teaching remotely with zoom · setting up zoom meetings in canvas doesn't actually lean on...
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Teaching Remotely with Zoom: FAQ and Instructions To find the links to this page, visit: https://hls.harvard.edu/dept/communications/teaching-remotely-with-zoom-faq-and-instructions/
HOW-TO VIDEOS
Q: How do I schedule a Zoom class in Canvas?
Video instructions on how to schedule a Zoom meeting in Canvas.
PDF instructions on how to schedule a Zoom meeting in Canvas
Q: How do I invite a guest to my Zoom class?
Video instructions on how to invite a guest to a Zoom class.
PDF instructions on how to invite a guest to a Zoom class.
Q: How do I set up office hours in Zoom?
Video instructions on how to set up office hours in Zoom.
PDF instructions on how to set up office hours in Zoom.
Q: How do I start a class in Canvas?
Video instructions on how to start a class in Canvas.
PDF instructions on how to start a class in Canvas.
Q: How do I publish a class recording in Canvas?
Video instructions on how to publish a class in Canvas.
PDF instructions on how to record a class in Canvas.
PDF instructions on how to publish a class in Canvas.
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SCHEDULING CLASS DIGITALLY
Q: Can I schedule my classes for any time I want?
No, your online class must be held at the same scheduled time as your class was on the physical HLS
campus. All class start times and end times will continue to be on Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4).
Q: Who can edit meeting details?
Only the person who creates the meeting can edit the meeting details you can designate others as co-
hosts once the meeting starts. However, they cannot edit the meeting details prior to the start of the
meeting.
Q: Can my Faculty Assistant schedule my class meetings?
No, faculty must schedule their own classes via Zoom in Canvas to be able to be the host. The host
starts the meeting. In addition, this allows the faculty maximum editing and viewing control of their
meetings.
Q: Should I schedule my classes to start and extend a few minutes before my class’ official start
and end times?
You can set a Zoom meeting to start any time you want. However, the meeting does not start until the
host signs in. A Zoom session ends instantly at the scheduled end time so you probably want to extend
the class meeting time by 15 minutes. This will allow students to ask questions, “mill
about”. However, just as on the physical HLS campus students may have classes scheduled back-to-
back.
Q: Can I schedule multiple class meetings at once?
Yes. When you set up your Zoom meeting in Canvas, you can set recurring meetings. See our slide
presentation for instructions. Scheduling meetings in Zoom is very similar to scheduling appointments
in Outlook.
Q: How do I notify my students about my online class sessions?
Recommended best practice is to send your Zoom invitation through Canvas. Going through Canvas
enables you to reach your students directly as a group rather than sending each student an individual
email.
Q. Is Canvas robust enough to support all these classes?
Setting up Zoom meetings in Canvas doesn't actually lean on Canvas resources -- it just leverages the
platform to make sure that the only people who turn up for your classes are your students, that there's
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some automated scheduling for the students to know in which Zoom room to find their classes as they
move from one to another in a busy day, and an easy and seamless way to get your class recordings to
your students. The company that runs Canvas has been adding infrastructure for the last two weeks to
bolster continuity. Here is a statement from Canvas about its COVID-19 resource planning.
Q. Do I have to schedule my classes in Canvas?
Your Zoom account is tied to your HUID (with DUO authentication). No staff member can get into
your Zoom account. If you schedule classes or class meetings in Zoom directly, only you will have
access to the meeting details to forward items (like meeting links and recordings) on to students and
others. In other words, no one will be able to access your account to support you. Moreover, faculty
must start their Zoom class meetings from within Canvas to protect student privacy.
Q: Do I have to go into Canvas to hold my class session in Zoom?
Faculty must start their Zoom class meetings from within Canvas to protect student privacy. A
recorded class started in Canvas can only be streamed not downloaded by students who were unable to
attend the actual Zoom class To access your Zoom meeting on your Canvas page, click "view
calendar" on the right hand side of your course homepage.
Q: How can I be assured that my students are receiving all class notifications regarding Zoom?
