The Meeting Owl Pro is a combination speaker, microphone and 360-degree webcam that can be used to enhance meetings by combining everyone in a room into a single Zoom or Microsoft Teams participant. This is a portable, self-service solution that can be used in classrooms not yet equipped with Audio/Video Conferencing integration.
McMaster University Library has made an inventory of Meeting Owls available for staff, faculty, instructors and TAs to borrow from the service desks of Mills Library and Thode Library.
The Meeting Owl connects to your personal computer using a USB-A connection, just like a typical webcam. It uses technology that recognizes who is speaking then zooms and crops the frame to focus in on that speaker. The microphone can capture sound up to 18-feet in all directions. The speaker is powerful enough to amplify audio from your virtual participants in the Zoom or Microsoft Teams meeting to the entire classroom.
Staff, faculty, instructors and TAs can borrow a Meeting Owl kit from the Mills Library and Thode Library service desks. To help manage availability for everyone, a 4-hour lending period applies to the Meeting Owls. Users are encouraged to return the Meeting Owls as soon as possible.
Book an Owl for one class or set up recurring booking until the end of the semester.
Any instructor or staff member wishing to book a reoccurring timeslot and reserve a Meeting Owl can do so through the McMaster University Library Meeting Owl Pro Booking Form.
Questions? Email library@mcmater.ca
The Meeting Owl comes with accessories that allow you to position the device around the room for best performance. Every Meeting Owl kit includes:
This kit supplies a USB-A cable to connect to your computer. Users must supply their own adapter for USB-C and other connection types.
The Meeting Owl can be placed on any desk or mounted on the supplied tripod. This gives you more flexibility to move the Meeting Owl into different spaces in the classroom depending on your needs. During a lecture scenario, it is recommended that the Meeting Owl is placed closest to the main speaker. During a class discussion, it may be beneficial to reposition the Meeting Owl within the context of the larger group.
Here are the basic steps to get started using the Meeting Owl Pro with your preferred video conferencing software once you’ve set it up in your classroom:
The Meeting Owl is designed to be used completely separate from any classroom's audio system. It is advised to set your device's speaker output to the Meeting Owl Pro if you are playing back any sound from your computer. Or, if applicable, mute the classroom sound system. Any sound coming out of the classroom speakers will create feedback. Only connect your device's visual output to the classroom projector to display the image to the room. Likewise, any students and participants joining the virtual meeting in the classroom should mute their microphone and speakers (or use headphones) or audio feedback may result.
The Faculty of Social Sciences has created a playlist of video tutorials to guide you through using a Meeting Owl in your classroom.
