What is Zoom?
Zoom is a video and web conferencing software that allows people to meet virtually in real-time. Zoom has screen sharing, interactive, and lecture recording capabilities and is available to all Penn State faculty, staff, and students. Zoom can be integrated into your Canvas courses for accessibility for you and your students. The information below can guide you through activating, configuring, and getting started with your first Zoom meeting.
Jump to specific information:
- Joining a Zoom Meeting through Canvas
- Participating in a Zoom Meeting
- Reviewing a Meeting Recording
- Signing in to Your PSU Zoom Account
Joining a Zoom Meeting through Canvas
Zoom has the ability to integrate directly into Canvas so your instructor is able to schedule and host meetings directly through your course. Below are simple instructions on how you can join these meetings along with explanations of some of Zoom’s functions.
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- Navigate to your course in Canvas and from the left-side navigation menu, click Zoom.
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- Ensure you’re in the Upcoming Meetings tab, find your instructor’s scheduled meeting, and click Join. Your browser will redirect to Zoom and launch the app. If you haven’t already installed Zoom there will be a link available to Download and install the application.
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Participating in a Zoom Meeting
Once in the Zoom Session, your device’s microphone and speakers will automatically be recognized but disabled by default. Unless you are going to plan on calling into the Zoom session for sound, ensure you click Join with Computer Audio so you can hear the session through your device’s speakers. If you will be calling into the session with a phone for sound, click the Phone Call tab.
From here you’ll have several options within the bottom navigation bar (1st picture) of the Zoom room. These include enabling/disabling your microphone and webcam, seeing other participants in the room, general or private chat, and the ability to raise your hand. If your instructor shares their screen during the presentation it will automatically show for you (2nd picture).
Reviewing a Meeting Recording
In the event that you are unable to attend a class meeting, your instructor may make a recording available through the Course Media Gallery. In your Canvas course, click Media Gallery from the left-side navigation bar. Click on the Recording of the class meeting to view it. If your instructor has enabled downloading, you may also download it.
Note: Your instructor must enable the Media Gallery and publish Zoom recordings to the media gallery in order for them to be available to you. Please contact your instructor if you need course recordings available.
Signing into your PSU Zoom Account
Your professor may have enabled an additional layer of security in class Zoom meetings, which requires you to sign-in to your PSU Zoom account before joining.
If this feature has been enabled, you will see the following popup when joining your Zoom meeting.
- Click Sign in to Join.
- From the Zoom Sign In prompt, select Sign In with SSO.
- From the Sign In with SSO prompt, type psu, then click Continue.
- Log in via Office 365 authentication using your PSU Email (1) and psu Password (2), then completing 2 Factor Authentication (3).
Once you log in to your PSU account you will automatically be redirected to the Zoom Meeting. If you forgot your password and are locked out of your PSU account, please contact the PSU Help Desk at (814) 865-HELP (4357).