on your computer.
4. Click the Zoom link provided to you to join.

Zoom Interface Basics

Top Menu

1. If the padlock is locked--your connection is encrypted.  By default, Zoom encrypts in-meeting and in-webinar presentation content at the application layer using TSL 1.2 with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit algorithm.   For dial-in participation joining by phone, the audio is encrypted until it leaves Zoom's data centers and is transferred to the participant's phone network.
2. This makes the meeting screen full-sized to your current screen size. This is especially helpful if sharing videos or your screen.

Bottom Menu

1. Mute button and caret menu.  This allows you to add a microphone, select a speaker, test the speaker and mic, switch to phone audio, leave computer audio, look at audio settings, or mute.
2. Start video. This will turn on your device's video if a camera is present and detected by Zoom. 
3. Invite. Click to instantly invite others to the meeting. You can invite by email, IM, and phone.
4. Manage Participants. Allows you to manage participants if you are the meeting host and shows how many participants are currently in the conference. Controls for hosts and co-hosts:
   1. Mute participants
   2. Request that a participant unmutes
   3. Stop a participant's video
   4. Request that a participant starts their video
   5. Prevent that a participant starts their video
   6. Prevent participants from screen sharing
   7. Rename a participant
   8. Put a participant on hold if enabled
   9. Choose to play an enter or exit chime
   10. Lock the meeting to prevent anyone new from joining
   11. Place participants in a waiting room or admit/remove participants from the waiting room (waiting room can only be enabled by the host)
5. Share Screen. Allows you to share your screen or if already sharing in a screen share meeting you can share another option, like video. When sharing your screen you have another menu to use that includes these options:
   1. Pause Share: Pause your current shared screen
   2. Annotate / Whiteboard: Display annotation tools:
      1. Mouse. Deactivate annotation tools and switch to your mouse pointer.  This button is blue if annotation tools are deactivated.
      2. Select. (only available if you started the screen share or whiteboard): Select, move, or resize your annotations.  To select several annotations at once, click and drag your mouse to display a selection area.
      3. Text. Insert text.
      4. Draw.  Insert lines, arrows, and shapes.
      5. Stamp.  Insert predefined icons like a checkmark or start.
      6. Spotlight / Arrow.  Turn your cursor into a spotlight or arrow.
      7. Eraser. Click and drag to erase parts of your annotation.
      8. Format. Change the formatting options of annotations tools like color, line width, and font.
      9. Undo. Undo your latest annotation.
      10. Redo. Redo your latest annotation that you undid.
      11. Clear. Delete all annotations.
      12. Save. (only available if you started the shared screen or whiteboard)
   3. More (...).  This shows more of the options listed in 2 above.
6. Chat. Opens a text chat window.  You can send a private message to an individual or can send a message to an entire group.  As the host, you can choose who the participants can chat with or to disable chat entirely.  In-meeting chat can be saved manually or automatically.
7. Record. This records the conference
8. Reactions. The reaction button allows you to give someone nonverbal feedback like a clap or thumbs up.

Zoom Accessibility

• Getting Started with Closed Captioning
• Viewing Closed Captions
• Hot Keys and Keyboard Shortcuts for Accessibility
• Automatically Transcribe Cloud Recordings