Zoom : Guide to Best Practices

This article walks you through scheduling a Zoom meeting, starting a meeting, things to do before the meeting, best practices for hosting a meeting, and best practices using your camera.

Task: This article walks you through scheduling a Zoom meeting, starting a meeting, things to do before the meeting, best practices for hosting a meeting, and best practices using your camera.

 

Instructions:

Scheduling a Meeting: Here are some important recommendations when scheduling a meeting. Click for additional information on scheduling a meeting.

• Set up a unique meeting for each and every Zoom session for your class/meeting sessions. Recycling/reusing Zoom meeting IDs seems to create better odds that an unwanted participant may show up in a meeting
• Avoid using the "instant meeting option", for classes, as it does not give you the opportunity to modify the meeting settings
• When creating your Meeting, be sure to check the following boxes under the Meeting options:
  • Only Authenticated users can join -- this restricts access to the meeting to only USNH account holders. -- If you are meeting with others outside the USNH you will not want to tick this box
  • Mute participants upon entry -- So you can control who is talking at the start of the meeting
  • Set up a waiting room for each class/meeting - the Waiting Room feature allows the host to control when a participant joins the meeting. As the meeting host, you can admit attendees one by one or hold all attendees in the waiting room and admit them all at once

• Do not under any circumstances share your Zoom meeting IDs via social media or other unsecured mediums. Our research indicates that in most of these zoombombing cases, the hackers gained access to the meeting ID via a friend or on social media

Starting A Meeting: Zoom offers you several ways to start both impromptu and your scheduled meetings.

• From the web portal
• From the downloaded Zoom Application
• From your mobile device
• Your Calendar (if available plug-in is installed)

Before the Meeting: Things to do

• Test your Audio and Video
• Make sure to choose the correct audio input and output sources and levels
• Make sure to choose the correct camera for the meeting if more than one option is available
• Have the content you intend to share prepared ahead of time
• Make sure you know how to share your screen

Hosting A Meeting: Best practices

• Mute your mic if others are presenting/speaking
• Use "Gallery View" for smaller group/team meetings
• Share your screen
• Share specific Applications to control displayed content
• Use "Pause" to freeze the view to the participants
• Use "New Share" to seamlessly transition between shared applications.
• Use the Annotation tools to grab and direct attention

Turn the camera on! -- Look your best

• Lighting should come from in front of you or from the side to best light your face
• Pay attention to hair and clothing -- people can still see you
• Think about your background - make it interesting but not distracting
• Put your webcam at eye level or higher -- experiment for best angles
• Use the gestures and mannerisms that you would typically use in person
• Make Eye Contact - Try to look at your webcam versus the screen

Here are some great resources from our Knowledge Base to take a deeper dive into using Zoom.

• Watch the Getting Started Videos
• Join our Weekly Zoom Meetings and Webinar training
• Read How to control participants during a Zoom Meeting

Outcome:

Users should be able to schedule a Zoom meeting, start a meeting, know what to do before the meeting, and the best practices for hosting a meeting and using the camera.

Further reading:

for additional information on scheduling a meeting

How to control participants

 

Need additional help?

Please fill out the Zoom Web Conferencing help form with as much detail as possible, or contact the Technology Help Desk on your local campus.