Google Meet provides a simple and effective way to connect with students for virtual meetings, office hours, and special events. This tutorial walks you through creating a Google Meet URL and posting it in Moodle for easy access. You can generate a single Google Meet URL and reuse it throughout the semester to ensure consistency for you and your students.
Common Uses for Google Meet in Your Course
- Student Group Work Facilitate discussions and collaboration outside of class.
- Snow Days & Emergency Sessions Hold a virtual session when in-person classes are disrupted.
- Guest Lecturers Invite experts from around the world to speak with your students.
- Additional Meetings Schedule extra sessions for review, Q&A, or special topics.
While Google Meet can supplement in-person instruction, it should not replace scheduled on-campus lectures unless you have made formal arrangements for a modality change.
Set up your meeting room
You have two options for creating a Google Meet link: directly through meet.google.com or by scheduling it in Google Calendar. Both methods generate a unique meeting URL that you can use throughout the semester.
Google Meet creates meeting rooms on the fly as they are requested. Once a meeting room is generated, you can return to it anytime using the same URL. Below are the steps for each method to create and access your meeting link.
- Go to https://meet.google.com/ and click on the New meeting button
- From the list of options, select Start an instant meeting
If you regularly use Google Calendar, and want to have the lecture appear on your calendar, you can make a meeting room when you create your event
- Go https://calendar.google.com/ and add your lecture to your calendar. When you do, click on the option Add Google Meet video conferencing
- A Join with Google Meet button will appear that you can use at any time to enter the meeting. Click on this button to open the meeting.
Copy the meeting link
Select and copy the URL text in the browser address bar. This is the URL you'll add to Moodle in the next step. After copying the link, click on the red hang-up icon to exit the meeting.
Post your Google Meet link to Moodle
Once you have your Google Meet URL, you'll need to share it with your students. You could email it to them or send it through the Announcements forum in Moodle. However, adding the link directly to your Moodle course page ensures students can easily find it when needed.
If you are following a course template, a placeholder is provided for entering your Google Meet URL. If your course does not contain a placeholder, follow the directions for creating a URL from scratch in Moodle.
Make sure that editing is turned on by clicking the Edit mode toggle in the upper right hand corner of your screen. Locate the placeholder for the Google Meet link. In the newest template it is entitled "Link to Virtual Communication Space."
- Click the three-dot menu for this text
- Choose Edit settings.
In the External URL textbox, a generic link to Google Meet is entered. Replace this link by pasting the Google Meet URL you copied in the first section. Be sure to click the Save button at the bottom of the screen. It is recommended that you test the link after saving to make sure that it is functioning properly.
It is important that the URL prefix and Google meeting link are entered precisely. Copying the link from the browser address bar as described will ensure that the link is accurate. In some places, Google may display only a partial meeting URL; e.g., "meet.google.com/qbh-axtx-sfa". If this partial link is copied and pasted into the External URL field in Moodle, the prefix 'https://' must be added to the beginning of the URL address for the URL to save and be functional.
Make sure that editing is turned on by clicking the Edit mode toggle in the upper right hand corner of your screen. You can put your link anywhere in your course, but we recommend putting it in the top section.
At the bottom of the top section of your course, you'll see the option to Add an activity or resource. Click on this link and select URL from the list of options.
In the Name textbox, type a name for your link; e.g., "Virtual Classroom."
In the External URL textbox, paste the Google Meet URL you copied in the first section. Be sure to click the Save button at the bottom of the screen. It is recommended that you test the link after saving to make sure that it is functioning properly.
It is important that the URL prefix and Google meeting link are entered precisely. Copying the link from the browser address bar as described will ensure that the link is accurate. In some places, Google may display only a partial meeting URL; e.g., "meet.google.com/qbh-axtx-sfa". If this partial link is copied and pasted into the External URL field in Moodle, the prefix 'https://' must be added to the beginning of the URL address for the URL to save and be functional.
Finishing Up
Once you're done, instruct your students to click that link in Moodle to access the virtual classroom during scheduled class meetings, virtual office hours, or whenever you are your students need to meet virtually.
Again, remember that you don't need to create a Google Meet URL each time you meet with students virtually You can create one URL for your course and use it whenever you need to meet with students virtually.
Additional Tips
- Include the Link in Weekly Modules In addition to the main link, place the Google Meet URL within the specific week or module where a meeting is scheduled. This provides students with clear access at the right time.
- Communicate Meeting Details Clearly Always specify the date, time, and expected duration of each session so students know when to join.
- Remind Students as Needed Send reminders via Moodle announcements or email, especially for one-time events or changes to scheduled meetings.
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