Hong Kha Students, The Basics

Zoom: A Guide for Students

Pepperdine University has a university-wide site license for the popular video conferencing product, Zoom, for all students, faculty and staff at Pepperdine. This site is great for joining or hosting meetings, study groups, workspaces and webinars–whether it be for attending a remote class lecture or creating a personal audio/video chat.

Usage and Benefits

As opposed to FaceTime’s often unreliable quality of connection when conversing with multiple users, Zoom’s webinar feature allows you to host large online events with video, audio and screen sharing for up to 100 participants and 10,000 viewers (note that the webinar feature is dependent upon special access to a webinar license – make sure to coordinate your event through the Caruso Law Events Team). Or just use the regular Zoom meeting functionality for remote club meetings or group project sessions! You may even record and save a meeting (with a complete transcript) on your local device or to the Cloud.

Note that Zoom is more than just a competitor to other video conferencing products like FaceTime and Skype. It also integrates seamlessly into your Google Calendar if you use Google Chrome for your browser. It also can be used as a telephone alternative and/or a conference phone system, so there is no need to use the video component if you don’t need or want that feature.

Downloads and Installation

Students automatically have a Pepperdine University account under their user name and password via Central Authentication Service (CAS). To log-in and use the online web browser version, simply go to zoom.pepperdine.edu and use the SSO (single sign-on) option. If you are prompted for a “domain” enter Pepperdine.

You may also install the Zoom browser extension on to your personal computer. Once the Zoom extension for the Chrome Browser is installed, you can schedule a Zoom meeting right from your Google Calendar! This feature automatically fills in the Zoom meeting link and other information including optional phone numbers for folks to dial in from a regular phone to participate in your meeting.

For tips on how to maximize your remote internet experience, please click here.

For training, support information, and links related to Zoom at Pepperdine please click here: https://community.pepperdine.edu/it/tools/zoom/training.htm.

Hong Kha Students

Your Zoom Identity Matters

Why your Zoom identity matters. It impacts your course participation and attendance. If your professor is relying on your Zoom screen name to assign you participation points, then you’ll want to make sure your name is accurate in the participant list. If you are attending a Zoom class session that takes attendance via Zoom chat and your professor has asked you to type “here” in the chat to comply with the academic attendance policy, and your name is not showing up. You need to log into Pepperdine Zoom SSO before starting your course Zoom session.

Here are the steps to ensure your name is showing up in Zoom.

Step 1. Go to Pepperdine Zoom website at zoom.pepperdine.edu

Step 2. Log in with your Pepperdine network account at the CAS/SSO log in page.

Step 3. Once you get to the next page you can go to Courses to join your class Zoom Pro session.

Hong Kha Faculty

Blur Background: New Feature for Zoom Update

Students and Professors alike may wish to avoid showing their actual surroundings during a Zoom call.

Zoom has a feature that enables a user to blur their background (as opposed to changing it).

If, for some reason, you do not see this option in your Zoom settings, you may need to update your version of Zoom.

Updating Zoom

One way to download Zoom is by navigating to this link: https://zoom.us/support/download

Alternatively, you may check for updates by following these steps:

  1. Click on your Zoom App on your desktop, and select “sign in with SSO“

2. Enter the zoom.pepperdine.edu domain.

3. Enter your Campus Wide Network

4. You will be prompted to open Zoom.Us

5. From there, you will be logged in to your desktop Zoom app. Click on your profile picture.

6. Click on “Check for updates”

7. You will be notified if there are any updates you should install. If you are up to date, you will receive a screen confirming you are up to date.

Implementing the feature

1. Once in your meeting, click on the arrow next to your video icon in the bottom left corner. Then, click “choose virtual background.”

2. In your Zoom application, you should now see a “blur” option in your background and filters tab. Select this option.

3. Back in your meeting, your background should now appear blurred!

IF YOU NEED ANY TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO INFORMATION SERVICES AT (310) 506-7425 OR [email protected]. GOOD LUCK!

David Dickens Faculty

Dell E2720HS Monitor volume control…and more

As a faculty member teaching online, you may have received a Dell monitor to assist with your Zoom classroom.

