How To: Join a Zoom Meeting for Students

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Joining a Meeting through an Email Invite or URLZoom Meeting Control FeaturesZoom Audio Issues       Avoiding the Echo       Adjust Sound Settings on your computer       Adjust the Sound Settings in ZoomZoom Help and Support

 


Joining a Meeting Through an Email Invite


You will receive an email with a Zoom meeting invitation. To join a Zoom meeting through an email invitation, do the steps below or watch the Joining a Meeting Zoom video.

  1. Click on the join link in the meeting invite.
  2. You will be prompted to download and run zoom.
  3. A ZoomInstallerFull.exe file will download, click on the file, and install the launcher.
  4. If the Host hasn't started the meeting, you will see a message saying, "Please wait for the host to start this meeting."
  5. Once the Host starts the meeting, the Zoom window will appear where you can join your audio or connect your video.
  6. To join your audio, select the "Join Audio Conference by Computer."
  7. A new window will appear; select the audio icon located in the bottom left-hand corner of the Zoom meeting window.

Additionally, if you do not have a webcam, a microphone on your computer, or a smartphone to join the meeting with computer audio, you can call into the meeting using any phone. For information on how to join using your phone, read through this Zoom article: Joining a meeting by phone.

 

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Zoom Meeting Control Features


Watch the Zoom Meeting Controls video for a quick overview of how to use the microphone, video, invite, and other control icons.

Go to Zoom Help Center to learn more about Audio, Video, Screen Sharing, and Recording.

The most essential meeting control features can be found at the bottom of your meeting screen in the Meeting Control Features Bar.

Zoom Meeting Control Features Control Bar 


Audio and Video Controls


If enabled by the Host, participants can mute their microphones or cut their video feed at any time. These features are useful if you are unable to join the meeting in a completely private setting. To enable or disable your audio or video during a meeting, click on the microphone icon and the camera icon in the far left of the control bar.

Disabled Audio and Video

When the audio and video are disabled, the microphone and camera icons will be crossed out with a red line.

Icons of disabled audio and video in a Zoom meeting

Enabled Audio and Video

When the audio and video are enabled, the microphone and camera icons will not be crossed out.

Icons for enabled audio and video in a Zoom meeting


Sharing Your Screen Controls


During a meeting, the Host may allow participants to share their screens (either one at a time or multiple shares). This feature is beneficial when the Host or the participants have a presentation, a document, or a resource such as a website to share with the group. To share your screen

  1. Click on the Share Screen button in the Meeting Control Features Bar.  Share Screen button highlighted in the Zoom Meeting Control Features Bar
  2. You can then select which of your screens to share (if you have multiple), a whiteboard, or an iPhone/iPad.
  3. After you have selected a screen to share, you will notice that the screen you have chosen will be outlined with a bright green.

Chat Controls


The Chat feature in Zoom allows participants to contribute to the meeting or conversation without interrupting an audio feed. Clicking on the Chat button in the Meeting Control Features Bar pops out a chat window on the right side of your meeting screen. The chatbox, by default, contacts everyone in the meeting, but participants can choose to chat with one of their peers or the Host by clicking the drop-down next to "Everyone" in the To: chat box field and choosing the person with whom they wish to chat.

When you receive a message, the Chat button will flash orange in color, and a superscripted number (pertaining to the number of messages received) will appear on the button.

Chat icon highlighted in the Zoom Meeting Control Features Bar


Additional Meeting Features


Nonverbal Feedback

If you are communicating with other participants primarily via chat, it might be useful to utilize the Nonverbal feedback features of a Zoom Meeting. Nonverbal feedback is a shortcut button that quickly conveys important feedback to the Host without requiring participants to type out lengthy responses. 

To access the Nonverbal feedback shortcuts, click on the Participants icon in the Meeting Control Features Bar.

Participants Icon in the Meeting Features Control Bar

This will pop out a window on the right side of your meeting screen. This pop-out will contain a list of participants in the meeting, as well as the Nonverbal feedback options.

General Nonverbal Feedback options in a Zoom Meeting

From left to right, the general Nonverbal feedback includes: a "raise hand" option to indication participants have a question, a "yes" option to indication agreement, a "no" option to indicate disagreement, a "go slower" option to indicate the Host should speak slower, and a "go faster" option to indicate the Host should speak faster. There are also some additional Nonverbal feedback options that can be found in the "More" option that can be accessed by click on the last button represented by three horizontal dots.

