The Meeting Owl is a 360° smart video conferencing camera. It automatically highlights and shifts focus to different people in the room when they speak. It combines microphone, camera and speaker into one device and the 360° lens shows the entire room, while the microphones pick up everyone within twelve feet.
Before using this great tool for recording your course sessions (in person or virtually), review the Synchronous Session Recording. article that discusses evidence based practices on what to record, when to record, and how to best use that recording.
Check out the Meeting Owl
Check with your division’s academic coordinator or administrative assistant for information about checking out an Owl. If one is not available within your department, please contact ifd@vanguard.edu to see if one of our Meeting Owls is available at the time you need one. However, we are unable to do recurring Meeting Owl check-outs at this time.
How to set up the Owl
Note: The Meeting Owl App is not necessary if you are using the Owl with a laptop or desktop computer and you are allowing the Owl to Auto Focus. Auto Focus means the Owl will select the camera’s field of view based on the speaker’s location and sources of sound. It is recommended that you do not use the app.
How to start a meeting in Zoom on your Owl
How to start a meeting in Microsoft Teams on a Mac on your Owl
How to start a meeting in Microsoft Teams on Windows on your Owl
Sharing Audio, Video, and Other Visuals via Zoom
If you are intending to use the OWL in the classroom to connect synchronous online students with in person student discussion/activities, it is recommended that you run the PPT (or other presentation content) from Zoom as a shared screen with the OWL hooked up as your camera and microphone. In person students will be able to see what is being presented via the mirrored computer screen (full screen Zoom window) on the classroom projector or TV, and synchronous online students can engage with the discussion/activity via Zoom.
In classroom students and faculty will be able to hear (through classroom speakers – volume must be adjusted on computer) and respond (via the OWL mic) to online student questions/comments and vice/versa. Any Zoom account type (Zoom rooms are not required) used in the classroom gives faculty the ability to run a class as described above. Faculty will need to log into their individual Zoom accounts to conduct these types of class sessions. Make sure to log out into (at the beginning of class) and out of (at the end of the class) your Zoom account.