Zoom

Zoom is a high quality video and audio online conferencing tool for desktops and smartphones. It’s ideal for online classes, meetings, special events, webinars, remote working and job interviews.

Zoom Logo

What is Zoom?

Zoom is an online conferencing tool for all University of Melbourne staff. Zoom conferencing supports up to 100 participants in standard meetings (approval for 500 or 1000 attendees can be requested). The service can be used on a desktop or a mobile by downloading the relevant application and following the setup instructions at getting started with Zoom.

Users can also record their screens, screen share and use Zoom for remote desktop control.

Zoom webinars

A Zoom webinar license (for 500 or 1000 participants) is available at no-cost upon request - see webinars and large meeting rooms. Once you have been allocated a webinar license, you can schedule a session via the online portal by logging into University of Melbourne single sign-on (SSO) login to Zoom.

In a Zoom webinar, by default only the allocated host or presenters can be seen or heard. Attendee's can only use text chat or Q&A to communicate unless promoted to a presenter role. On the other hand, in a Zoom meeting, everyone present by default has equal rights to be seen, heard and share content.

For further information on Webinars, visit webinars and large meeting rooms.

Teaching and learning applications

Zoom can be used to provide students with online help in their subjects and/or conduct online tutorials/lectures. Zoom sessions can be recorded either locally or to the cloud. Zoom can also be used for screen sharing with participants in a meeting.

A whiteboard feature also exists that allows you to share a whiteboard that you and other participants (if allowed) can annotate on. Detailed instructions about whiteboard sharing are available in the Zoom help guides.

Zoom can also be used for remote desktop control. This allows you to take control of another participant's screen in a meeting. You can either request remote control of another participant's screen or the other participant can give control to you. This remote control functionality is also available using a mobile device. The Zoom help guide gives detailed instructions on using Zoom for remote control purposes.

Zoom provides a Breakout Rooms function that can be used to split a Zoom meeting into separate sessions (up to 50). The host can then choose to assign participants to these sessions automatically or manually, and can switch between sessions at any time. The host can also broadcast messages to all breakout rooms if required. For detailed instructions on creating and managing Breakout Rooms, see this article.

Support and resources

University of Melbourne resources

Request support

The LMS is a learning technology service provided by Learning Environments