Overview
The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the Zoom room combining system. The system supports instruction for courses with enrollment sizes that are greater than our current classroom occupancy limits.
Instructors will identify the main and auxiliary room(s) for their course. The rooms available which can utilize this system are SNB rooms 1000, 2000, and 2250. The room from which the instructor teaches is designated as the main classroom. The other rooms for the course are designated as auxiliary rooms. When starting a class session, instructors initiate a virtual room combine request using a control panel on the main room lectern, selecting the auxiliary rooms that will be combined. Course staff (such as IAs) or other course instructors will be stationed in the course’s auxiliary rooms and accept the room combine request from the main room. Once the rooms have been combined, instructors can then proceed with teaching the course. Instructors in the main room can share content with the auxiliary rooms using a designated monitor on the lectern. Anything displayed on this monitor will be seen in the other rooms via Zoom. A video feed from each room will also be shown via Zoom, so each room can see the other rooms. An audio feed from each room will allow use of room microphones, so that each room can be heard. The instructor in the main room and staff in the auxiliary rooms end room combining sessions using the lectern control panel in each room.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we need to plan on having an IA in the room where the faculty is not present?
Yes, IAs must accept a room connection request from the main room and make any in-room adjustments (volume, lighting, disconnecting, reconnecting, etc.).
Will what is presented by faculty (e.g. PPT, video) in one room be displayed in another?
Yes. The students in the auxiliary room(s) will see what is displayed by the faculty (who is in the main room).
Will the student microphones work so that both rooms can hear?
Yes. When the rooms are connected, both will hear students speaking into the microphones, regardless of which room the student is situated in.
Will instructors need to use Zoom, or will the rooms be fully connected?
Instructors will not need to start their own personal Zoom meeting to combine the rooms, but Zoom is used to fully connect the rooms’ audio and video virtually via the process outlined below.
What are some tips for success (or areas that they will need to be aware of that may impact student learning)?
Instructors should conduct a practice session with their IA’s prior to their first class to familiarize themselves with the system.
While the rooms' AV will be combined, instructors will need to be cognizant that students in the auxiliary rooms will not see everything that is happening in the main room. Students in the auxiliary rooms will only see what is being broadcast by the main room's live camera and desktop feeds. If you conduct in class exercises, you may want to have the IA's conduct those independently in their respective rooms for better engagement.
How to Start a Combined Zoom Room Classroom Session
From the Class Control Room (Instructor Room)
Step 1 - Join Zoom Room Session using Polycom Touch Panel
| On the Polycom press the "New meeting" button |
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Step 2 - Combine Classroom AV using Crestron Touch Panel
| Step 2a - Wake the Crestron touch panel by pressing the “Press to Begin” button |
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| Step 2b - Press Configure |
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| Step 2c - Press the link button for each room you wish to combine with the control room |
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| Step 2d - Press Start to combine the rooms |
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| Step 2e - Sign into the lectern computer (Main Room) and bring up any content you wish to share |
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From the Class Auxiliary Room(s) (GSI/Co-Instructor/IA Room)
| Wait until the Instructors Room initializes the room combine (indicated by a yellow border) |
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| On the Polycom press the "Join" button and enter the class control room meeting ID based on the Main room (listed below) |
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How to End a Combined Zoom Room Classroom Session
From the Control Room (Instructor Room)
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To turn off the Room select “End” on the Polycom touch panel
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Select the Red power button on the Crestron touch panel
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From Auxiliary Room(s) (GSI/Co-Instructor/IA Room)
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To turn off the Room select “End” on the Polycom touch panel, and the Red power button on the Crestron touch panel
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Managing Combined Zoom Room Classroom Content
How to view your presentation and notes with your laptop in the Control Room (Instructor Room)
Control Room Meeting IDs
1000 (504 390 7397)
2000 (585 793 6314)
2250 (532 555 9484)
Admin Section:
Link to Dropbox Lectern - Quick Guide