Online Class: Student

REQUIREMENTS

  • Computer / tablet / phone

  • Microphone

  • Headphones (preferred) or speakers

  • Camera (optional)

  • Internet connection (1.5 mbps)

  • Zoom app (https://zoom.us/download)

Getting Started

Check your system requirements

To use Zoom on your computer, you'll need the following:

  • Internet connection: Wi-Fi, cellular data (3G or 4G/LTE), or a wired Ethernet connection

  • Speakers and mic: built-in, USB plug-in, or Bluetooth

  • Webcam: built-in or USB plug-in

  • Power source: plug in your laptop as Zoom will deplete your battery

  • For more detailed system requirements, see this link.

We recommend using Zoom on your computer for the best experience, but you can also download the app on your phone or tablet. You can also use Zoom inside your browser if you have problems with the app.

Download and install Zoom

Download and install the Zoom app from https://zoom.us/download.

ℹ️ Zoom has both an app and a web interface.

  • Use the app to join Zoom meetings and configure your user preferences (e.g. profile picture and audio/video settings).

  • To configure other Zoom options, sign into the web interface with your Zoom account. Feel free to ignore these settings if you're just joining Regent classes, as they're primarily for users who are hosting their own meetings.

Testing Zoom

Please familiarize yourself with Zoom before using it for class. 🙏

Updating Zoom

Zoom consistently upgrades its security and features. Please check the app for updates at least once a week to ensure that you can connect to your class.

To check for updates:

  1. Launch Zoom's desktop app and sign in.

  2. Click your profile picture, then click Check for Updates.

  3. Follow any on-screen instructions to complete the update.

Preparing for class

We asked several hundred Regent College students for their advice on how to approach online courses. Here's what they said.

👉 How to Approach Taking Online Courses

Connecting to Your Class

1. Sign into Moodle with your Regent Login. If connecting via computer/laptop, sign into the Zoom desktop app.

2. Open your class' Moodle page.

3. Scroll down to the section titled Zoom Video Conferencing and click the Zoom Video Conferencing link at the bottom (see screenshot below).

⚠️ Mac users: you may see a green box that says "Cookies are not supported." Click Open in a new window to proceed (see screenshot below).

⚠️ Firefox and Safari users: you may see an error that says "Sorry, your session was expired. Please Refresh the page or login again." Please enable cross-site tracking to continue.

4. Under Upcoming Meetings, click the Join button on the right (see screenshot below). This should launch the Zoom app and automatically join the meeting.

    • If you have trouble joining the meeting, please email the class TA and ask for a new link.

Viewing a Class Recording

1. Sign into Moodle with your Regent Login.

2. Open your class' Moodle page.

3. Scroll down to the date when the class was recorded.

4. Click the link to view the recording. (It should look similar to the blue text in the screenshot below.)

ℹ️ Notes:

  • The recording may not be available until 24 hours after the class has finished.

  • The recording links will expire after 48 hours, so make sure to view your class before then!

Privacy

Where is your data and how is it processed?

  • All classes are governed by the same Privacy Policy that applies to all of Regent College.

  • In the case of online classes, some personal information is disclosed via the Zoom platform (Zoom Privacy Policy).

  • In particular, user and meeting data, such as participant names and email addresses, are processed by the Zoom cloud, which is provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS Privacy Policy) and/or Oracle (Privacy @ Oracle).

  • However, all meeting traffic (video, voice, in-meeting chat, data sharing, and recordings) are processed by Regent College's private Zoom server hosted at BCNET, a British Columbia cloud provider for higher education institutions.

  • Class recordings are hosted with Microsoft (Microsoft Privacy Site) in Ontario and/or Google (Google Privacy Site) worldwide.

What are your rights and obligations?

  • By taking classes at Regent College you agree to the Student Contract for the term of study and our Student Code of Conduct.

  • In the case of online classes, this prohibits the capture, recording, or sharing of lectures, as they may include sensitive personal information from other students. For this reason, copying text from the chat box has been disabled.

  • Recordings of lectures may be provided by Regent College for a limited time to your class, depending on the course. Your video and voice may appear in the recording if you use your microphone.

  • If you do not wish other students to see your video or voice, whether live or on the recording, you can:

    • mute your microphone

    • turn off your camera

  • If you do not wish to share your real name you can use a pseudonym, provided your lecturer knows in advance who you are.

Troubleshooting

Internet connection issues

If your Zoom connection or video/audio quality is poor:

  • Move closer to your Wi-Fi router, or connect directly to your router with an Ethernet cable.

  • Turn off your video

  • Open Zoom's settings, click on the Video tab, and uncheck Enable HD.

  • Check your internet connection speed at Speedtest.net.

  • Check to see if other household members are using your internet connection during class.

    • If possible, ask them to refrain from heavy usage during that time. (Offering brownies in return usually does the trick.)

  • See Zoom's help page for more tips.

Webcam issues

If you don't see any video after launching Zoom:

  • Check that your webcam is turned on and plugged into your computer.

  • Check the camera icon in the bottom left corner of the Zoom app. If there's a red line across the icon, click Start Video (see screenshot below).

  • Check your video settings to make sure you've selected the correct webcam.

  • Ensure that your webcam is not being used by another application.

  • Connect your webcam to a different USB port.

  • Restart your computer.

Microphone issues

Having microphone issues? Try running one of the tests below. Remember to un-mute your speakers beforehand!

Testing your microphone before a meeting

1. Once you join a meeting, you can test your speakers and microphone before entering it.

    • Join a Zoom meeting, then click Test speaker and microphone (see screenshot below).

    • Note: this will only work if the setting to Automatically join audio by computer when joining a meeting is unchecked (see screenshot below).

2. Zoom will guide you through a series of tests. Follow the in-app instructions (see example screenshots below).

Testing your microphone during a meeting

1. While you're in a Zoom meeting, click the arrow next to the microphone icon to view its settings (see screenshot below).

2. To test your speakers and microphone, click Test Speaker & Microphone.

3. To adjust your mic input and speaker volume, click Audio Settings. The settings window will appear (see screenshot below):

Issues

Session Expired error

⚠️ Safari and Firefox users: you may see an error message that says "Sorry, your session was expired. Please Refresh the page or login again." Please enable cross-site tracking to continue, or use another browser.

How to enable cross-site tracking on Safari

While safari is open, click Safari in the top right corner of your screen and then click on preferences.

Click on the Privacy tab and then uncheck Website Tracking: Prevent cross-site tracking as shown below:

Go back to moodle and refresh the page.

How to enable cross-site tracking on Firefox

Click on the shield to the left of the address bar.

Toggle the switch at the top of the panel. This will turn off Enhanced Tracking Protection for this site.

The page will reload automatically and allow trackers on this site only.

Still need help?