Instead of meeting students in your office on campus, virtual office hours with computers can be much more convenient and efficient, especially during this time of the year. You may consider using Zoom, a video conferencing tool free for UMKC faculty members.
To get started, request a Pro account so you can host meetings longer than 40 minutes.
Here is how to create and share the office hour link with students.
- Sign in to https://umkc.zoom.us, and go to the Meetings
- Schedule a meeting, check the box of Recurring, and select “No fixed time” from the dropdown menu.
- Optionally, choose to “Enable waiting room” if you don’t want the students to access the link without your presence. (Learn more about Waiting Room)
- Copy the meeting link and share with the class via the Canvas course/syllabus/email.
- Sign in to Zoom during your office hours, and start the meeting as a host.
Tip: If your conversation with a student needs to be private, you can either lock the room or put other students on hold during a live meeting. Learn more about Managing Participants in a Zoom meeting.