Zoom - How to Setup Virtual Office Hours using Zoom

zoom zoom-scheduling zoom-howto

Issue/Question

Can I use Zoom to host my office hours?
How do I schedule my office hours using Zoom?
Can I meet with students using Zoom?
How do I use the "waiting room" setting in Zoom to hold office hours?
How do I use the registration process for office hours?

Environment

Oregon State University
Faculty/Staff
Professor/Instructor
Zoom User

Cause/Explanation

Using Zoom to host virtual (online) office hours to students is a common use case for Zoom. This KB will include two methods of setting up and using Zoom to conduct your office hours. One method may fit someone's needs better than the other. Both ultimately achieve the same scenario, the ability to meet with students one-on-one without the interruption of other participants/students.

Resolution

Method 1 - Schedule Zoom Meeting and use "Waiting Room" Feature

Log into https://is.oregonstate.edu/zoom
Select "Schedule a Meeting"
Enter Meeting Details
NOTE: Leaving "Require Registration" UNCHECKED & CHECK "Enable Waiting Room"
Click "Save"
From the Summary/Invite screen, copy the "Invite Attendees" link and share via email/power-point lecture/syllabus/etc.
Customize your "Waiting Room" experience. On the left side of the screen, under PERSONAL, click "Settings" then click "In Meeting (Advanced)"
Scroll down to "Waiting Room" and enable it (1.) - Then select "All Participants" (2.) - Then click the pen/pencil icon to customize your waiting room (3.)
On the pop-up for "Customize the waiting room UI" you can edit the waiting room message, upload a default thumbnail photo, and/or edit the description of the waiting room.
We recommend editing the title and the description. For the description (400 character maximum) you can enter additional information. This information will display as a Zoom pop-up window when a student joins your meet (with waiting room enabled). You could list average wait times, ask students to please wait, or ask them to check back later. You could also consider asking them to email you for availability.
Configure the title how you'd like and click the BLUE checkbox. Configure the description of how you'd like and click the BLUE checkbox. When complete, click "Close"

Method 2 - Schedule Zoom Meeting and Require Registration

Log into https://is.oregonstate.edu/zoom
Select "Schedule a Meeting"
Enter Meeting Details
NOTE: Check the "Registration Required" checkbox and select "Attendees need to register for each occurrence to attend"
Click "Save" to save the meeting.
You will be forwarded to the Meeting summary page, copy the "Registration URL" to share with your students.
Scroll to the bottom of the summary page, on the "Registration" tab, select "Edit"
A pop-up window will appear, on the "Registration" tab, select "Manually Approve", Check the "Send an email to host when someone registers" option, and uncheck "Show social share buttons on registration page"
Wait to click "Save all", click the "Custom Questions" tab, and then click "New Question"
Select/Enter the following (1-4) options to set up the first question students will receive when registering.
Once you click "Create" you will get the option to add additional questions, here is another example that you may choose to add:
Once you have entered all the questions you'd like to, click "Save All"
After clicking "Save All" you will be taken back to the meeting summary page.
From here you can share your registration link with students if you haven't already. Or, you can choose to share that link later, when you are ready/during class.
When a student visits the link, they will be asked the questions configured earlier when they are registering to a virtual office hour.
Since we have "Manually Approve" and "email host when someone registers" enabled, you will receive a basic email like the one below when someone registers:
If someone registers and you get a confirmation email like the one above, you must log into OSU Zoom, view upcoming meetings, and then click the TITLE of the meeting
Scroll to the bottom of the summary page and under "Registration - Manage Attendees" select "Edit"
Check the box next to the registrant's name and select approve
The student will move from the "Pending Approval" tab to the "Approved" tab. You will be taken back to the meeting summary page where you are complete and can close the window until another student registers. If you choose, you can allow multiple students to go into "Pending Approval" before you approve their registrations.