Tips for Better ZOOM Meetings

Here is a list of ZOOM tips I created for an upcoming Alumni Panel that will take place during the 150th Anniversary virtual celebration starting next week.    This is not a comprehensive list, and the list doesn’t include all the extra steps that are required for conducting a class via zoom in a classroom (double monitors, screen share, etc), but this list might be useful for anyone participating in a meeting, or speaking on a panel, or doing a presentation via ZOOM.

ZOOM TIPS

• Update ZOOM :  open the ZOOM app on your computer, and click your profile icon at the top right of the ZOOM app home screen, and select “Check for Updates” in the dropdown.

• If possible, use a wired (ethernet) connection (not wireless) to ensure stability of the connection.  If one isn’t available, you should be ok as long as you have a fast, wireless connection, and you’re close to your modem.

• Remember to close any other programs on your laptop that may use computer memory or internet bandwidth.

• Ask others in your household to temporarily refrain from streaming video on their computers, phones, or your SMART-TV via streaming services like Netflix or Amazon etc.  This will greatly affect the bandwidth available for your ZOOM call.

• Try to reduce background noises and position yourself close to the microphone — or wear a headset mic. Also make sure that you select the right microphone in ZOOM.. click the “up” arrow next to the mic icon once you’ve entered the meeting and select the desired mic.You can do an audio test on your own by opening your ZOOM app on your laptop (download via the ZOOM website if you don’t have it) and clicking the orange square labeled “New Meeting” on the app home screen, then, after clicking “Join Computer Audio”  click the “up” arrow next to the mic icon,  and select “Test Speaker and Microphone”.

• To preview your camera before the call, open the ZOOM app and start a new meeting as described above.

• Make sure you have good lighting from in front of your face (as opposed to lighting from behind – aka “backlighting” — which can sometimes make it difficult to see your face clearly on a ZOOM call).

• • If you’re a current student, faculty, or staff member at University of Richmond, always make sure to sign in with SSO (Single Sign On) to make sure you’re accessing the premium features of ZOOM available through UR’s institutional ZOOM license.

• For even better audio, try enabling the new “High Fidelity Music Mode” feature in ZOOM.   Click the Settings wheel in your app (just below your profile icon –  top right corner of app home screen), then select “Audio” (or if you’re already in a meeting, click the up arrow next to the mic icon at the bottom of the ZOOM window, and select Audio Settings).  Then, click “Advanced” at the bottom of the Audio tab.   Then click “enable original sound” and then click “High Fidelity Music Mode”