A universal message has gone out to all students instructing them how to change their Canvas settings
to receive all notifications. They were also reminded that this a necessary step for their successful
transition to online learning.
ZOOM SCREEN VIEWS DURING CLASS SESSIONS
Q: What if I don’t want to see myself on the screen?
You can hide yourself! Your students can still see you.
Q: In Zoom, how will I “see” my students?
There are different viewing options. You can choose the gallery view (checkerboard) or the speaker
view (speaker enlarged). Find this control in the upper right corner of your Zoom screen. Learn more
about displaying participants in Zoom.
Q: Can I sort the order in which students appear on the Zoom page?
No, students cannot be sorted.
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Q: I have a large class—over 50 students. Will I be able to see all my students simultaneously?
No. You will not be able to see all of your students at once as you would in a typical physical
classroom. The maximum display is 49 participants per page. You are able to scroll to additional
participants. Learn more about how to change the views of participants. If you have two monitors, your
students may spill into your second monitor.
Q: What are the students seeing on the Zoom page especially if I have a large class?
Students control their screen preference settings. These are:
Gallery View: See a “checkerboard view” of classmates on your screen.
Speaker View: See a big view of the speaker and smaller pictures of your classmates either
horizontally or vertically across the screen depending their settings.
For more information about the different views in Zoom please visit the Zoom Support page.
Note: Learn more information about different Zoom views by looking at this useful slideshow
created by the Division of Continuing Information.
Q: Can participants change other participants’ settings?
No. A participant can only set their own preferences. Only the instructor can change some of the
settings of the other participants.
Q: How can I change my Zoom background?
You can change your Zoom background.
HOSTING: CONTROLLING ZOOM FUNCTIONALITY DURING
CLASS SESSIONS
Note: To control Zoom at the group level you need to be a host. Learn more about hosts below.
Q: What are the differences between a host, co-host and alternative host? (NOTE: Harvard has
disabled the alternative host function. It is no longer an available option.)
There are two different kinds of hosting options in Zoom:
Host: This is the teacher. The host has full permissions to manage the Zoom meeting and
attendees (the students). The host can do things like stop and start the webinar, mute panelists,
stop panelists’ video, remove attendees from the webinar, and more.
Co-hosts: This option is useful for courses with co-teachers, faculty assistants, administrative
support. It allows you to share hosting privileges with another user in a meeting. This can be
useful to allow another user to manage the administrative side of the meeting, such as muting
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participants or starting/stopping the recording. Note: Co-hosts are assigned during a meeting
and cannot start a meeting.
Q: Are we limited to the number of co-hosts?
You should restrict the number of people who are co-hosts for your meetings to people who are either
co-teaching or offering forms of administrative support.
Q: How do I end my class session?
To end a class session, the host needs to click on the button on the right that says “End meeting.” After
you select this option you will see the following buttons, “End meeting for all,” “Leave meeting” and
“Cancel.” Choose “End meeting for all” to end the meeting completely. If you choose “leave meeting”
Zoom usually assigns a random host.
Q: When I end a class session, does the class recording stop automatically?
Yes, the recording feature will automatically terminate upon ending the class session.
BEFORE STUDENTS COME TO CLASS – PREPARING YOUR
DIGITAL CLASSROOM
Q: What norms do I need to consider?
The HUIT developed Teach Remotely website is a great resource for best practices for online
pedagogy. Additionally, here are a few basics to consider:
Norms: Follow the same norms that that you have already established in your physical
classroom. In addition, watch and share this humorous video that DCE developed for “student
do’s and don’ts in Zoom.”
Communicate: Have a conversation with students about norms, e.g. enter the classroom with
your mic turned off. Don’t underestimate impact of this sudden disruption.
Screen view: Everyone changes their screen view setting to their full name, think of this as the
equivalent of the student’s name card.
Dress appropriately: Remind students that they need to be appropriately dressed (at least from
the waist up).
Class interactions: Explain at the beginning of class how you expect students to interact e.g.
wait to be called on, unmute themselves, tell students in advance that you plan to cold call etc..
Chat Function: Establish norms around chatting. Faculty can control chat settings. However,
some instructors find the chat function useful as a different way of encouraging interaction.