Additional Nonverbal feedback in a Zoom Meeting

From left to right, these additional Nonverbal feedback options include a "dislike" option, a "like" option, a "clap hands" option, a "need a break" option, and an "away" option. 

Renaming Feature

Once you enter a Zoom meeting, the name with which you are presenting might be your email username or some other user name, not to your liking. If you would like to change your participant name, you can do so with the Renaming Feature. 

To access the Renaming Feature, hover over your name in the Participant pop-out window (which appears when you click on the Participant button). This will show you an "Unmute" button and a "More" button. Click on the "More" button.

Zoom Meeting Unmute and More Features

After you click on the "More" button, the "Rename" button will appear.

Rename Button in a Zoom Meeting

After you click on the "Rename" button, a pop-up will appear where you can enter your new screen name. Then click, "Okay." 

 

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Zoom Audio issues


In Zoom, multiple devices connected to the same meeting don't play well together. A loud echoing sound will occur in a meeting when audio from two or more devices are in the same room. It may be too time-consuming with a large group for the Host to try and find the source of the echo and eliminate it. Resultingly, the Host will have to disable or mute audio for all, eliminating the participants' ability to respond during the meeting spontaneously. To prevent this from happening, avoid the following if you are planning to attend a Zoom meeting. 

 


Avoiding the Echo


1. Just pick one. Do not open the Zoom meeting on multiple devices. Use only one device to participate in the meeting. Zoom can work on phones, tablets, and computers, but just pick one!

2. Share a single device, but not a single space. Just as two of your own devices will cause an echo, so will two or more devices among colleagues attending the meeting. Avoid attending a Zoom meeting in a shared space with another participant. If you and a colleague would like to attend the meeting in the same space, be sure to share one device rather than using two.

3. Mute will not get to the root of the problem. Muting your microphone in Zoom will not eliminate the echoing issue. If multiple devices in the same room are a must, select 'Leave Computer Audio' on all but one device in the Zoom audio options (see below). This may relieve the echo, but it's not guaranteed. The only sure way to avoid this is to avoid multiple devices:

 

Zoom audio control

 

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 Adjust Sound Settings on your Computer


Leave your TV, Pets, and Phone out of the Meeting.

We have all experienced background noise during phone calls that disrupt our ability to hear someone, and the same issue can arise during Zoom meetings. In Zoom, there are usually multiple participants present, so it's not just one person on the other line that hears the noise--- it's everyone! Here are a couple of things you can do to eliminate background noise:

1. Pretend it's an in-person meeting and leave the noise out. Background noise is easily transmitted in Zoom meetings. Dogs barking, birds singing, doors slamming, and Netflix can all be detected through your microphone and are audible to other participants. Attend your Zoom meeting in a quiet space and leave the noise out. To mute or adjust your audio settings, utilize both the Zoom audio controls and your computer audio, as shown below:

Adjust sound settings on your Computer: Depending on the machine you are using, adjusting your audio settings may appear differently. 

From your Desktop (Using Windows 10): Click on the sound icon to quickly adjust the volume of your speakers.

picture of audio icon on the task bar

From your system settings: Select the gear icon to access your computer settings where you can test your audio and adjust the input and output volume settings. You can also select a different sound input/output here, such as a microphone or headset you have connected to your computer.

image of the gear icon to adjust the audio settings

Image with the system settings outlined

Access sound settings through the 'System' option.

Sound settings

 

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Adjust the Sound Settings in Zoom


1. You can also adjust your sound settings through the Zoom menu. Select the caret next to the microphone icon to open your audio settings in Zoom.

Zoom audio settings

2. Go Pro. Use a Microphone or Headset. Use a headset/microphone during the meeting to lessen the chance of an echo and eliminate background noise.

3. Maximum volume does not equal maximum meeting success. Set your microphone volume to a level where you can be heard, but not so high that participants can hear a pin drop in your office! Keeping the volume at a moderate level will help eliminate background noise.

 

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Zoom Help and Support 


 

Visit ZOOM Technical Support, which is available 24 x 7, including public holidays, where agents or technical engineers are available for email or live support. 

 

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Details

Article ID: 102307
Created
Fri 3/20/20 11:24 AM
Modified
Fri 6/14/24 2:05 PM