How can you incorporate synchronous and asynchronous video into your teaching? That was the main question of the most recent Digital Learning Webinar, Teaching with Zoom, with Senior Learning Designer Linda Lemus and Learning Designer Randall Ellsworth, on October 24th, 2019. During the webinar (embedded above but you can also consult the slides), Linda and Randal shared a number of ideas and resources, including a handout on teaching with Zoom. You can also consult UIS’ Zoom page, as well as Zoom’s own how-to guides. 

There were also a wealth of relevant and useful questions, so let’s address some of the ones we didn’t get to in the webinar!

The concept of “social presence” was mentioned. Can you share more about that?

When we talk about online learning, we often lament the loss of face-to-face interaction, specifically losing the ability as instructors to “read the room.” But think of it from the students’ perspective – they, too, miss being able to “read the instructor.” This is where the idea of social presence comes in, that you, as an instructor, are a real person, and not just a talking head. Zoom is a tool that allows you to have a great social presence in a course. 

Is Zoom HIPAA-compliant?

As a matter of fact, it is! According to UIS, “Yes, Zoom is fully HIPAA-compliant and is secured with AES-128 bit end-to-end encryption. However, this feature is not on by default. Please contact zoom@georgetown.edu for help enabling end-to-end encryption.”

What format are the videos created during a Zoom recording?

The format of the videos are a standard MP4 format, which can be edited in most standard video editing software and viewed in just about any video player. When you record a Zoom session, there is also a recording saved of just the audio, in a standard M4A format, which again can be edited in most audio editing software and listened to in just about any audio player. If you need help editing your audio or video recordings, you can visit the Gelardin New Media Center. 

Where can I get equipment, like a camera or microphones, in order to hold a Zoom session?

There are a number of options, such as the Gelardin Center and through CET. Some schools and departments also have their own equipment for their faculty and classes, so check to see what is available to you. Some meeting rooms on campus also are equipped with the proper equipment to be able to host a Zoom session, but you may still need to borrow a camera. 

How can I…?

This question came up a lot during the webinar, and here are links to the step-by-step answers to the frequently-asked how-to questions during the webinar?

• Set up a poll in Zoom?
• Create breakout rooms?
• Schedule recurring meetings?

Questions?

This just scratches the surface of what you can do with Zoom for your teaching. Please feel free to reach out to us at CNLDS (cndls@georgetown.edu) if you want to know more about teaching with Zoom. 

And the next webinar is…

And stay tuned for our last Digital Learning Webinar of the Fall 2019 semester “Using Media in Your Course” on Thursday, November 21st from 12-1pm.  Stay tuned for more information!