Zooming Marvellous

Abstract

For six years I’ve have the dubious experience of testing and supporting four online classroom systems. Each have had different features to offer and the technology has improved over that time. This whistle–stop tour points up the pros and cons of virtual communications and showcases the strengths of this evolving tool and how it can be harnessed for pedagogical advantage. From the toggle choice of “speaker view” to “gallery” to the joys of icon-conversations (thumbs up, slow- down etc.) not to mention the distractions of the chat box, the virtual classroom can be a law unto itself. Lecturers need to assume the officer role and set the pace and tone for their tutorial sessions. Learning/Educational Technologists are crucial to facilitating online classrooms from training, advising on headsets and webcams, helping to trouble shoot during the webinar and posting links to recordings after the event. Our online classroom of choice at Griffith College is Zoom Pro and we have dynamic live sessions on a weekly basis, making full use of break-out rooms, screen-share, whiteboard graphs and dashboard tracking. Our regular eLearning committee meetings have also had a boost from Zoom’s high resolution, robust signal and the democratising ease of connecting with our colleagues in Griffith College Limerick (GCL) and Cork (GCC). We don’t use Zoom technology for lectures but prefer to play to its strengths as an e-tutorial platform, perfect for synchronous Q&A sessions after the learners have viewed and re-played their e-Lecture online. Google Chrome is our choice of browser and Learning Technologists advise participants using the private chat option when they encounter technical issues. Increasingly our learners choose to join the tutorial via iPad and mobile phone making this a very movable e-learning feast.