Service Alert
There are accessibility and equity issues involved with holding virtual class sessions - to this end, we recommend that you do not require that your students turn their cameras on in virtual class sessions, and instead find other ways to engage them. The following readings provide some perspective, and some suggestions:
We have created a short presentation that covers the basic features of Google Hangouts, including how to create a meeting, how to add your students to the meeting, and how to present your slides virtually. The link for our presentation is https://bit.ly/Hangouts-for-Instructors
These tools can enable virtual class meetings (as well as virtual office hours, an exam review session with an instructor or a TA, or even student presentations): simply let your students know when and where to "meet up" virtually.
Run through this "Teaching a Live, Online Session" checklist from OLC for some considerations to keep in mind/check out beforehand, and some resources to take in.
Here are instructions on how to record a Google Hangout if you would like to do so, using the premium feature available to all G Suite for Education accounts through September 30th, 2020 (due to the pandemic). And this slideshow has a step-by-step walkthrough, with screenshots, of how to use Google Hangouts: https://bit.ly/Hangouts-for-Instructors.
Step-by-step instructions for logging into Zoom, and additional Zoom walkthrough information and videos are available on our guide to Zoom: https://library.guilford.edu/zoom.
We have set up a Canvas integration: you will need to enable Zoom in your course menu from the Settings Navigation page, and then follow these instructions from Zoom on how to set up a meeting through a Canvas course. Students will get an email about this, and will be prompted to download Zoom the first time they do this.
For any questions about or issues with Zoom, please put in a Help Desk ticket at http://webhelpdesk.guilford.edu/ or by emailing webhelpdesk@guilford.edu.
Here are links with more information on some useful features in Zoom:
And if you want a comparison of Zoom and Google Hangouts, we've got a page addressing Zoom vs. Google Hangouts in our guide to Zoom.
Unfortunately, due to limitations currently imposed on the Canvas Conferences feature in light of high demand, we are no longer recommending it as a video conferencing option at this time.