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Using security features on Zoom for teaching sessions

23 Feb 2021

How to utilise Zoom’s security features for your teaching and learning activities

Please familiarise yourself with Zoom's security features and use them when scheduling a meeting and during sessions. These include:

  • It is very important that you select the “only authenticated users can join” option wherever possible when setting up your Zoom teaching session. This means that only participants with UoM Zoom licenses can join. All UoM staff and students have access to Zoom and can register at Zoom.us using their UoM email address.
  • Participants can screen share without being made co-host but it’s strongly advised to only allow screen sharing (via the security button at the bottom of the meeting window) when it is required in a session along with utilising the controls available for other features such as waiting room and chat, particularly in large teaching sessions or open type meetings.
  • Always use a passcode and include the waiting room feature when scheduling your session.
  • When scheduling sessions use random links rather than your own fixed personal meeting ID.
  • Disable the chat function if it is not required in your teaching – you can set your session chat so that participants can only send messages to the host or co-host (not to each other or more widely to the group).
  • Mute all participants on entering the session. You can select this as an option when scheduling your session.
  • Remind your students of Zoom etiquette at the start of each session (i.e. use of the raise hand function and how you expect the chat function to be used). You may wish to share with your students a guide on how best to engage in online communication.

A helpful blog post by Zoom provides lots of best practices and additional advice for securing your virtual classroom. It includes information on additional security features and settings you may wish to use including locking a meeting once it has started and how to suspend participant activity.

Further information: