In the university’s Zoom, password protection (Passcode) is enabled by default. Password protection helps filter out disruptive individuals who attempt to access open Zoom meetings by randomly guessing Meeting ID numbers. The password can be edited when creating the meeting or later via the meeting settings if needed. It is important to remember that changing the password also affects the meeting login link, so if changes are made during the course, all login details must be re-shared with participants. Sharing the direct, protected Zoom link via an open network, such as a public course page, naturally removes the protection provided by the password.
The Waiting room feature should be used with consideration. It is best suited for remote consultations or other small-scale use where attendance needs to be strictly controlled. In regular teaching situations, participants arriving late or those disconnected due to technical issues should be allowed to rejoin during the session. This usually causes more inconvenience than benefit.
The Require authentication to join -feature is generally not used in teaching. Many users are accustomed to joining meetings via a direct participation link and may not be logged into Zoom. This can easily lead to problems if authentication is required. If the setting is enabled, participants must first log into Zoom before they can open the teaching session via the link.
Meeting Options-recommendations
Allow participants to join anytime is usually disabled to prevent unauthorised use of the meeting. Participants can then only enter when you are present. If the course implementation requires open access to the Zoom meeting, the setting can of course be activated.
Mute participants upon entry is generally recommended so that participants do not have their microphones open by default when joining. This helps avoid unnecessary disturbances.
The Breakout Room pre-assign feature allows you to create breakout rooms in advance if you wish. It is generally not advisable to assign participants to rooms at this stage, as this requires participants to have completed the following tasks before the meeting:
- Participants must have logged into the University of Helsinki’s Zoom before the rooms are assigned.
- Participants must join the Zoom meeting whilst logged in with their university account.
- Participants must be in the Zoom meeting before the breakout rooms are opened.
It is generally advisable to divide participants into rooms during the meeting or to allow them to move to their rooms independently, in which case the groups can simply be displayed, for example, on a PowerPoint slide. More detailed instructions on using the Breakout Rooms feature can be found in the Helpdesk’s technical instructions.
Approve or block entry for users from specific countries/regions is a new and rarely used feature. It allows you to define which countries participants may join from or alternatively block certain countries. This feature appears to be related to the so-called Zoom bombing incidents that occurred at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, where uninvited guests appeared in unprotected meetings.
In the Alternative Hosts -field, you can add alternative hosts to the meeting who will receive extended rights (Host/Co-host) upon joining. This feature is especially useful for courses with multiple teachers. For each teaching session, there must be either the person who created the Zoom area (Host) or a pre-added Alternative Host. Otherwise, the meeting will end quickly and recording will not be possible. To add someone to the list, they must have signed in at least once to the university’s Zoom account. Individuals can be searched using their email address. External persons outside the university cannot be added as alternative hosts, but they can be granted extended rights during the meeting via the participant list.