Chat can also be helpful for bringing in more voices especially those who are not native
English speakers.
Recording: Remind students that the class is being recorded so they should be mindful of their
comments. Make this announcement at the beginning of each session.
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Inadvertent Dropped Out of Meeting: Remind students to jot down the meeting invitation
number and phone number in case they get disconnected or need to switch to audio only.
Q: Do you have any suggestions for general best online teaching practices?
Here are a few basics to keep in mind.
Different mindset: Keep in mind that teaching online requires a different mindset. As you
lecture you won’t be able to glance around the classroom to see people’s reactions or take
questions. Think actively about how you will manage this norm.
Use names: When you call on people, use their name so say, “Mary, what do you think
about…?” This will help create connection which is especially important during this time of
social distancing.
Plan ahead: Remind students to take a quick tour of Zoom and test their devices.
Be patient and kind: Expect challenges but also be open to unexpected opportunities that may
occur with this format.
Take a temperature check: Consider taking a few minutes at the beginning or end of class to
see how students are doing generally. It is a stressful time.
Q: Do I want to see myself on the screen as I teach? Or do I want to hide myself so that only my
students see me as I teach?
Deciding whether to see yourself on your screen as you teach is a personal preference. You can hide
your image by going to the three dots at the right hand top corner of your picture and choose the “hide
self view” option.
Q: I have a scheduled guest. What do I need to do?
Guests may be invited by using the invitation link in your scheduled Zoom meeting. You may copy the
link from your scheduled Zoom meeting. Please distribute links only to the appropriate people
(registered students, guests, etc.). HLS course policies around guests remain in place. If guests are
sharing presentations or materials they can do so by sharing their screen like any other participant.
Q: I have students from other local universities registered in my classes. They have access to the
Canvas course site. Is there anything else that I need to do to ensure that they can participate
fully in the course?
Your students from other institutions are all set if they are officially enrolled cross registered students.
However, if your non-Harvard students are still having trouble accessing your Zoom meeting created
in Canvas they can use their personal Zoom account to join the meeting.
Q: Can I take attendance in Zoom?
Yes, you can take attendance. Please contact TLC for detailed information on the options for tracking
attendance.
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Q: There are a lot of new details to think through in addition to teaching! What strategies can I
use to lessen my load to focus on teaching?
Assign teaching assistants (or students) roles to help you host the meeting so you can focus on teaching
such as:
Technology Troubleshooter - Help others with their technology
Chat Monitor - Monitor the chat window for questions or shared resources
INTERACTING IN THE DIGITAL CLASSROOM
Q: How should I start the beginning of each class?
Remind your students of basic Zoom etiquette:
Ask them to turn on their cameras
Look at the camera in order to make eye contact when they’re talking
Mute their mics when they aren’t contributing. See how to mute all participants at once.
Remind students the class is being recorded at the start of each class session.
Q: How can students ask questions (raise their hands)?
Go to the participants icon on the bottom of the Zoom page and choose “raise hand.”
Q: How do I call on a student?
You can call on a student as you would in a classroom. Students will be able to hear and see you OR
you can use the “raise hand function.” Consider your class format to determine the best strategy for
calling on students. For large lectures it will be easier to use the raise hand feature. For seminars you
may be able to manage the classroom just by audibly calling on students. Allow students to unmute
themselves.
Q: Can I cold call?
Yes.
Large lectures: Call on a student by reviewing the participant list (which will be brought up
when you view manage participants) and then choose a student by audibly saying “Susan, what
do think about …?” Also here are some tips for lecturing remotely from the Bok Center
(https://bokcenter.harvard.edu/lecturing-remotely). Seminars: You can either use the participant list or just look at the screen in Gallery View
(checkerboard) which will show you the students.
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Q: How will a student answer a question?
A student will unmute their audio and then answer as they normally would. Remind people to mute
their audio once they have answered the question.
Q: Can I see the order in which students raised their hands if I am using the Raise Hand
feature?
Yes, students are displayed in your participant list in the order that they raised their hands. Students
that raised their hand first are displayed at the top.
