Web Conferencing

Would you like to host an online web conference for class activities, including screen sharing and text-based chat?

Zoom is a web-based communication tool that allows faculty and students to collaborate over the internet in real-time. This real-time interaction is also known as "synchronous learning."

Zoom does not require any special software. It’s a web application.
Zoom can serve as an online teaching session with options for showing slides, videos, or documents.
Zoom sessions can be recorded for later viewing.
Within Zoom, students can “raise their hand,” ask questions, and collaborate on a virtual whiteboard.
Zoom sessions can be live captioned for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

An earlier version of this Teaching Element is also available as a downloadable pdf. The PDF refers to Adobe Connect, which is no longer a supported tool at RIT. However, Adobe Connect and Zoom have similar functions and the information in the PDF can still apply to Zoom.

Research in the effective use of synchronous web-based communication tools, such as Zoom, has shown:

Web conferencing enables additional contact hours outside the classroom, as well as continuity of instruction in the event of bad weather or an emergency. (Bentley & Collins, 2007).
Web conferencing enables students to give live presentations, and easily record them for later review. (Bentley & Collins, 2007).
Students appreciate the flexibility in access afforded by web conferencing. (Gosper, 2008).
Certain tools in web conferencing support specific pedagogical goals. For example, polling encourages active learning, and text chat supports student-student cooperation. (Shi & Morrow, 2006).

Techniques

There are many ways to use Zoom in your teaching and the following list includes some of those that have proven most effective.

Provide opportunities for students to interact with outside experts who cannot visit the campus.
Record “profcasts”— mini-lectures for on-demand viewing.
Allow students to demonstrate “live” content mastery in a distance learning environment.
Bring together geographically-dispersed students in one “room”.
Deliver lectures with live class discussion.
Conducting “office hours” in an online setting.
Demonstrate software or a procedure.
Allow students to present or show their work and receive feedback from their peers.
Using poll questions to gauge students’ understanding of concepts, as well as to determine which students are engaged.

Preparation

During a Zoom session, the instructor and each student are geographically separated. This requires some planning from instructors in order to keep students engaged and ready to learn. The list below provides some general preparation tips.

Practice setting up your Zoom session with a colleague before the “real” session.
Consider recruiting a co-facilitator to help manage the session, especially if you are using several Zoom functions simultaneously (discussion, presentation, etc.) or conducting ongoing discussions with large groups.
Schedule appropriate break times for the length of the class.
When setting and communicating a meeting time, take time zone differences into account.
Provide explicit instructions and expectations for how students will ask questions, participate in the discussion, and tell you if they need you to slow down or speed up.
Consider limiting the number of students to a manageable number, with breakout rooms or sessions at different times.
Provide captioning for any activity that includes audio. Real-time captioning is available for class meetings, given sufficient prior notice.
Build in some time during your first meeting for you and your students to get used to the synchronous format.

Teaching and Learning Studio Resources:

Read the Zoom documentation
Schedule time with a TLS Consultant to discuss potential uses: rit.edu/tls/consult
Attend an overview session

Releated Resources:

The Synchronous Trainer's Survival Guide, Jennifer Hoffman
Live and Online! Tips, Techniques, and Ready-to-Use Activities for the Virtual Classroom, Jennifer Hoffman
101 Tips to Motivate the Online Learner: InSyncTraining.com

References:

Bentley, K. & Collins, C. (2007). The Evolution of Web Conferencing. EDUCAUSE Evolving Technologies Committee. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/DEC0705.pdf

Gosper, M., Green, D., McNeill, M., Phillips, R., Preston, G, & Woo, K. (2008). The impact of web-based lecture technologies on current and future practices in learning and teaching. Australian Learning and Teaching Council. Retrieved from https://www.mq.edu.au/ltc/altc/wblt/research/report.html

Shi, S., & Morrow, B. V.(2006). E-Conferencing for instruction: What works? EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 29(4), 42-49.