EdtechGuides: Participate in live online lectures guide: Join Zoom live online lectures

About Zoom

Zoom is one of the Virtual Classroom solutions available for online lectures. You must join Zoom sessions using your university account. The links to your Zoom lectures and seminars will be provided in the relevant Moodle modules.

First time using Zoom: Activate your account

Go to the Zoom Portal.
Select Sign in.
You will be directed to the login page.
Enter your university credentials and select Sign in.
After sign in you will be directed back to the Zoom portal.
Install the Zoom workplace client.
- If you are using Zoom on a university device (i.e. laptop or desktop), subsequent updates to the Zoom client are managed centrally by IT.
If you have any problems in installing the Zoom meeting client or in activating your Zoom account, please log an incident on the IT Self Service Portal.

IT Self Service Portal Login required

Login and join the Zoom Virtual Classroom

Your lecturer will share a Zoom Virtual Classroom link with you via the relevant Moodle module.
Select the link to the Zoom Virtual Classroom.
If you are not signed in to your Zoom account, then select Sign in with SSO or SSO.
Enter city-ac-uk as the company domain. Select Continue.
Login with your @city.ac.uk credentials.
Enter the passcode provided.
You will not be able to join a Zoom Virtual Classroom until the host lecturer is in the room.

Add a Profile Picture to Zoom

To help staff and students get to know you, we recommend adding a profile picture to Zoom. This can help people to put a face to the name when you can’t use your webcam.
Follow our screencast below for instructions on how to upload a profile photo to Zoom.

The toolbar located at the bottom of the meeting interface contains icons for the tools and features of the Virtual Classroom. You can reorder the buttons in the central area of the toolbar and can add additional functionality from the More menu. Open More on the meeting toolbar and drag and drop the button to your meeting toolbar.

The Audio button controls your microphone. Select the button to mute/unmute your microphone.
- Remember to mute your microphone when you are not speaking.
The Video button controls your webcam: This feature may be active and broadcasting as you join the Virtual Classroom. Select the button to stop/start your webcam. You may be asked to switch off your webcam in large Virtual Classrooms.
Participants: Select this button to review a list of participants currently attending the meeting.
Chat: Select this button to access the online text chat tool and post chat messages during the meeting. Your lecturer can set who in the meeting you can chat with.
Share: Select this button to display files or websites. Your lecturer controls access to this icon so you may not be able to share your screen.
Show captions: This button controls the display of captions and a live transcript. If you do not have this option on your meeting toolbar, open the More menu and drag and drop the Captions button to your toolbar.
React: Select this button to access non-verbal feedback.
- Select the appropriate icon from the React menu to provide other non-verbal feedback to your lecturer.
Raise hand: Select the Raise hand button to indicate that you would like to ask a question or to make a comment. Wait until your lecturer calls on you to ask your question.
- Select Lower hand to lower your hand (this option will only appear if your hand is currently raised).
Leave: Leave the meeting.

Additionally, once your lecturer has shared a screen of whiteboard you may get the option of annotating on the screen or whiteboard. Select View options >> Annotate to open annotation.

The toolbar located at the bottom of the meeting interface contains icons for the tools and features of the meeting. Turn your phone to landscape view to view all the features available.

Mute/Unmute controls your microphone This feature may be active for you once you join the meeting. Click the icon to mute/unmute your audio.
- Remember to mute your microphone when you are not speaking.
Start Video/Stop Video controls your webcam: This feature may be active and broadcasting as you join the meeting. Select the icon to stop/start your webcam.
Participants: Select this button to review a list of participants currently attending the meeting.
Chat: Open and participate in Chat.
Reactions: Share non-verbal feedback. You will find the Raise hand feature in Reactions.
- Remember to Lower hand when you have asked your question.
Share: Select this button to display content from your phone. Your lecturer controls access to this icon.
Record: Request the lecturer record the session.
Captions: Display captions for the session.
More: Open this menu and select Background & effects to set a Virtual background
Leave: Leave the meeting is located at the top of the screen.

Additionally you may have access to a pencil icon if your lecturer invites you to annotate on a shared screen. Select the centre of your screen to reveal the pencil when prompted to annotate.

Change your view

In a Virtual Classroom with lots of participants who are using webcams, you might need to change your view. Your options are:
- Speaker View
- Gallery View
These options are available at the top right of the Zoom Meeting Window on a PC or laptop. The text of the view you are in is an option not a title, so it will say Speaker view when in Gallery view and vice versa.
Additionally, if a lecturer is sharing their screen with you, you may need to enable side-by-side mode from the toolbar that appears across the top of the Zoom meeting.
You can also choose to hide your own webcam from your view. This does not turn your video feed off, but removes it from grid of images you can personally see. Others will still be able to see your video if you have it turned on.
- To hide your self view, select the blue and white three dots menu which appears when you hover over your video feed.
- Select Hide Self View and your video will disappear from your personal view.
- To reinstate your video feed in your personal view, navigate to the View menu in the top right corner of the screen and select Show Self View. Your video feed will now appear in your view again.