Q: Can I mute all students at once?
Yes, there is a function “Mute All” that allows the faculty to mute everyone simultaneously. However,
students can still unmute their individual audio after the faculty uses the “Mute All” option.
Q: What about chatting via messaging during class?
Zoom has several options which include turning off the chat completely, chatting directly and only
with the host, everyone publicly, everyone publicly and privately. You can manage the chat settings:
While in a meeting, click Chat in the meeting controls.
Click More to display in-meeting chat settings.
You can access the following options:
Save chat: Save all chat messages in a TXT file.
Share file in meeting: Send a file in the chat.
Allow attendees to chat with: Control who participants can chat with.
o No one: Disables in-meeting chat.
o Host only: Only the host can send messages to everyone. Participants can still send private
messages to the host.
o Everyone publicly: Participants can only send public messages. Public messages are visible to
all participants. Participants can still send private messages to the host.
o Everyone publicly and privately: Participants can send public or private messages. Public
messages are visible to all participants. Private messages are sent to a specific participant.
Q: How do I disable the chat function?
Yes, you can stop students from chatting by changing your Profile Settings in the web
portal (https://harvard.zoom.us/) by going through HarvardKey. Choose whether you want to prevent
all chatting or just private chatting. The Chat option will no longer appear in the Meeting Controls. To
do this:
Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
Click Settings.
Click the Chat and Private Chat toggles to disable in-meeting chat.
Click Save Changes
You can re-enable this at any time by going back through the web portal to change your settings.
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Q: A student refuses to use the video option in Zoom. What, if anything, can I do?
Students can only refuse to use the video for a legal reason (e.g. FERPA). In this case they should let
their instructor know in advance of their status. Otherwise, as the instructor, you can require that
students to use the video option. However, you may want to inquire about why a student feels
uncomfortable with the video function.
TOOLS FOR TEACHING IN THE DIGITAL CLASSROOM
Note: Zoom allows convenient screen sharing which gives the instructor flexibility to use tools such as
PowerPoint, whiteboard function, etc. Additionally, students can be broken up into small groups using
the Breakout Room feature. The recommended best practice is ALWAYS to test any technology or
sharing option before class to troubleshoot ahead of time.
Q: How do I share my screen?
See detailed step-by-step sharing screen instructions
Q: I often use a laser pointer when I teach to highlight diagrams, process steps etc. Can I do this
in Zoom?
Yes, you can mimic a laser pointer function in Zoom.
Q: How can I present using pre-prepared materials such as PowerPoint and still have students
see my face on the screen as I present?
Zoom provides the option “Single Monitor with Slide Show in a Window” for students to view two
windows simultaneously with one window showing faculty speaking and the other window showing
the shared materials. You can click through slides or scroll through materials as you would normally.
Follow best practice and test this setting before class.
Q: Can I use the PowerPoint presenter view in Zoom?
Yes, but only if you have two monitors. Zoom calls this “Dual Monitors with Slide Show and
Presenters Views.” In this view, students will see your slides on one screen but only you will see your
presentation with notes on the other screen. Recommended best practice is to print out your presenter
view slides before class.
Q: I typically use the physical blackboard when I teach. What are my alternatives?
If you usually do “board work” as part of a class session, you have a number of options.
Use the Whiteboard feature (this often works best on a tablet computer rather than a trackpad).
Try the basic Annotation Tools (text box, free form draw/pen, shapes, and highlighter) to guide
students or explain a concept.
Updated 3/20/20, p.10
Create a PowerPoint slide or other simple backdrop file on which you can type notes, and share
those notes using Screen Sharing. Note that one advantage of this and other approaches here is
that the boards can persist and be distributed to the students after class.
Create a “shared board” — perhaps managed jointly with teaching fellows — using Google
Drive.
With the device that you’re using to access Zoom, point the camera at a pad of paper and use
Screen Sharing to transmit the image as part of a remote blackboard-style lecture.
Prerecord the illustration as a video, then play it during class.
Also the Bok Center has put together a video on how to use Zoom and an iPad and/or overhead
camera.
