Annotating & Remote Control

Overview

While giving your presentation you can allow students to annotate the screen you are sharing (including whiteboard). You can also allow remote control access which gives another person in the meeting access to the mouse and keyboard controls. There are several ways to use this feature:

  • Allow a student control of the mouse so they can highlight their question more easily.
  • The class can annotate the same shared screen whether it is the instructors or another students.
  • Collaborative brainstorming sessions.
  • Have students demonstrate a process or procedure.

 

Enabling Annotation

If you want to use the annotation feature, you may need to first make sure you have it enabled in your Zoom account settings.

Annotation

Image of Annotation setting in Zoom account settings

  1. Go to: virginiatech.zoom.us  Links to an external site.and sign-in to your account.
  2. Select settings in the left-hand navigation.
  3. Scroll down to Annotate (or control search the word annotate).
  4. Click the Enable toggle.

 

Using Annotation

To use the Annotation tool, go into your Zoom session then follow these steps:

  1. Select Screen Share
  2. Select Annotate from the toolbar.

Share toolbar

Image of Zoom toolbar when sharing your screen

 

The annotate toolbar will appear. 

Annotate toolbar

Image of the annotate tool bar

You can now use the various annotate tools to mark up your screen.

 

Turning off Student Annotation

When you enable Annotation in your settings, students can also use the annotate option, you can turn this off for them while keeping it on for yourself.

  1. Select the More option in the Zoom toolbar while in Share Screen mode.
  2. Select Disable Attendee Annotation. You can always click the More option and enable student annotation whenever you like.

Disable

Image of turning off student annotation

 

Enabling the Remote Control

If you do not see the remote control option (depicted as a mouse icon ) when you share your screen, you will need to enable it by going into your Zoom account settings:

Remote control

Image of remote control toggle in you Zoom account settings

  1. Go to: virginiatech.zoom.us  Links to an external site.and sign-in to your account.
  2. Select settings in the left-hand navigation.
  3. Scroll down to Remote Control (or control search the words remote control).
  4. Click the Enable toggle.

 

Using Remote Control

You can allow for students or TA's in the meeting to have control of your share screen (or whoever is sharing at a given moment) by going to the mouse icon in the share screen toolbar.

Mouse control

Image of share screen toolbar mouse control icon

When you click on the mouse icon, you can select which student to give controls to.

Note: You can always regain control simply by clicking your mouse.

 

Best Practices

  • Make sure any tools you want to use during your Zoom session is enabled in your Zoom account.
  • Use the annotate feature to better illustrate a concept or draw students attention to particular aspects of your screen.
  • Give students permission to annotate if they have questions that they need to highlight on your screen.
  • Use annotate as a brain storming session.
  • Encourage students to use these tools when they work in groups.
  • Give a student remote control if you want them to demonstrate a process or work through a procedural simulation that is on your screen.
  • As you present using PowerPoint, let students know they can ask questions and even control annotation during your presentation when you pause for questions.

 

Additional Resources