Organizing Participants in a Zoom Call

May 18, 2020 7:19 AM

In Zoom, is there a way to organize participants so that they are in the same order on everyone's screen in gallery view? I'm playing with a video idea with some of my students, and someone mentioned that there was a way to make it so that everyone is in the same order on everyone's screen, so that we could "pass" a book around. (We could pre-film and just cut together, but I'd rather do it more live if that's possible!) Is this a thing that can be done? I haven't had any luck figuring it out or finding it online anywhere. Halp!
posted by firei to Technology (6 answers total)

The person who is running the meeting could share their screen. Then everybody would see participants in the same order that they do.
posted by belladonna at 8:52 AM on May 18, 2020 [2 favorites]

Just a data point here, but I've hosted a bunch of Zoom parties and have poked around their options a bunch and have never seen this option. I would love it if they had it, though!
posted by wemayfreeze at 12:18 PM on May 18, 2020

Samuel Grubbs explained how his class has been pranking their teacher (watch his other tik toks to see the pranks) here
posted by saucysault at 12:26 PM on May 18, 2020

Response by poster: Thank you! Your answers are in line with what I had found and suspected. Clearly the person who told me that this was possible was a dirty rotten liar, or at least, misinformed. Ta!
posted by firei at 7:01 PM on May 18, 2020

If the idea is to have a video with "passing" and you are recording on your screen as the host, you just put out in the chat the proper order? It won't look right to the participants but you won't need to edit the video. (I think - never actually tried it)
posted by metahawk at 8:31 PM on May 18, 2020

Yes, seconding metahawk's answer. If you let everyone know the order, and you record your screen, that's how something like this is accomplished.
posted by knownassociate at 10:29 AM on May 19, 2020