Students using video loops

[Strange_aeonss]

Greetings,

I am a University Student TA and I have a question regarding the surging use of video looping in Zoom to make it seem as though students are paying attention with their cameras on. Is there a way to disallow video looping or altered backgrounds as a host? Thank you in advance!

[EConnelly]

I'll start this with the caveat that "all advice depends on the settings of your account" but there are a few options --

• There is an option to "allow video backgrounds".  Deselecting this removes this permission, which will remove the ability to use looping video backgrounds.
• You can disable virtual backgrounds alltogether; the privacy blurred background still exists if there is a concern for user privacy.
• You can also add custom backgrounds for your sessions - if users want to use virtual backgrounds how cool would it be to have a custom background with the date of the class and topic 😉 Canva is an easy app to use to make these and provides a number of premade templates.

You mention you are a TA. All of these options are in the host's extended settings on www.zoom.us so if the faculty you are working with set up the meeting their settings would need to be adjusted; if you are the owner of the meetings it is your settings.

[DanHuber]

no real way to stop it since they can just use a different camera in Zoom. I use an ATEM mini which has 4 HDMI inputs. it has one USB out to my computer which recognizes it as the Camera in Zoom. this way I dont have to use the screen share option in Zoom. I can quickly switch inputs to another camera angle above my desk, a different computer running my presentation or video. There are software solutions that do this as well. 

This is a good topic, im apart of a group that discusses topics like this and Zoom everyday with an education day on Saturdays. you can learn more at officehours.global 

[Freddi_G]

Agreed with Dan this is difficult to stop especially when there are ways to do this using software such as OBS. I like one of the ideas mentioned above, using forced backgrounds. If you change the backgrounds at random, it would be much harder for students to create loops on the fly, but would add more overhead to the host on top of teaching. Sounds like a good feature request for Zoom. 

[professorvn]

Yes, as a host in Zoom, you can disable the virtual background feature and the ability for participants to upload their own backgrounds. Here's how:

1. Log in to your Zoom account and click on "Settings" in the navigation menu.

2. Click on the "In Meeting (Advanced)" tab.

3. Look for the option "Virtual background" and make sure it is disabled.

4. Additionally, you can disable the ability for participants to upload their own backgrounds by unchecking the box next to "Allow users to upload custom backgrounds."

By disabling these features, you can help ensure that students are not using video looping or altered backgrounds to appear as though they are paying attention during class. Keep in mind, however, that students may still be able to use third-party software to loop their video, so it's important to also pay attention to students' engagement and participation in other ways, such as through asking questions or participation in group activities. professorvn.net

[professorvn]

Yes, as a host in Zoom, you can disable the virtual background feature and the ability for participants to upload their own backgrounds. Here's how:

1. Log in to your Zoom account and click on "Settings" in the navigation menu.

2. Click on the "In Meeting (Advanced)" tab.

3. Look for the option "Virtual background" and make sure it is disabled.

4. Additionally, you can disable the ability for participants to upload their own backgrounds by unchecking the box next to "Allow users to upload custom backgrounds."

By disabling these features, you can help ensure that students are not using video looping or altered backgrounds to appear as though they are paying attention during class. Keep in mind, however, that students may still be able to use third-party software to loop their video, so it's important to also pay attention to students' engagement and participation in other ways, such as through asking questions or participation in group activities. You should connect to Repu - Zoom Vietnam Partner (https://professorvn.net/) to help you,