The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 has brought a massive change in the world, seemingly overnight; education is no exception. Academicians were forced to make a quick shift to remote teaching; they scrambled for the right resources and applications to facilitate smooth and easy learning.
And, amidst all, making decisions about the software for connecting with students learning remotely, or say, to create a virtual classroom directly, posed a big challenge.
Several video conferencing tools gained popularity in the interim, like Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, etc. These video conferencing platforms have somehow replaced traditional classroom learning, as well as education administration, parent-teacher conferences, staff and board meetings, etc.
This post will focus on what is Zoom, how teachers can use it, and its hot and shortcut keys.
What is Zoom?
Zoom is defined as a cloud-based video communications platform that allows you to set up virtual video and audio conferencing, webinars, live chats, screen sharing, and other collaborative capabilities.
To join a zoom meeting, you do not need to create an account; you can easily click on the meeting link provided and join. Zoom is compatible with Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and android.
How to use the Zoom app?
Wondering how can Zoom be used? Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can use this fantastic meeting app.
What wonders can Zoom Video Conferencing do for Educators?
For education, Zoom can help you create a FERPA-compliant online learning environment that will feel familiar to both teachers and students. You can make your lessons for K-12 schools or pre-record lectures available live. Single-screen displays the teacher and all the students in the classroom simultaneously to create a more traditional classroom setting.
With zoom meeting, you can share your entire screen with your students or just specific applications and files. Students, too, can share their screens with their classmates. To keep things in control, you can implement screen-sharing restrictions as the "host" of the class.
The platform also offers competitive LMS integration. It works with staples like Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, and others. The incredible platform also provides breakout rooms, allowing you to divide students into small groups for projects and monitor these groups to ensure everyone stays on track. Additionally, provides a much-needed sense of social connection to students. Enables the learner to see, speak to, share files and take notes with other students just as they would in a standard classroom.
Aside from all, it has features like student engagement tracking, attention indicators, virtual hand raising, Q&A tools, and even polling to ensure that students are paying attention and that they understand the materials you are presenting. It also has a mute and unmute button to cut down on distracting noises and silence students who are disruptive.
What are Zoom's shortcut keys teachers and tutors must know?
From audio and camera control to recording and screen sharing, zoom has various features and shortcut keys to all of them. Using these may make you a video conferencing teaching pro who never needs to look away from the screen while remaining in control of your presentation.
Mute audio in Zoom
- PC: Alt + A (to mute yourself)
- PC: Alt + M (to mute your students)
- Mac:Cmd + A/M
- iPad:Cmd + Shift + A/M
The mute and unmute option is one of the most used features of Zoom. This option helps maintain the discipline and decorum in the online learning class.
Switch cameras in Zoom
- PC: Alt + N
- Mac:Cmd+ N
Students/teachers have to show something at times, and then, there is a need to switch the cameras. And, if you have more than one camera connected to your Zoom setup, you may take advantage of this, allowing you to show different angles of the same thing. This can be great for other perspectives, such as using an attached document camera to show an image or text or experiment with a handheld camera.
Whatever the need, it will be easier if you can quickly zip between cameras using shortcuts.
Take a screenshot in Zoom
- PC: Alt + Shift + T
- Mac:Cmd + T
- iPad: Volume up + Power buttons
Screenshots or screengrab is amongst the most helpful feature of Zoom app. It is often used during a Zoom presentation where you may not be sure if the presentation will get distributed afterwards and find taking notes distracting. In this case, a quick screen capture, which you can refer to later as an image file on a computer or telephone, is an excellent option. Of course, this should be used cautiously; ideally, by informing the person, you will do so. Otherwise, the sound of the screenshot may agitate them, or they may not want to share what you take.
Presuming it is all right to do so, you can take a screenshot using the given shortcut and using an iPad; you can use your usual screen capture technique by pressing the volume and power buttons at the same time to pick up a socket.
Record a lesson on Zoom
- PC: Alt + V
- Mac:Cmd + Shift + M
- iPad:Cmd+ Shift + M
In a traditional class, we rarely set up a recording system, but it is easier to record in an online class and is also necessary because many students lose their concentration in between and may have lots of queries. So allowing students to record the class can help them refer back to anything they are unsure about.
Start a video on Zoom
- PC: Alt + V
- Mac:Cmd + Shift + M
- iPad:Cmd+ Shift + M
Teachers who are not so tech-savvy can find it challenging to start a video and sort paperwork or a presentation simultaneously. But, with keyboard shortcuts, this transition from offline to online becomes far smoother and ideal for getting off to a good start.
Screen share on Zoom
- PC: Alt + S
- Mac:Cmd+ Ctrl + S
Screen sharing is a handy feature of Zoom as it allows you to carry out presentations and share images and videos or files in seconds without actually sending any. It is sharing the content you are browsing or discussing, making everyone see the same thing simultaneously, which allows you to speak along in time, knowing everyone can follow.
If using an iPad, you cannot use this amazing feature easily as there is no shortcut for the iPad. However, You can share your screen by going to the control center, holding down the save button. ( a white circle inside another circle) and selecting Zoom from the options.
