Easily the most effective videoconferencing available for almost any purpose
September 15, 2019
Easily the most effective videoconferencing available for almost any purpose
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Software Version
Business
Overall Satisfaction with Zoom
We use Zoom primarily for teaching synchronous online language courses (e.g. Research Writing for International Graduate Students). We also use Zoom for bringing in faculty and\or students who are offsite (e.g. on sabbatical or something). Although it started out being used just by the International Composition program, we ultimately got the College of Arts and Sciences to adopt Zoom as well.
- Zoom is a brilliantly streamlined, lightweight but powerful videoconferencing solution that makes it easy for users to connect and to interact with one another in all the ways necessary for an online classroom.
- It also makes it easy for lots of users to connect from virtually any platform.
- In language teaching and learning, authentic face-to-face language interaction is crucial, and this software has allowed for an almost one-to-one approximation of face-to-face language teaching.
- So far, there's very very little that Zoom could improve.
- Scheduling can be a little bit tricky, as Zoom doesn't always integrate flawlessly with Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar.
- Zoom has allowed us to seamlessly teach online language classes that are very similar to face-to-face language classes.
- Zoom has also made meetings, defenses, etc. much easier, since it's often difficult to get all professors in one place.
- Zoom is absolutely our go-to solution for remote communication, whether a brief informal meeting, or an online classroom setting.
We haven't tried Zoom Rooms yet, although it looks like an interesting and useful functionality. We just haven't yet had a need for it.
We've also used Skype for Business (formerly Lync), and frankly, Zoom blows it out of the water, for a MUCH lower price, and with much more versatility and efficiency. Microsoft Teams is a slight improvement, in my opinion, for working within the same organization, but doesn't afford as much usefulness for working with people who are not members of the organization.