Helpful Tips for Participating in a Zoom Meeting

The following are the most common Zoom features you may need while participating in Zoom meetings for your classes. 

Pin your Instructor's Video 

Generally speaking, Zoom has some good support articles for managing video, however,  it is worth pointing out the Pin Video feature here. 

You can pin a specific speaker's video. This may be helpful if you are watching an instructor who is using a classroom whiteboard and you want to see the whiteboard more clearly. 

• You must have 2 participants or more to be able to pin.

• Pinning another user's video will only affect your local view, not the view of other participants.

• Locate the three dots ... to the right of your instructor's video and choose Pin. 

Using Chat 

For more on using Chat, check out Zoom’s Chat support article. 

Using Reactions 

You can use the Reactions button on the toolbar to give feedback or raise your hand. 

Sharing your Screen

Depending on your course, you may be asked to share your screen during class.  

1. Select Share Screen on the Zoom taskbar. 

2. Select the screen or application you want to share.

3. Select Share Screen. 

Note: you must select Share Computer sound on the lower left portion of the window if you want participants to be able to hear sound on a video or other media.
See Zoom’s help article on Sharing your screen content or a second camera for tips. 

Moving the Zoom Taskbar During Screenshare

Once you are sharing your screen, your Zoom taskbar moves to the top of the screen. 

You can re-position the taskbar to the bottom of the screen by selecting the Dock to Bottom arrow as shown below. 

Joining Zoom Breakout Rooms 

Your instructor may use Breakout Rooms as a means to encourage smaller discussions.

The instructor or meeting host may:

• Invite you to join a specific breakout room; or
  

• Automatically place you into a pre-assigned breakout room; 

• Allow you to join the breakout room of your choosing
  

Asking for help from a Breakout Room

If you click Ask for Help, it will notify the meeting host that you need assistance and they will be asked to join your breakout room.

1. Click Ask for Help in the meeting controls.
   

2. Confirm that you would like assistance by clicking Invite Host.
   

Leaving a Breakout Room 

From the right corner, select Leave Room. 

Choose Leave Breakout Room to return to the main session.