Optimizing Zoom Settings for Effective Virtual Learning: A MedEdTwagTeam Guide
June 16, 2020;
Dr. Jennifer Spicer, MD, MPH
Welcome to the first Tweetorial Tuesday from the MedEdTwagTeam. This week, we’ll be focusing on optimizing Zoom settings to create the best possible virtual learning environment.
Over the next seven weeks, Jennifer Spicer and GStetsonMD will alternate presenting tweetorials on various topics, all centered around virtual teaching and learning. This week, we’re discussing Zoom settings.
Customizing default settings on your chosen virtual platform is crucial for an efficient virtual classroom. My focus will be on Zoom, which has been my primary tool.
To access advanced settings on Zoom, follow these steps:
- Select “Preferences”
- Select “General”
- Select “View More Settings”
This action will open your web browser to a comprehensive list of advanced Zoom settings. The settings we’ll be discussing today fall under “In Meeting” – either Basic or Advanced settings.
You can alter “chat” settings. In most virtual teaching sessions, enabling the chat function is recommended as it’s an excellent way for participants to ask questions. You can, however, choose whether to allow private chats between participants or automatic saving of chats.
I recommend enabling “file transfer”. It provides an easy way to share handouts and other teaching materials in the chat box during the session.
You can adjust your “screen sharing” options based on whether you want others to share their screens or not. If you use breakout rooms, you should select “all participants”, or learners won’t be able to share screens when in breakout rooms.
Allowing “annotations” is advisable if you want the host or participants to draw on the screen. This function can be useful for pointing out abnormalities on images or physical exams during cases.
Enabling the whiteboard is another tool that can be beneficial during case-based teaching or virtual “chalk talks”. Look out for tips from GStetsonMD on how to use this effectively in a few weeks. Using an iPad or tablet can make this process even simpler.
Another feature to enable is “breakout rooms”. This feature allows learners to work in small groups during the session in their own private room. It is a key aspect of creating interactive sessions.
Consider using a “waiting room”. It allows you to control who enters the session and is a key feature used for telehealth and virtual medicine.
When starting a session, the most important function to master is managing participants. If you select “participants” on your toolbar, it opens up a list of everyone in the meeting. From here, you can mute individuals or the entire room.
Lastly, you can adjust who is a “host” or “co-host” for the meeting. Keep in mind that some functions are only available to “hosts” and not “co-hosts” (e.g., creating breakout rooms).
That’s all for this week’s Tuesday Tweetorial from the MedEdTwagTeam. Join us next week to learn about managing Zoom with other applications. We’d love to hear if you have any other tips about managing settings in Zoom or other virtual teaching platforms.