Raise or lower a hand on Zoom
- PC: Alt + Y
- Mac: Option + Y
Remember raising your hand in class to either ask a question or to speak up? Zoom has the same feature. This great option allows you to keep the group silent and makes participants feel that they can express themselves and intervene when they need to, perhaps with a question.
PC users can use the given keys, but iPad users will need to use the onscreen icon.
Other General Zoom Shortcuts
Shortcuts on Mac
To run a meeting:
- Command + J: Join meeting
- Command + Control + V: Start meeting
- Command + J: Schedule a meeting
- Command + Control + S: Screen share via the direct share
- Command + W: Prompt to end or leave the meeting
- Control your audio and video:
- Command + Shift + A: Mute/unmute audio
- Command + Control + M: Mute audio for everyone except the host
- Command + Control + U: Unmute audio for everyone except the host
- Space: Push to talk
- Command + Shift + V: Start/stop video
- Command + Shift + N: Switch camera
- Command + Shift + S: Start/stop screen share
- Command + Shift + T: Pause or resume screen share
To record a meet:
- Command + Shift + R: Start local recording
- Command + Shift + C: Start cloud recording
- Command + Shift + P: Pause or resume recording
- Command + T: Screensho
To control your view:
- Command + Shift + W: Switch to active speaker view or gallery view
- Control + P: View previous 25 participants in gallery view
- Control + N: View next 25 participants in gallery view
- Command + U: Display/hide participants panel
- Command + Shift + H: Show/hide in-meeting chat panel
- Command + I: Open invite window
- Command + W: Close the current window
- Command + L: Switch to portrait or landscape view
- Ctrl + T: Switch from one tab to the next
- Command + Shift + F: Enter or exit full-screen
- Command + Shift + M: Switch to minimal window
- Ctrl + Option + Command + H: Show/hide meeting controls
To communicate with others:
- Option + Y: Raise hand/lower hand
- Ctrl + Shift + R: Gain remote control
- Ctrl + Shift + G: Stop remote control
- Command + K: Jump to chat with someone
Shortcuts on PC
To control audio and video:
- Alt + V: Start/stop video
- Alt + A: Mute/unmute audio
- Alt + M: Mute/unmute audio for everyone except the host
- Alt + S: Launch share screen window and stop screen share
- Alt + Shift + S: Start/stop new screen share
- Alt + T: Pause or resume screen share
To record meeting:
- Alt + R: Start/stop local recording
- Alt + C: Start/stop cloud recording
- Alt + P: Pause or resume recording
- Alt + N: Switch camera
- Alt + Shift + T: Screenshot
To control your view:
- F6: Navigate among Zoom pop-up windows
- Ctrl + Alt + Shift: Move focus to Zoom’s meeting controls
- Page Up: View previous 25 video streams in gallery view
- Page Down: View next 25 video streams in gallery view
- Alt + F1: Switch to active speaker view in video meeting
- Alt + F2: Switch to gallery video view in video meeting
- Alt + F4: Close the current window
- Alt + F: Enter or exit full-screen
- Alt + H: Display/hide in-meeting chat panel
- Alt + U: Display/hide participants panel
- Alt + I: Open invite window
- Alt +L: Switch to portrait/landscape view
- Ctrl + F: Search
- Ctrl + Tab: Move to the next tab
- Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Move to the previous tab
- Ctrl + Alt + Shift + H: Show/hide floating meeting controls
To communicate with others:
- Alt + Y: Raise/lower hand
- Alt + Shift + R: Gain remote control
- Alt + Shift + G: Stop remote control
- Ctrl + W: Close current chat session
- Ctrl + Up: Go to the previous chat
- Ctrl + Down: Go to the next chat
- Ctrl + T: Jump to chat with someone
Shortcuts on Linux
To control audio and video:
- Alt + V: Start/stop video
- Alt + A: Mute/unmute my audio
- Alt + M: Mute/unmute audio for everyone except the host
- Alt + S: Start/stop screen sharing
- Alt + T: Pause/resume screen sharing
- Alt + N: Switch camera
To record meeting:
- Alt + R: Start/stop local recording
- Alt + C: Start/stop cloud recording
- Alt + P: Pause/resume recording
- Alt + Shift + T: Screenshot
To control your view:
- Ctrl + Tab: Switch from one tab to the next
- Alt: Toggle the "Always show meeting controls" option
- Esc: Enter/exit full-screen mode
- Alt + U: Show/hide participants panel
- Alt + I: Open the invite window
To communicate with others:
- Alt +Y: Raise/lower hand
- Alt + Shift + R: Begin remote control
- Alt + Shift + G: Revoke remote control permission
- Ctrl + W: Close current chat session
Shortcut on iOS (iPad Pro 2020)
- Command + Shift + A: Mute/unmute my audio
- Command + Shift + V: Start/stop my video
- Command + Shift + H: Display/hide chat
- Command + Shift + M: Minimize meeting
- Command + U: Display/hide manage participants
- Command + W: Close the front window
Video Support/Tutorial
