Zoom

Description

Zoom is a video conferencing platform that also provides live chat and texting options. Zoom is most popularly used by individuals and organizations to support collaboration and communication between two or more parties. Zoom services can be utilized via downloading the application (app) or logging on through the Zoom website. Many educators are now using Zoom to provide virtual instruction to their students or to host virtual team meetings.

Warnings

When Zoom is used by school-aged children, one should be aware of the potential for the loss of privacy or confidentiality that may be experienced through this app. Although Zoom’s video conferencing feature is a great tool for conducting virtual meetings, students may experience a loss of privacy if they are not aware of how and when to use the video and mic mute options. Zoom offers a virtual backgrounds feature that allows users to hide everything that would normally be seen in their background such as clutter and other visual distractions (Yoon, 2020). Holding the spacebar on the keyboard also allows students to mute their mic so that private conversations remain private.

Safeguards

One safeguard that can be put in place to protect students when learning online is ability to admit or prevent people from entering the virtual meeting. With Zoom teachers have the ability to deny admittance to suspicious or unknown individuals attempting to gain access to the meeting. Zoom also allows students to safely receive instruction and communications from the teacher by participating in one-way interactions such as watching a powerpoint (Cuaca Dharma, 2017, p. 269). Opposite of two-way interactions, one-way interactions allow students to receive instruction directly from the teacher. Students can participate in this form form of collaboration even when offline.

Link

https://zoom.us/signin