This monitor is a Dell E2720HS and information on this device can be found online at Dell’s support site: https://www.dell.com/support/article/en-us/sln320306/dell-e2720hs-monitor-usage-and-troubleshooting-guide?lang=en

Specific information on how to manage the volume control on this monitor is contained in the instructions below that cover the On Screen Display menu.

Using the On-Screen Display (OSD) Menu

Use the buttons at the bottom of the monitor to access the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu of the monitor. To access the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu, press Button 5 (Figure 1) at the bottom of the monitor.

To learn more about how to use the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu, refer to the Operating Your Monitor section in the User’s Guide of Dell E2720HS monitor.Note: Any changes you make are automatically saved when you move to another menu item, exit the OSD menu, or wait for the OSD menu to automatically close.

Dell E2720HS Monitor Buttons

Figure 1: Dell E2720HS Front Panel Buttons

BUTTONFUNCTIONDESCRIPTION
Button 1Shortcut key/Preset ModesUse this button to choose from a list of preset color modes
Button 2Shortcut key/Brightness/ContrastUse this button to adjust the brightness and contrast. Minimum is ‘0’ (-). Maximum is ‘100’ (+)
Button 3MenuUse the MENU button to launch the On-Screen Display (OSD)
Button 4ExitUse this button to exit the OSD main menu
Button 5Power On/Off button (with LED indicator)A solid white light indicates the monitor is On and fully functional. Blinking white light indicates the power save mode
Dell E2720HS Monitor OSD Buttons

Figure 2: Dell E2720HS OSD Controls

BUTTONFUNCTIONDESCRIPTION
Button 1UpUse the Up button to increase values or move up
in a menu
Button 2DownUse the Down button to decrease values or move
down in a menu
Button 3OKUse the OK button to confirm your selection in a menu
Button 4BackUse the Back button to go back to the previous menu
Hong Kha Students

Using the Zoom Chrome Extension

The Zoom software offers multiple options to schedule a meeting, such as from the Zoom App (desktop or mobile), the Zoom Web Portal, or from a Zoom plugin (Chrome, Outlook, Firefox).

This post will go into detail on how to install the Zoom Chrome extension, specifically. The Zoom Chrome extensions allows participants to schedule or start Zoom meetings directly from Chrome, as well as schedule them from Google Calendar. You may learn more about the Zoom Chrome extension by visiting Zoom’s official documentation here, or continue reading to learn how to use and install the service.

1. To utilize the Chrome extension, you must first have the Chrome browser, which you may download here. Note that Chrome is compatible with Mac OS X 10.10 or later, and it is preferable to have the latest updated version.

2. If you are already using the Chrome browser (or if you have just finished successfully downloading it), next, you may download the Zoom Chrome extension from the Google Chrome Store by clicking here.

3. From the Chrome Store, select “Add to Chrome.”

4. A pop-up window will now appear to confirm you selection. To confirm and begin installation, select “Add extension.”

5. Shortly, you should now see the Zoom icon appear at the top of your browser menu, to the right of your search bar. Another pop-up menu will show asking whether or not you would like to sync these extension to all computers under this Google account; select your preferred choice.

6. Now, when selecting the extension’s icon, you will be asked to sign-in. To use your Pepperdine Zoom account, select “Sign In with SSO” at the bottom.

7. Next, enter your Pepperdine email address and password.

8. You will now be able to either schedule or start a meeting directly from your Chrome browser menu at any time.

9. Additionally, when logging on to the Google Calendar associated with your Pepperdine account, you may schedule any calendar event or invite as a Zoom meeting.

To do so, simply select on the time and day you would like to schedule a meeting on your calendar, and a pop-up window of details will appear. Adjust the meeting settings accordingly to fit your preferred title, date and time.

On this window, select “Make it a Zoom Meeting” on the bottom right.

10. You will now see the meeting created, alongside an automatic Zoom Meeting Link. To edit or view the details of this meeting, simply click on the scheduled event.

11. If you have shared this meeting with another individual, he or she will automatically receive an email with the Zoom Meeting invitation and link. If you would like to adjust any details on your created meeting, simply select the “Edit” pencil on the top menu of your scheduled event.

For more information on Zoom for faculty, please click here.

For more information on Zoom for students, please click here.

Hong Kha Faculty

Using Zoom through Courses’ Zoom Pro Tool

As we begin to use Courses by Sakai as our main learning management system, it is important to know how this site can be linked with other useful software for the benefit and convenience of faculty and their students. Here, we will discuss some important notes on integrating Zoom with Courses.

Courses has many tools that can be added-on to your class site, and they have numerous benefits, such as allowing students to quickly access third-party sites and overall give your teaching more dimension. Zoom is one of these tools. However, it is important to note that when the Zoom Pro tool gets added to a course site, it does not have any connection to a specific meeting session ID until a meeting is actually scheduled or imported within the tool. If you would like to schedule or important a Zoom meeting into your courses site, please watch the following video or follow these instructions.

To view an informational video on how to use the Zoom Pro Tool, please view below.

Please note: if you have not done so already, you must register for a Pepperdine Zoom account at https://pepperdine.zoom.us.  Without an account, you will receive an error in the Zoom Pro tool in Courses. 

Once you have an account, go to Courses and log in with your Pepperdine credentials.

1. Now, you may select “Schedule a New Meeting” at the top right to directly create a meeting within the Zoom Pro add-on in your Courses site.

Creating your Zoom sessions in the Courses Zoom Pro tool directly is preferable to importing an existing sessions for many reasons, some including better centralization, ease of use, and less struggle when finding and sharing reports/recordings. 

Additionally, consider setting a recurrence of the session to simplify the process. If so, it is suggested to adopt a general meeting title (e.x. LAW 1234 Class) so same title will be applicable to all future meetings. 

For more details on the basics scheduling Zoom meetings and the potential settings you may utilize, please click here.

2. However, if you would like to import an already scheduled Zoom meeting, click or hover over the more icon that is indicated by three vertical dots. Then, select “Import Meeting” and follow the listed instruction for copying your existing Zoom Meeting ID.

3. You should now be able to see a list of your scheduled meetings underneath the “Upcoming Meetings” tab in your Zoom Pro tool. Please note, if your meeting is recorded, your students may access the recording by clicking on “Previous Meetings” followed by “Recording Details” of the coinciding class session.

Additional Notes:

  • You should not use your personal meeting ID (PMI) link (high discouraged for classes, and moderately discouraged for office hours), due to some reported issues.
  • If you teach both formal Pepperdine classes and 2PEP classes, you must then navigate between the two Zoom accounts. Remember to always sign out of their Zoom app or web profile after each meeting and be sure to sign on to the correct profile based on your needs.

For more information on how to utilize Zoom for faculty, please click here.

For more information on Courses, please click here.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Information Services at [email protected] or (310) 506-7425.

Hong Kha Faculty

Download the newest version of Zoom

Zoom has released a new update, including highlights of the new enhancements created specifically for ensuring the security and privacy of their product. The following steps will guide you through accessing and downloading the newest version.

Checking for an Update (Windows) and Installation

  1. At the bottom left corner of your Windows screen, type in Zoom to open the Zoom Desktop Client

2. You will be directed to a sign in portal. Click on Sign in with SSO to continue.

3. For company domain, type in pepperdine.

4. Once logged in to your desktop Zoom application, navigate to your profile icon in the top right corner, and click on it to open a drop-down menu. Click on Check for Updates.

5. If there is an update available, you will receive the page shown below. Click on Update and Install then wait as the update is installed.

7. You will be directed out of the Desktop application while the update finishes.

6. You will be brought back to Zoom Desktop Client when the update has completed.

Checking for an update on a Mac

  1. In your bottom toolbar, click on your launchpad icon to be directed to all of your applications. Click on the Zoom application.

2. Follow the instructions from number 2 onwards in the Windows instructions towards the beginning of this page, as they are the same.

Please be sure to update to zoom’s latest release to take advantage of new features and subscribe to their Blog for more information and resources in the days to come.

