Setting Up a Forest Grove Classroom for In-person and Remote Students

UIS will outfit each Forest Grove Classroom with a basic set of technologies that will enable you to interact with your remote students over Zoom. In general, this set-up will consist of a Windows computer, a webcam, and a microphone. In the videos below, Physics Professor Andy Dawes demonstrates how to configure the classroom technology so that the instructor and students can interact with remote participants. We also have some basic text instructions and tips below the videos.

For more detailed tips and tutorials on using these classrooms, see the About Teaching In-Class and Remote Students”> About Teaching In-Class and Remote Students”>Frequently Asked Questions About Teaching In-Class and Remote Students in a Forest Grove Classroom page created by the CAS Hy-Flex group. If you are interested in teaching methods and strategies for teaching in a hy-flex or blended synchronous environment, please see CETCI’s webpage on Tips and Resources for Teaching In Fall 2020. UIS is also developing specific help documents for each classroom, and we will link to those as they become available.

Basic Set-up Using the Classroom Computer

Positioning Your Camera to View the Classroom

Showing the Whiteboard or Blackboard to Remote Students and Setting up Audio

Setting up a Laptop and Common Troubleshooting Tips

Text Instructions for Setting Up a Synchronous Class with In-person and Remote Students Using Smart Podiums

Setting-up the Classroom Technology

• • Step 1 – Log into the classroom podium computer and turn on the classroom projector or display.
    • Note – Choose the podium computer input so that the podium computer screen is visible to students in the room.
  • Step 2 – Log into your Zoom session on the classroom computer.
    • Note – It is important that you use the podium computer to connect to Zoom so you can use the classroom microphone and webcam.
  • Step 3 – Connect to the Classroom Audio. On your Zoom session window, click the caret icon next to the microphone button in the lower left corner for audio settings:
    • a. – Under “Select a Microphone,” choose the appropriate microphone for your classroom–this should be listed on a “cheat sheet” in the classroom. . (For example, for Scott 218, you would select “Microphone (3-USB audio codec)”
    • b. – Under “Select a Speaker,” choose the appropriate speakers that are in your classroom–these should be listed on a “cheat sheet” in the classroom. (For example, in Scott 218 you would choose “Extron HDMI”).
    • Note – If your sound is too loud, adjust volume on podium controls as necessary, and ask remote students to mute their sound upon entering the session. (You can also change this setting for all students).

Using the Classroom Technology

Once your Zoom session is rolling and your students are present, you can:

• 1. Choose to point the classroom camera at the physical whiteboard of the classroom to draw notes and lecture, with your face appearing on the Zoom session with the board behind you. Both sets of students can see you and the board. Depending on the room and the position of the camera, only a certain portion of the board will be visible in the camera. You can adjust the placement of the camera if needed. Note: It will be difficult for your remote students to see the whiteboard clearly.
     • If your text appears backwards (mirrored) in Zoom, click on the caret icon next to the webcam icon, go to video settings and uncheck the checkbox for “mirror my video.”
  2. Choose to share your screen within your Zoom session. The content you are sharing (e.g. PowerPoint) will thus be visible both to students in the classroom and students attending the Zoom meeting remotely. In the room, the Zoom participants will be shown as a small window that you can move, resize or minimize as needed. Your remote participants will also see the Zoom participants as a window they can move for themselves.
  3. If you want both in-person and Zoom participants to see each other, you can:
     1. Without sharing your screen, turn the classroom camera outward to look at your in-class participants
     2. Have your in-class participants log on to Zoom on their own personal laptops, and create one big, happy Zoom family. All students in-person will need to use earbuds or headphones of some sort to reduce audio feedback. Feedback is an issue if zoom session sound is played by multiple computers (i.e. let the classroom audio system be the primary source of sound from the zoom session).

Some Further Resources:

For more detailed tips and tutorials on using the Forest Grove classrooms, see: Frequently Asked Questions About Teaching In-Class and Remote Students

If you are interested in teaching methods and strategies for teaching in a hy-flex or blended synchronous environment, see: Tips and Resources for Teaching In Fall 2020

For more generic tips about integrating in-person and remote students in the classroom: https://teachanywhere.stanford.edu/remote-teaching-setup-options