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Zoom Video Conferencing

Zoom is the official video conferencing service of ICERM and Brown University. ICERM uses both Zoom Meetings and Zoom Webinar for our events.

Downloading Zoom

  • The Zoom Meetings client is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux from the Zoom website.
  • Zoom is available for iOS on the App Store and Android on the Google Play Store.

General Zoom Info & Tips

  • Zoom has apps for macOS, Windows, and Linux available for download on the Zoom.us website (https://zoom.us/download/). iOS and Android apps are also available on the App Store/Google Play Store. Zoom will work best if you keep it up to date to the latest version, available through the download link.
  • Please join the Zoom sessions with your full name.
  • We recommend using headphones to reduce the chance of echo, feedback, or other audio issues.
  • Zoom can be bandwidth and resource-intensive for your computer. For best performance, we recommend a wired connection, if possible, and running as few other concurrent applications as possible while participating.
  • We encourage users to add a profile photo to their Zoom account so that it will show up when you are speaking without a camera on.
  • Zoom has a great user guide and knowledge base available at https://support.zoom.us/.

FAQs & Zoom Support Pages

Zoom's full user guide and knowledgebase available at https://support.zoom.us/. Some commonly used Zoom features at ICERM along with direct links to their support pages on Zoom's website are below.

Meetings vs. Webinars

Zoom Virtual Meetings

Zoom Meetings provides meetings with video, audio and screen sharing for up to 300 real time participants.

  • ICERM uses Zoom Meetings for most workshop talks, discussion sessions, working group meetings, and virtual social events such as coffee break sessions and workshop receptions.
  • Zoom Meetings allow all participants to control their own microphones, cameras, and screen sharing so they can see, chat, and collaborate with each other.
  • For officially scheduled workshop events, ICERM's IT staff creates the Zoom sessions and shares the links with all participants. A member of ICERM's IT staff also monitors the Zoom session to provide any technical support should the need arise.
  • During long-term programs, ICERM can support a limited number of recurring working group meetings on Zoom.
  • All attendees, speakers, and session chairs are encouraged to review our Zoom Meetings Guide.

Zoom Webinar

Zoom Webinar is an add-on to the Zoom Meetings service that allows more formal webinar broadcasting and live-streaming outside of Zoom.

  • ICERM sometimes uses Webinar for more formal events such as virtual public lectures.
  • Webinar attendees will be in view-only mode but can still raise their hand to request microphone access or use chat to ask questions.
  • Most ICERM Webinars are live-streamed on the icerm.brown.edu website via Panopto.

Technical Comparison for Organizers

Meetings

  • Zoom Meetings allow all participants to see, chat, and collaborate with each other.
  • All participants can control their own microphones, cameras, and screen sharing by default.
  • These sessions can be recorded but not live streamed.

Webinars

  • During a webinar, participants are put into two categories: “panelists” and “attendees”.
  • Panelists can use video, audio, and screen sharing just like in a normal Zoom meeting.
  • Attendees have a “view-only” experience of the panel, but can also use audio with permission from the Webinar hosts for asking questions during talks.
  • Attendees in Webinars can not see the participant list during sessions.
  • Webinar also includes Q&A and Polls features.
  • Q&A is a specific chat area for attendees to ask questions to panelists.
  • Polls allow panelists and webinar hosts to poll the attendees to vote on questions/topics during the webinar.
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