Also be sure to check out our LawTech page on Zoom for other important information.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Information Services at [email protected] or (310) 506-7425.

David Dickens Faculty, Resources, Services, Students

Microphone Settings — trouble-shooting

If you are having trouble with your microphone when using Zoom please check your microphone input settings to ensure there is input level.

Both Windows and Mac settings are addressed below:

On MS Windows it would look something like this:

In the bottom right corner of your screen, you will notice the volume icon in the system tray.

image3.png

Right-Click on the volume icon and click Open Sound Settings.

image4.png

In the Sounds Settings window, look for Input and Choose your input device and then click the blue Device properties link (circled in red) in the screenshot below..

image1.png

This will pull up the Microphone Properties window. Click the Levels Tab and you will then be able to adjust your microphone volume settings. 

image2.png

The volume level does not have to be at 100%, but should be high enough that the computer can detect audio. 

Please make sure that your microphone is not muted. If you see the icon below, click the speaker icon to un-mute. 

image.png

Once you determine the best settings for you and your system, click OK to save the settings and then close all settings windows upon completion of adjusting your microphone volume settings.

For MacOS:

——————————–

You will need to open your System Preferences menu, and in the second row to the right will be Sound. Click on that.

Prefs.png

In the Sound menu, click on the Input tab to see the list of microphones available to use. This is where you want to select the mic you’ll be using. If you’re using a laptop, it will have a built-in Internal Microphone that is usually selected by default.

internal.png

If you have headphones with a mic attached and they are plugged in, you’ll see them listed as an External Microphone. Either of these will work, and you can test them by talking and seeing that the bars in the Input level fill up.

external.png

If none of this solves your microphone solution, please send a note to [email protected] or call Pepperdine University IT support at 310-506-HELP (4357).

David Dickens Faculty, Resources, Services, Students

When I need Zoom Support …

If I have technical difficulty with Zoom what do I do?

  • Test your computer with Zoom before class.  Check out the audio and video settings.
  • If you have problems, the first thing to do, is to completely shut down your computer and restart.  Most computer problems are corrected with this remedy.
  • Before you begin your Zoom session, we strongly recommend that you shut down and turn off any and all extraneous applications, especially those using the camera, the microphone, or the speakers.  Turn off facebook and other social media apps. The only thing you should have running is your Chrome browser with minimal tabs open (two or three?). Avoid news sites, sites with video, other things that require more bandwidth while using Zoom.
  • Mic Problems? Try checking your microphone settings in Windows or on the Mac. Make sure that the microphone is on and is turned up enough to pickup your voice.
  • As a student you may want to use MS Word for taking notes but note that this may be an ideal time to use Google Suite apps as they are very lightweight and will save your computer’s power for more Zoom fun.
  • If your trouble shooting attempts above do not yield results, please see this comprehensive support site from Zoom
  • Note: you may find it valuable to acquire a USB headset for your Zoom classes. That will remove some variables with your computer’s audio (mic and speakers).
  • Tech Support: 
    • Please contact University Technology Support directly at 310-506-HELP (4357)
    • Secondarily, contact LawTech at [email protected] with technical questions.  
    • Zoom’s user support is available for Zoom Pro users (your Pepperdine Zoom Pro account qualifies for the Education support option — best/highest support level). Report support tickets to Zoom by:
      • Online submission via submit a request.
      • Chat live with our support team by visiting your account and selecting help in the lower right hand corner here.
      • Phone dial-in: 888-799-9666 ext 2
    • If you do not have a computer or way to connect to Zoom via the internet, please contact Dean Goodno.

What if, as a Pepperdine Caruso Law student I have a bad internet connection?  How should I join my classes by Zoom? Can I call in?

  • You must use the Zoom app and connect via Internet. See our guide for students here.  We strongly recommend that students use a computer with a reliable internet connection for connecting to their Zoom class sessions.  Telephone dial-in will not work for attending classes remotely It is possible to connect using cell phone data to “tether” the phone’s internet connection to a laptop or desktop computer.  Check with your mobile phone provider for details on this feature. Android Tether Article  iPhone Tether Article

More for Student Zoom users

More for Faculty Zoom users