Zoom, a cloud-based technology, allows faculty, staff and students to have interactions in real time from their computers, laptops, or mobile devices. Zoom's web-based conferencing uses video and audio and is accessible on MacOS, Windows, iOS and Android mobile devices. Zoom also includes free telephone bridging, so you can bring in participants via telephone as well.
Moving a physical class meeting online: Zoom is integrated with AsULearn, so faculty can easily add a Zoom meeting directly to an AsULearn course using the information below. Zoom meetings can be also be recorded to the Zoom cloud, and hosts receive an email from Zoom with a share link after the meeting ends. These cloud recordings are retained for 120 days, but can be downloaded at any time. Users can always check the operational status of Zoom.
All Appalachian users (faculty, staff and students) can create an unlimited number of Zoom meetings, with up to 300 participants in each. Log in to Zoom via our custom Zoom Portal to be added to our Zoom pro license.
To learn more about Zoom, use their excellent and constantly-updated support site (with our license, all of our Zoom activities are 'Meetings'). You can check out your system or device by connecting to Zoom's standing open meeting room.
If you are meeting with a class face-to-face, but have students who need to attend from remote locations, just add a Zoom meeting to your AsULearn course per the directions below. Use the classroom podium or a connected laptop to start the meeting when you get to class, and any remote students can just click the Zoom meeting link in your course to attend virtually. You can start a screenshare in the Zoom session so remote students can see your desktop content. NOTE: If using a classroom podium, you'll need to connect a USB webcam to provide audio/video. You can also take your laptop to class and connect it to the podium to use your laptop's built-in mic/camera.
Adding a Zoom Meeting to an AsULearn Course
Step-by Step
Log in to AsULearn and go to your course site.
Use the gear icon to Turn editing on.
In the topic where you wish to add the meeting link, click the link to Add an activity or resource.
Under Activity (sorted A to Z), scroll down and select Zoom meeting.
Enter the desired settings (see Zoom Settings list below) and click Save. You may wish to drag the Zoom meeting link up near the top of your course page to make it easy for students to spot.
Zoom settings
Topic: Give your Zoom meeting or room a topic-related name.
Description: Enter information about your Zoom meeting in the Description field. Include the purpose of the meeting, agenda, expectations for conduct, and any general instructions on how to prepare or participate for the upcoming sessions.
Display description on course page: Select the check box to display the online class meeting description on your AsULearn course home page below the activity link (takes up space there!).
When: Select options for "When" only if you wish to select a specific date/time that will generate a unique zoom link for a one-time use Zoom meeting. Select the day, month, year, and time (24 hour-clock) from the menus. Skip this option if you will create a Recurring meeting.
Duration: Enter the duration of time in the text field then select a time interval from the menu (minutes or hours recommended). NOTE: This duration is only so participants can plan. Zoom will never "kick you out" based on a duration setting. Skip this option if you will create a Recurring meeting.
Recurring: Select the Recurring option if you want students to use the same Zoom link to join your online class throughout the semester (recommended).
Password: Leave blank (use not recommended).
Host video: Whether or not the host of the meeting will have their webcam turned on be default when starting the meeting (default On).
Participants video: Whether or not the participants joining the meeting will have their webcam turned on by default when joining the meeting (default On).
Audio options:
- Both (recommended, default): Participants can use either a telephone, computer or mobile device to join the meeting audio.
- Telephony only: Participants must call in to the meeting via telephone.
- Voip only: Participants can only speak and be heard through a computer or mobile device.
Meeting option: Select the Enable join before host option (recommended) to allow participants to join the meeting before the host does.
Grade: This setting allows teachers to associate a grade to a Zoom meeting to their course gradebook using the Scale or Point ratings, a Grade Category and a Grade to Pass. If you make your Zoom meeting in AsULearn graded, a graded column is automatically created in your AsULearn gradebook, and the process for grading is automatic and simple: Any student who logs into the Zoom meeting is automatically awarded the maximum point value in points, or the highest rating in a verbose scale. The teacher can always edit the automatically-awarded grades later, but think of it as "you get the max grade for simply attending."
Support
If you have questions about Zoom, see the excellent Zoom support site, or call Tech Support at 828-262-6266 Option 1. For more complex questions or teaching issues, submit a Service Request