Schedule a New Class on Zoom

This guide will showcase how to schedule your Zoom Classroom sessions within VU Collaborate.

You can schedule classes in Zoom to provide online, synchronous, interactive classes with students. Scheduling a class in VU Collaborate will make it easy for students to join and easy for you to host. You can schedule multiple and recurring classes as well as a singular class. 

Please note that Zoom and other VU Collaborate functionality should only be used on Google Chrome. Make sure to update Google Chrome regularly for usability and security.

 

This guide will walk you through scheduling classes in Zoom:

• Go to Zoom Classroom to schedule a new meeting
• Provide a Name and Description
• Choose Times and Dates
• Choose Video and Audio Settings
• Meeting Options
• Alternative Hosts
• Limit the Session to Only VU Students and Staff
  
  

Alternatively, you can view the video of instructions here.

 

Step One: Go to Zoom Classroom to schedule a new meeting

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1. In your VU Collaborate Delivery Space on the navigation bar, select Communications, then Zoom Classrooms from the drop-down menu.

Only schedule Zoom sessions in your Delivery Space, as they will not copy over from a Master Space.

2. Select Schedule a New Meeting to begin setting up Zoom sessions.

 

Step Two: Provide a Name and Description

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1. Add a Topic name.

The name should include enough information to describe the class and tell the difference between sessions if required (i.e. Melbourne and Sydney sessions)

2.  Add a Description of the session (if required).

 

Step Three: Choose Times and Dates

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1. Set the date and time of the session under the when section. You can use the virtual calendar to select the date the session will be occurring, along with a beginning time.

2. Select the approximate Duration of the meeting. This is only for scheduling purposes. The meeting can be joined before this time and will not automatically end after the selected length of time.

3. Select if you would like a Recurring meeting. If you are scheduling a recurring meeting, note that each of these is treated as the one class that is repeated. This means that items such as polls remain the same for each class.

 

Step Four: Choose Video and Audio Settings

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1. Registration requires attendees to sign up before joining the meeting. Tick Required if you wish for students to log through VU Collaborate to register correctly.

Students must use their real name or the name used for VU enrolment when entering a class.

2. Security features include activating a waiting room and enabling authenticated users access to join meetings. Tick the Waiting room setting if you would like participants to be placed in a waiting room before a session begins.

The waiting room feature allows the host to control when a participant joins the meeting. Participants receive a message on their screen to let them know that the host/facilitator will soon bring them into the Zoom room. As a meeting host, you can add participants one by one or hold all participants in the waiting room and admit them all at once after setting up the class. In addition, you can see participant names before accepting them, so if they are not meant to be in your class, you can remove them before they come into the class.

3. Ticking Only authenticated users can join meetings will ensure only students who have an active Student Account within VU Collaborate will be able to join the session.

Only use Registration and Authenticated Users when using Zoom to host only classrooms, as these options may not allow external visitors to join your sessions.

4. Choose if you would like the host and participant's video on or off when joining the meeting. 

Everyone should have their webcam turned on during a Zoom Class but if this is not possible, set up a profile picture using a recent and clear photograph.

5. Choose whether to allow users to call in via Telephone only, Computer audio-only, or both.  It is recommended to leave it at both so participants can call with their phone if they have no internet access.

 

Step Five: Meeting Options

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1. Enable join before host: You have the option to allow participants to join the meeting without you or before you join. However, it is recommended that you do not select this option so that participants do not have access to options such as sharing screens and recording before the host joins.

2. Mute participants on entry: This is a valuable option to select. Participants can unmute themselves, but it saves some noise when they first join the room and get set up, especially when they arrive late.

3. Breakout Room pre-assign: You have the option to activate Breakout room pre-assign settings. This will allow you to pre-assign future session breakout rooms for your students or participants.

For more information, look at the Using Breakout Rooms in Zoom help guide, Step 3.

4. Use Personal Meeting ID (ID Number): Every user has their own Personal Meeting ID number. You may use this number to create sessions associated with you specifically. However, sessions created that is linked to your Personal Meeting ID will not work specifically if you wish to use it to make virtual classrooms in VU Collaborate. This is because the Personal Meeting ID is meant for personal meetings. If you were to use this Meeting ID, students could continuously access your Personal Zoom, which is not advised.

We do not recommend using your Personal Meeting ID to create Zoom sessions. However, feel free to use it in your own time when you are hosting personal meetings.

5. Record the meeting automatically: Selecting this option will cause Zoom to record the Zoom session it is activated on, automatically.

VU will not be recording any Zoom classroom sessions moving forward due to security, privacy, and copyright concerns.

 

Step Six: Alternative Hosts

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1. You can assign another VU staff member as the host for the meeting. This means that other people can set up a Zoom classroom for the facilitator/host, and there can be more than one person ready to host/facilitate the class. You can also allow co-hosts scheduling privileges to schedule meetings or classes on your behalf.

Select setting schedule privileges to co-hosts on zoom for the best/safest method for assigning another person to create schedules for you.

Alternate host emails need to be entered in all lower case. Otherwise, they can not start the meeting.

2. Once you have set up all meeting features, make sure to click Save.

3. After saving, you will have to option to review, edit or start your meeting.

4. You can start the class from the main schedule page ( in the next communication, then Zoom classroom ). Students will see Join instead of Start/Delete.

 

Limit the Session to Only VU Students and Staff

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For classroom (and other online activities), you may find it helpful to limit the session only to allow VU Students and Staff participants. All participants will need to sign into Zoom using their VU account (e-number or s-number) to join.

Refer to the Ensuring Privacy & Security in Zoom Help Guide, step Limit the sessions to only VU Students & Staff, to learn about limiting the session to only VU Students & Staff.