Q: How can I take a poll in Zoom?
You can use the polling function in Zoom but note only the original meeting host can edit or add polls
during a meeting. If the host or co-host role is transferred to another user, that user will only be able to
launch polls already created. Also, the host must be using a desktop/laptop to manage polling.
Q: Do I really need to wear headphones when I teach?
Yes, for a better user end experience. Earbuds are perfectly acceptable for instructors to use.
Q: I would like to use the webinar function but it seems unavailable. Why?
Harvard does not have a Webinar license.
SMALL GROUP WORK AND DISCUSSIONS IN ZOOM
Q: Can I put students in small discussion groups?
Yes, you can put students into small groups by using the Breakout Room function which also allows
you to choose the small group size. You have two options:
Manually pre-assign students to specific groups. Once a meeting starts you cannot move
students around. Use this option if you have the same small groups meeting over multiple
classes.
Zoom automatically splits your students up evenly in each room.
Q: As the host can I go in and out of the student Breakout Rooms?
Yes, you can move in and out of breakout rooms. When you enter a Breakout Room students “see”
you.
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Q: Can I broadcast the same message across Breakout Rooms simultaneously?
You can broadcast a message to all groups simultaneously in Zoom (e.g. We will return to class in five
minutes.).
Q: Can I end the Breakout Room function and bring students as group back to class?
Yes, the host can close all Breakout Rooms at once. Zoom gives students a one-minute grace period to
wrap up discussions.
Q: Often I have students break into pairs from small groups. How do I do this?
Use the Breakout Room function for having small group discussions. However, if you want students
within the small group discussions to break into even smaller groups recommended best practice is for
them to “leave” the class and schedule a Zoom meeting from their individual accounts. As the
instructor you will want to tell students ahead of time when they need to return to class e.g. “In 10
minutes return to your Breakout Room.” Also set up a protocol for who will be the meeting host. We
suggest that the host within these smaller meetings be the student whose first name is closest to the
letter A in the alphabet. This create a class norm and lessens confusion about who is calling who etc.
OUTSIDE OF CLASS: OFFICE HOURS, CLASS PROJECTS, ETC.
Q: How do I set up office hours in Zoom?
Set up a Zoom meeting in Canvas called “Office Hours”. When you schedule this meeting in Canvas,
select Allow Waiting Room (in the same area where you allow participants to enter meeting before
you). This will allow you to admit students into the room one at a time which is the online equivalent
to students waiting outside your office. Learn more about setting up and using the waiting room
feature.
Q: If students want to “Zoom meet” outside of class can they do that?
Yes, all Harvard students, faculty and staff have their own Zoom accounts. Students should use the
Zoom program on their computer/mobile device and not enter Zoom through Canvas. Keep in mind
that students will be in a variety of time zones if you assign group work.
RECORDING
Q: Should I record my Zoom class?
Updated 3/20/20, p.12
We have asked all faculty to record their spring classes in Zoom. In many cases, there may be good
reasons to do so. For instance, recording classes will enable students who cannot attend the live class
due to time zone constraints to view the class at a later time.
For more details on this policy see the email "Spring Term 2020 Academic Policies" from Catherine
Claypoole sent on March 16, 2020.
Q: How do I record my class session?
Follow the guide to recording class sessions using Canvas and Zoom.
Q: How do I publish my class session?
Follow the guide to publishing class sessions using Canvas and Zoom.
Q: Where are the Zoom recordings saved?
Zoom recordings are automatically saved to the Harvard Zoom Cloud. The class link may be shared
only through Canvas and only with your class community. In accordance with the Law School’s
policy for Class Recordings, “no person is permitted to post, distribute, or otherwise make available
any recordings produced by the Harvard Law School Information Technology Services Department
without the permission of the Harvard Law School Communications Office.” For the purposes of this
provision, all class recordings produced using Zoom and published to Canvas will be considered
produced by the HLS ITS Department. For immediate questions email: Lisa Burns
Q: If I record my class, how can I take steps to respect and protect my students’
privacy?
