IT offers three options for videoconferencing: Zoom, Meet, and Slack.
Zoom
Zoom is the preferred video conferencing system on campus, and the one that most faculty have settled upon as the best platform to offer courses remotely. All students, faculty, and staff should create a Zoom account by logging in at this address:
https://amherstcollege.zoom.us
The first time you log in, you'll get a Basic license. This allows you to host a one-on-one meeting of unlimited length, but as soon as you add a third person your meeting is limited to 40 minutes. To upgrade this license, contact AskIT. (Note to faculty: If you schedule a Zoom meeting through Moodle (see below) your license will be upgraded automatically.)
Also, the first time you start a Zoom meeting as the host, or join a Zoom meeting as a participant, you will be prompted to download and install the Zoom app on your computer. Installation is quick and easy, and the app will give you access to the full range of Zoom options. If you prefer you can pre-install the app by going to https://zoom.us/download. The app is also available for iOS and Android from the App Store and Google Play, respectively.
A change we made lets faculty schedule and host videoconferences for a class through Moodle. This can be used to conference individual students into the classroom, or for the whole class to meet synchronously online.
Meet
Need to quickly start a videoconference with minimal set-up? No time to schedule with Zoom? Try Google Hangouts Meet, meet.google.com. It’s quick, easy, and included as part of Amherst’s G Suite. You can launch Meet meetings from within Google Calendar appointments as with Zoom. Meet works for ad hoc one-on-one conversations or for group video discussions. See https://gsuite.google.com/products/meet/ for more information or simply go to Meet to get started.
Slack
Slack excels at live chat, but that isn't all it can do. Slack also provides a quick set-up videoconferencing feature as a free and easy alternative to Zoom and Meet. Slack is easy to use and available to everyone on campus at https://amherstcollege.slack.com. It’s perfect for ad hoc meetings with other Slack users.
Recording and Captioning
Need to record your videoconference sessions? Both Zoom's and Meet's record features allow you to do so. Another option to consider is adding captioning during your meeting with Meet's Live Captions. While Zoom's captioning is not live, you may add closed captioning to recorded videoconferences.
A hint to remember with all three videoconferencing options: if you’re using a desktop or stand-alone laptop, its on-board mic and camera should activate automatically. If you’re using a laptop in clam-shell mode while attached to an external display, remember to change your settings to use your external webcam. (Most webcams have built-in mics, so you don’t need to change audio settings.)
If you have any questions, please contact AskIT@amherst.edu.