Do I Need a Webcam?
- If you are using a laptop to teach a class:
- Your laptop probably has a camera built-in! If you’re not sure, launch a Zoom meeting and turn on the video. If you have an internal camera, you’ll see your face on the screen.
- If you are using a desktop computer to teach a class:
- Some monitors have cameras built-in, but many do not; in that case, you will need a camera.
- If you are teaching from one of the Zoom-enabled classrooms:
- You’re all set. These classrooms have cameras enabled in the back of the room. (See below for what’s possible from those rooms.)
- If you want to record yourself lecturing, giving a demo, etc., to give to your students to watch at a different time:
- You’ll need a laptop with a camera or a webcam.
TIP: Click the up arrow next to the video icon in your Zoom control panel and click Video Settings. Then check Enable HD for a clearer video picture.
What to do if you know you need a webcam.
We recommend buying this model. For hardware emergencies, please contact the Help Desk (212-998-0180, helpdesk@stern.nyu.edu).
Using Zoom from My Classroom
If you will have remote students joining your in-person class via Zoom, this is for you.
IT upgraded most classrooms and multi-purpose rooms to allow remote students to hear what is going on in the classroom and so faculty can easily see remote students.
In those rooms, your in-room camera and audio are integrated with Zoom, so you will not need a webcam or a laptop. When you start a Zoom session, the camera at the back of the room will capture you at the front of the room (the same as the video part of a Mediasite recording) and microphones will capture the sound of you and your students speaking.
In most classrooms, ceiling mics have been configured to amplify and record the voices of both students in the classroom and those Zooming in.
If you are teaching in KMC 1-70, 3-120, or 4-90: These classrooms have audience (push-to-talk) mics, which students should use whenever they wish to speak. For students Zooming in and for the Mediasite recording to pick up their voices, they must use the mics at their seats.
If you are teaching in Gardner Commons, Paulson: These classrooms have ceilings too high for ceiling mics to work well. The CETG team has set up these rooms with a technology that allows students to use their phones to amplify their voices.
On the classroom Crestron touchpad, take a look at the camera settings to make sure it is pointed in a good direction and zoomed in the right amount.
We also recommend adjusting your Zoom video settings if you use this option. Click the up arrow next to the video icon in your Zoom control panel and click Video Settings. Then check Enable HD.
Important note: If you project something on the screen or write on the center whiteboard, it will capture that as well, but not well enough for students to see. So, don’t project on the screens or write on the whiteboards.
If you want to show a PowerPoint presentation, spreadsheet, video, or something else on the computer, use Zoom to Share that window.
Instead of writing on the whiteboard (which remote students and those watching the recording won’t be able to see), you have a few options:
GUIDE: How to Set up Your Blended Classroom
IT upgraded most classrooms and multi-purpose rooms to allow remote students to hear what is going on in the classroom and so faculty can easily see remote students.
In those rooms, your in-room camera and audio are integrated with Zoom, so you will not need a webcam or a laptop. When you start a Zoom session, the camera at the back of the room will capture you at the front of the room (the same as the video part of a Mediasite recording) and microphones will capture the sound of you and your students speaking.
In most classrooms, ceiling mics have been configured to amplify and record the voices of both students in the classroom and those Zooming in.
If you are teaching in KMC 1-70, 3-120, or 4-90: These classrooms have audience (push-to-talk) mics, which students should use whenever they wish to speak. For students Zooming in and for the Mediasite recording to pick up their voices, they must use the mics at their seats.
If you are teaching in Gardner Commons, Paulson: These classrooms have ceilings too high for ceiling mics to work well. The CETG team has set up these rooms with a technology that allows students to use their phones to amplify their voices.
On the classroom Crestron touchpad, take a look at the camera settings to make sure it is pointed in a good direction and zoomed in the right amount.
We also recommend adjusting your Zoom video settings if you use this option. Click the up arrow next to the video icon in your Zoom control panel and click Video Settings. Then check Enable HD.
Important note: If you project something on the screen or write on the center whiteboard, it will capture that as well, but not well enough for students to see. So, don’t project on the screens or write on the whiteboards.
If you want to show a PowerPoint presentation, spreadsheet, video, or something else on the computer, use Zoom to Share that window.
Instead of writing on the whiteboard (which remote students and those watching the recording won’t be able to see), you have a few options:
- Choose the Zoom Whiteboard function after clicking Share and use the stylus attached to the monitor to write on the screen. (If you can’t find the stylus, it’s probably dangling behind the monitor.) You can also annotate presentations and other documents using the stylus after you share those windows.
- If you are using PowerPoint, insert a blank slide and use the stylus to write on it.
- Use the document camera to project a blank piece of paper and write on that. If you find the stylus uncomfortable because of the monitor angle, this may be your best option.
GUIDE: How to Set up Your Blended Classroom
Using Zoom from My Office or Home
You will need a laptop or desktop with an integrated camera or a desktop with a webcam. Zoom's capabilities and your experience with it will vary based on the processing power of the computer you are using and your monitor size. If you have a bigger monitor, for example, it will be easier to use screen-sharing and you will be able to see more of your students at the same time in the Gallery View.
What to do about slow or lagging connections
It’s so much easier to use Zoom with a strong internet connection. Video doesn’t freeze, speech doesn’t break up, and we don’t get disconnected. But it may not always be possible to find one, especially for our students.
If you find your connection is slow or lagging or see that a student’s image is freezing or they disappear, temporarily turning off the video and using only audio can solve the problem.
What to do about audio feedback
If you hear an audio echo or audio feedback during your meeting, the most likely reason is a participant who has both the computer and telephone audio active. We recommend wearing a headset to reduce audio feedback. There's also the option to mute all participants if the feedback is coming from another user. To do this click Manage Participants from your control panel.
If you join from a computer and call in from the telephone, use the Audio Settings caret to the right of the microphone icon to manually Leave Computer Audio.
The source of echo can also be speakers that are too loud or a faulty microphone.
What to do about slow or lagging connections
It’s so much easier to use Zoom with a strong internet connection. Video doesn’t freeze, speech doesn’t break up, and we don’t get disconnected. But it may not always be possible to find one, especially for our students.
If you find your connection is slow or lagging or see that a student’s image is freezing or they disappear, temporarily turning off the video and using only audio can solve the problem.
What to do about audio feedback
If you hear an audio echo or audio feedback during your meeting, the most likely reason is a participant who has both the computer and telephone audio active. We recommend wearing a headset to reduce audio feedback. There's also the option to mute all participants if the feedback is coming from another user. To do this click Manage Participants from your control panel.
If you join from a computer and call in from the telephone, use the Audio Settings caret to the right of the microphone icon to manually Leave Computer Audio.
The source of echo can also be speakers that are too loud or a faulty microphone.
Getting Help with Equipment and Classroom Technology
If you need assistance right away, have trouble logging in, or need help with equipment, contact the Stern Help Desk at 212-998-0180, helpdesk@stern.nyu.edu.