As the semester comes to a close, we are all zooming to make it through finals (see what I did there). With the social distancing orders and the impact of COVID-19, schools across the world have been turning to Zoom as an alternative for physical classroom learning. It seems like a godsend – it can handle up to 100 participants, it has video with audio, the ability to share a screen live, it has a live chat feature, and everyone’s personal favorite, the ability to change your background. Personally, I had never heard of Zoom before this, but with all my study abroad classes suddenly being five hours ahead and me having to leave, I was forced to adapt to the newfound technology of Zoom. But how does Zoom actually integrate with learning? Does it help or hinder the learning process? New territory has been breached in the education system – but is it actually as good as it seems? As with everything, there is good and bad, so here is my review of Zoom as a user.
First, I’ll start with the pluses of Zoom. It’s free and super easy to sign up for. If you have a Gmail account or Facebook, you could sign in with that or an email. What Zoom is known for is the ability to host a lot of people and that is very useful for getting your girl gang (or human gang) together. The way that multiple people are framed is extremely efficient. Each person gets their own square, and it lines the top of the screen for everyone to see. For classes, there are muting features for both audio and video which is great to drown out any background noise or parents accidentally barging in. The chat option that is present is also great, especially for classes or movie nights where the host shares the screen to all the participants. This program also is really great for professors to record themselves speaking over lecture slides. Zoom is super easy to pick up and use, and for that, I really like the program. Overall, it works well for classes and social-distanced social gatherings.
Now, this would not be an honest review if I did not include the downsides. To start, when using Zoom you need an internet connection. With everyone at home using the internet 24/7, internet connections are often unreliable. I cannot even count how many times I have been kicked out of my classes because of poor connections. Crowded Internet connections also cause delays in the video, which can make it hard to hear what is being said and respond. There are also time caps – if you want a call longer than about an hour and a half and other customizable features you have to upgrade to premium, which is expensive. Another pitfall is Zoom “pirates”. Basically these are people who hack into Zoom class sessions, take over as host (the person in charge of the meeting) and use the screen-share ability to put inappropriate content on display. By hacking as a host, the participants are unable to leave the meeting and it is becoming an increasing problem.
Overall, despite the usefulness and flexibility of the program, Zoom still has some major flaws that need to be fixed. I think it is great for this moment – but for long term learning, I just do not think it is sustainable. It has great qualities, but not all of them are necessarily being used to their potential. The idea of Zoom also leaves room for learning to be less effective if people do not know how to use the program or simply mute their classes and leave. My rating for Zoom this lockdown season: 7/10.
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