Introduction
Zoom can be used in a variety of ways to engage students, create a collaborative learning environment, and create a sense of community online. Zoom allows students to interact within the live, online environment to:
- Share their personal and professional knowledge and experiences.
- Complete activities together and problem-solve collaboratively as a team.
- Present their work and provide peer review/feedback.
- Reflect on their learning to make meaningful connections.
Types of Zoom Meetings
This table outlines a few ideas for different types of Zoom meetings that can be used in your course.
| Zoom Meeting Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Meet and Greet | Hold a meeting during the first week to introduce the course, set expectations, and meet your students. This shows that you are invested in your student's learning. |
| Interactive Classes | Conduct a live lecture or class online. You can present materials, perform demonstrations, conduct virtual site visits, and host online educational games. Students can be broken into smaller groups to collaborate, brainstorm, and problem solve together. |
| Presentations and Peer Review | Meet with students to allow them to present project work and gain feedback. This can include reviewing each other's art and writing projects, design work, proposals, programs developed, and much more. |
| Lesson Review Sessions | Meet with students to recap the week's lessons. They can share what they learned, what they struggled with, and what they found most interesting. Sessions can be recorded and shared for later viewing. |
| Project/Exam Preparation | Meet with students to discuss the upcoming project/exam and give them an opportunity to ask questions. Questions can be posed to serve as an informal knowledge check to help students gauge their own learning. |
| Guest Speakers | Guest speakers present online in real time. Students can interact with your guests and ask questions. Sessions can be recorded and shared for later viewing. (Note: Guest speakers need to be approved and enrolled in courses to access Zoom meetings. Reach out to your Program Department for more information.) |
| Online Office Hours | Meet with students individually to discuss course progress, review assignments, and answer questions. |
| Student Study Groups | Students meet with each other, with or without the instructor present, to collaborate on group projects, discuss assignments, share ideas, and learn from each other. |
15 Strategies to Increase Student Engagement
Creating an active learning community is an essential goal for any type of course environment — whether it’s a physical classroom, online, or live through Zoom. When it comes to remote instruction, it’s important to understand how Zoom technology can be your ally in building meaningful connections with your students.
To explore 15 strategies for maximizing student engagement and promoting active collaboration in the Zoom classroom, click the tabs below.
Strategy One: Share an Agenda Before Class
Share an agenda before your Zoom meeting with students so that they know what to expect, what topics will be covered, and what activities they’ll engage in.
Some students may want to study the topic prior to joining the meeting, while others may come prepared with talking points or questions in advance of the meeting. Knowing what to expect makes students more comfortable and engaging.
Strategy Two: Ask an Essential Question
Start your Zoom meeting by asking your students a question that captures the essence of your lesson. In fact, consider having the question up on the screen as your students are entering the Zoom meeting.
You can even have students go into Breakout Rooms to collaborate on an answer to your question and then return to the main room to discuss. This strategy allows students to get involved from the get-go, shows that you value their insights, and promotes active participation in the classroom.
Strategy Three: Encourage Audio and Video Participation
Turn your own audio and video on and encourage students to do the same. Please note that this should remain optional, and not forced. Having cameras and audio on mimics the in-person class environment and creates a greater sense of community.
Strategy Four: Have a Quick Social Check-in
Before your class begins and as students are entering the Zoom meeting, use that time as an opportunity to chat with your students and break the ice. Ask them how they are doing or if there is anything interesting in their lives that they would like to share.
Sparking conversation minutes before the class begins is a way to break down social barriers and create a comfortable space for students to interact and share ideas with one another.
Strategy Five: Establish Communication Guidelines
Students can use a variety of Zoom features to communicate with you during a meeting. At the beginning of class, remind students what communication features you prefer and how they can use these features. For example, you may ask students to raise their hands using Non-verbal Feedback and Meeting Reactions if they have any questions.
You may ask students to share their questions or responses in the chat window. You can even ask students to verbally expand on their responses. Let them know what methods are available to use.
Strategy Six: Draw on Students' Online Experiences
Ask for feedback from students. What do they enjoy most about the online course experience? What frustrates them? Use this insight to create a virtual environment that they feel best supports their learning. You can ask them directly or even use Zoom Polls to gauge what is working and what isn’t.
Strategy Seven: Gather Feedback Quickly and Frequently
You can use a variety of Zoom features throughout your meeting to check in with students, ask if they have questions, and elicit feedback. Zoom Polls allow students to vote on an answer or take a quick quiz. Students can also share feedback via the chat window and use Non-verbal Feedback and Meeting Reactions to answer questions.
Don’t wait until the end of class to start checking in with students. If you are lecturing, consider chunking your presentation into smaller sections and giving students an opportunity to ask questions, share insights, and reflect in between each section.
Strategy Eight: Ask Students to Generate Discussions
Consider asking students to come to the Zoom meeting with one burning question that they would like to discuss. This encourages students to think about the topic in advance of the conversation and identify aspects of the lesson that interest them. Students can steer the conversation and engage in discussions around questions in which they are interested.
Strategy Nine: Allow for Collaborative Notetaking
Use a shared document (like Google Docs) to encourage shared note-taking. You can ask the class at the end of each meeting to reflect on what they felt were the key highlights of the lesson and assign a notetaker to capture those highlights.
Strategy Ten: Use Zoom’s Collaborative Features
Encourage student interaction by using various collaborative tools available in Zoom:
- Breakout Rooms allow you to group students into smaller Zoom rooms to work in teams on projects. Students can return back to the main room to share what their team developed and engage in discussions.
- Allow students to Screenshare their own work with the class. You can enable screen sharing for your students and ask them to conduct presentations or share their group projects.
- Use the Whiteboard or Annotation features to allow students to write directly on the shared screen, take notes on top of presentations, or draw diagrams and concept maps together. You can turn on labels to show which students contributed or use colors to separate their comments.
Strategy Eleven: Connect Concepts to the Real World
Each student enters the Zoom classroom with a variety of experiences, perspectives, and knowledge. Take some time to establish discussions around concepts that allow students to share their experiences and connect what they’re learning to the real world.
This makes the experience more personal than simply listening to information, and allows them to consider the impact of the knowledge and skills that they are gaining in relation to their personal and professional lives.
Strategy Twelve: Allow Time for Students to Work Independently and in Groups
Consider giving students study time at the end of class to work on their projects individually or in small groups. Your presence in the Zoom room allows students to ask you questions as they work, get clarification on the assignment, and brainstorm ideas.
Strategy Thirteen: Provide Opportunities for Reflection
End your meeting with a quick reflection discussion. Ask students to share what they found most valuable about today’s lessons and activities. Consider asking students to share how they plan to apply what they learned or the skills they gained in their own personal and professional lives.
Strategy Fourteen: Invite Guest Speakers
Invite speakers to join the Zoom meeting to address a topic, share their insights, and bring different perspectives to the class. This gives students the ability to hear from industry experts, expand their professional network, and help them see a connection between the class and various professions.
Important: Please note that if you are interested in bringing a guest speaker, you will need to consult with your Program Department to have them included in your Canvas course.
Strategy Fifteen: Keep Engagement Going Between Meetings
Consider ways you can keep communication channels open between Zoom class sessions. Plan pre-meeting or post-meeting activities. You can use discussion forums to continue collaborative thinking around a topic, have virtual office hours where students can reach out to you, or create study rooms where students can connect with one another to study together, network, and collaborate on projects.