Tips for using Zoom for teaching

Zoom's breakout rooms and whiteboard can be used to organize and guide calculation exercises. If there are a lot of students and exercise groups, you can set up separate breakout rooms or even separate fixed Zoom meetings for each group. Students do not necessarily need to be assigned to rooms in advance (although this is possible in the meeting settings); instead, they can move to the rooms designated by the teacher according to their group assignments. Depending on the number of assistants, each group can have its own instructor, or the assistant can rotate between different rooms. See more about group teaching.

When working on math problems, you can use the whiteboard feature in Zoom Share or the whiteboard in Office365, for example. The whiteboard can be used both in the actual meeting and in breakout groups. It is often easier to write calculations using tablet and stylus compatible with the whiteboard application than with a mouse. Some students may also have styluses that are compatible with their own phones or tablets. It is advisable to test the compatibility of the devices with the whiteboard software well in advance. If the whiteboard application does not work with the tablet, the teacher can show the calculations using a webcam, for example.

The image from a webcamera connected to the computer can be displayed, for example, via Zoom's Share Screen > Advanced > Content from 2nd Camera setting. In this case, the teacher or student can show their calculations in real time using a web camera in the same way as they would with a document camera.

If students have submitted their calculation exercises before the Zoom meeting (e.g., to receive the promised points), the student or assistant can use the Share function to display the answers during the meeting. Zoom's annotation tools can be used to indicate and mark different parts of the calculations ( as long as this is allowed in the general settings for meetings). For example, in Moodle and some other programs, it is also possible to add comments to PDF files.

If desired, the teacher or assistant can record the exercise session in Zoom and share the recording with the students afterwards for review. Alternatively, the instructor can prepare videos of the exercise solutions, which can be viewed together during the session using the Share function. During the presentation, the instructor can decide whether to play the audio from the video or to explain the calculations while watching the video. In any case, the video commentary will be useful for students later on. Zoom's recording feature can also be used to make short instructional videos on the course topics.

Zoom Breakout Rooms can be used for group teaching. The teacher who created the Zoom meeting can divide the students into small groups:

1. in advance of the meeting settings at zoom.helsinki.fi.
2. During teaching, use Zoom's Breakout Rooms feature, either by utilizing automatic group assignment or by creating groups manually.

If desired, the teacher can create and name (empty) rooms for groups in advance in the Zoom meeting settings. The teacher can randomly assign participants to rooms during the lesson, add them manually, or let the students choose their own groups.

Small groups can be given an assignment in advance, for example, on the Moodle course page, which they can work on together in the room. The breakout room has a share screen function that can be used to share screens, present materials, view websites, share programs, draw on a whiteboard, and display images from a document camera or iPad. 

The teacher (host) can visit group rooms either according to their own schedule or when students invite them to provide assistance or advice.

Assistant teachers, or co-hosts, can also visit breakout rooms once the host has added them to a breakout room. For example, the teacher can create a breakout room for assistant teachers, from which they can visit students' breakout rooms according to an agreed schedule. Meanwhile, the teacher can focus on managing the rooms and other matters in the main room.

When the Allow participants to choose room-function is checked, everyone can move freely between different group rooms, which can be useful if students are supposed to move around between rooms, for example, in a poster walk-style event.

Teaching takes place outside the university premises as well –  a course may include, for example, a visit to a farm or museum, where students can interview experts in the field and ask questions while seeing and experiencing an authentic environment. Organizing visits always requires effort, and some destinations may not be able to accommodate all interested parties due to group size restrictions. 

Although Zoom cannot replace an on-site visit, it does make it possible, within technical limitations, to offer remote participation in a remote study trip. The easiest way to do this is to use the Zoom mobile app on a smartphone, but in order for remote participants to get the most out of the experience, this requires additional preparation on the part of the teacher (or their assistant acting as their cameraman). Here, we will go through a situation where all activities take place outside the lecture hall environment using a mobile app.

Taking participants into account

Teachers who use Zoom on a mobile device may find it more difficult to follow the discussion and comments in the mobile app. It is therefore advisable to check messages in the chat at selected times, e.g. during a natural break in the presentation. This is the easiest way to include remote participants in the teaching.

Students' questions via video and audio connection to the remote teaching space work best if an external bluetooth conference microphone or speaker is connected to the mobile device. In a quiet, peaceful environment, the phone's own speaker may be sufficient.

Remote connection implementation requires special attention to technology

Check out Zoom's technical guidelines for mobile use to get an idea of what you need to consider if you want to offer remote participation in a study trip-like teaching situation. Things to consider include, for example

• network connection quality
• filming (handheld or tripod)
• lighting
• sound quality

Group Work in Breakout Rooms

The teacher (host) can assign students to breakout rooms, where participants can discuss the given task with others. The discussion may be relatively informal or structured, depending on the nature of the assignment. Small groups may produce summaries or proposed solutions based on their discussions, which can be documented in a shared file (e.g., a shared Word document) or on a collaborative platform such as Presemo. These group discussions can then be reviewed and discussed with the entire class.

Submitting Assignments in Video Format

The instructions for students on how to create a Zoom video can be found in the Student’s digital skills-course.

Poster Walk

A poster walk is a learning activity in which students present their research, project, or ideas to other students and/or the teacher using a visual poster. It provides students with an opportunity to explore a specific topic in depth and to showcase their learning in a creative and interactive way.

The poster walk includes the following core elements: Each student or student group prepares a poster that describes and explains their research, project, or chosen topic. The student or group then presents their poster to the teacher and fellow students. After the presentation, there is time for discussion, during which teachers and other students may ask questions and provide feedback. During the poster walk, participants move from one poster to another, allowing them to engage with a variety of projects and topics.

The poster walk supports the development of students’ critical thinking, research skills, presentation abilities, and interpersonal communication. It also encourages deeper learning through collaboration and peer interaction. Additionally, it offers a way to diversify teaching and learning methods.

Organizing a Poster Walk in Zoom

You can organize a poster walk in Zoom by following these steps:

1. Group the Students
   Each student or student group creates their own poster. They may use various visual presentation tools such as PowerPoint to design a digital poster.
2. Scheduling
   Prepare a schedule indicating when each group will present their poster. Define the duration of each presentation in advance.
3. Sharing Digitally
   Ask students to share their poster using Zoom’s “Share Screen” feature. Remind them to select the correct window or document to ensure the intended content is displayed.
4. Use Breakout Rooms
   Utilize Zoom’s breakout rooms to allow poster creators to present their work to smaller groups. This creates a more intimate setting for discussion and questions.
5. Discussion
   Encourage other students to ask questions and provide feedback on the posters. Zoom’s chat function can be used to share comments and questions during the session.
6. Recording
   Consider recording the event so that students can revisit the presentations later.
7. Moderator Role
   The teacher acts as a moderator during the event. They host the session, manage breakout rooms, keep track of time, and assist with technical issues as needed. When the “Allow participants to choose room” option is enabled, all participants can freely move between breakout rooms, which can be beneficial in a poster walk-style event.

You may also create pre-tasks or post-tasks for the event. For example, students can upload their posters in advance to a shared folder so others can review them before the session. After the event, students may write a summary of what they learned.