First and foremost, let your students know that the class is going to be recorded and explain why you
are recording the class and how the recordings may be used.
Also tell them their options. If they do not want to be identifiable in the recording, let them know they
can turn off their webcam and they can discuss with you possibly changing their display name. If they
do that, then they should tell you what their display name is and you should remember to use it when
referring to them during the recording. Another way of thinking about the display name is similar to
how students use name placards in class.
In addition, explicitly state to your teaching assistants and students that they are not to share the
recording links or copies of recordings with anyone outside of the class.
Q: Who is allowed to record my class?
The instructor and course staff are the only ones authorized to initiate a recording of a class. Harvard
has set its Zoom settings University-wide to default to a host-only recording session. Further, you
should make it clear to all your students that they are not authorized to record a class.
Updated 3/20/20, p.13
Q: Do students have the ability to record a class?
No. Only the instructor can start a class recording.
Q: Is the recorded class content downloadable?
No, currently the recorded class content can only be streamed. Downloading has been disabled for all
students.
Q: How long until my class recording will be available to share with my students who were
unable to attend the Zoom class?
Your students will be able to see class recordings. However, please set expectations and remind
students that due to heavy usage of Zoom, recording processing times will take longer than usual. For
example, students should not expect to view a recorded class immediately after recording. It may take
a few hours after the class is held for the recording to become available. Zoom is aware of this issue.
Q: What are best practices around recording classes with Zoom?
Below are some best practices around recording classes in Zoom:
Do not record anything that you do not need.
Pause your recording when you take a class break.
Make sure to end recording of meetings
Don’t let recorded meetings run unnecessarily in in the background as this will contribute
slowing down the processing queue.
Remember that shorter recordings take up less space and therefore process quicker.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Q: What if something goes wrong?
It might but it will work out! Here are tips about common Zoom problems:
I can’t see.
o Testing Your Video
I can’t hear.
o Testing Your Audio
There’s background noise or feedback.
Updated 3/20/20, p.14
o Solutions for Audio Echo
A student is lagging in the video view.
o Have the student switch to audio only and close down any other unnecessary
applications and open windows.
A student joined using a Zoom mobile app for IOS or Android but are having trouble with
audio.
Find solutions for mobile audio here.
Q: My connection seems slow or doesn’t work very well. What can I do?
If possible, try to connect hardwire rather than wirelessly.
Q: What happens if I have a Zoom outage and/or technical issues when I start teaching?
Implement a basic plan with your students and your co-hosts or TFs (if you have them) about what to
do in case of an outage.
For students:
1. Try to rejoin Zoom several times.
2. Concurrently, send a Canvas class announcement letting students know you are trying to
restart the class and have them wait 15 minutes.
3. If by the end of 15 minutes you cannot restart the meeting, class is cancelled.
4. Send a follow-up Canvas class announcement with instructions about making up the
session.
5. Optional: Set up a discussion board in Canvas for all to participate in, in the event of a
zoom outage, to discuss next steps
For TA’s and/or co-hosts:
o Share cell phone numbers in advance of your class session so that you have a way to
communicate immediately during a Zoom issue.
Q. How do I find my meeting ID?
Your meeting ID is the 9-digit number in your Zoom link. It looks like this:
“ https://harvard.zoom.us/j/182499650” or this “Click here to join Zoom Meeting:182499650”
In this example the meeting ID is 182-499-650
Q. What do I do if my computer audio doesn’t work? What do I do if I can’t log into my class
online?
Before your class, make note of your meeting ID. If your computer audio doesn’t work or you cannot
join online, you can join by telephone (use any number in the below list to dial in). After you dial into
the meeting you will be prompted to enter your Meeting ID that you received from your host.
+1 312 626 6799
+1 929 436 2866
+1 253 215 8782
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+1 301 715 8592
+1 346 248 7799
+1 669 900 6833
International dial in numbers available: https://harvard.zoom.us/u/aker0hrmt
STILL NEED ZOOM HELP?
Q: I still need help. What should I do?
Email the TLC at [email protected]. Please include the phrase “Zoom Help” in the
subject line in your email message.