The Uses of Zoom for Online Studying During Covid Pandemic | Phuc Phan Ha Nhu | TEDxYouth@PennSchool
Zoom is presented as a versatile learning tool allowing remote education across borders, which the speaker argues is superior to Google Maps for learning because of its specific functions like the whiteboard and breakout rooms. The speaker notes Zoom's ability to facilitate learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also cautioning that overuse can lead to issues like distraction and eye strain. The presentation concludes with a hope for a future with less reliance on online classes.
## Speakers & Context
- Tracy — Presenter who discusses the use of Zoom for learning and working remotely.
- School setting — Observed context where Zoom is used for learning.
- Pandemic context — Used as a major point to discuss Zoom's utility for continuity of education.
## Theses & Positions
- Zoom is a special application facilitating remote learning for both schoolwork and personal communication across different regions (e.g., American, European, Vietnamese).
- Zoom is better for learning than Google Maps because it possesses numerous specialized functions.
- Zoom has advantages, including safety during outbreaks, facilitating online games/quizzes, and allowing teachers to mute disruptive noise.
- Zoom has disadvantages, including the risk of students chatting instead of focusing, excessive screen time potentially harming eyes, and the distraction from other internet content (like YouTube).
- The speaker hopes that future education will rely less on online classes.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Zoom meeting** — The application used for remote learning and work.
- **Whiteboard** — A feature within Zoom that allows users to draw or write on the screen.
- **Screen share** — A function teachers use to display their screen content to students for better understanding.
- **Chatting box** — A feature for written communication; serves as a memory aid for students, but can also lead to off-topic conversation.
- **Breakout room** — A feature allowing teachers to divide a class into smaller teams for collaborative, teacher-free learning.
- **Emoji** — Fun symbols or pictures used to make online classes more exciting.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- Zoom facilitates remote participation from anywhere globally, demonstrated by its use in American, European, and Vietnamese contexts.
- The use of breakout rooms enables teamwork and fosters a sense of community outside of direct teacher supervision.
- Muting noise is described as a mechanism that helps teachers manage excessive classroom noise.
- Online learning facilitates activities like playing quizzes that are difficult to replicate in a physical classroom setting.
## Numbers & Data
- **300 million** Zoom meetings every day (as cited by speaker).
## Named Entities
- **American, European, Vietnamese** — Geographies cited as regions where Zoom is used.
- **Courtney** — Student mentioned as being very shy due to online classes.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Zoom** — The primary application discussed; used for meetings, learning, and communication.
- **Google Maps** — Compared to Zoom as an alternative tool (cited for having "no limit time").
- **Whiteboard** — Specific function within Zoom.
- **Screen share** — Specific function within Zoom.
- **Chatting box** — Specific function within Zoom.
- **Breakout room** — Specific function within Zoom.
- **Emoji** — Content used to enhance the Zoom experience.
- **YouTube, video games, reaction movie** — Types of online content cited as distractions.
## Trade-offs & Alternatives
- **Zoom vs. Google Maps:** Zoom is preferred because it has "many functions."
- **Online vs. In-person learning:**
- *Online Advantages:* Safety during outbreaks, ability to play online quiz games, teacher ability to mute noise.
- *Online Disadvantages:* Student distraction in chat box, poor internet connection quality, excessive screen time strain, difficulty forming in-person friendships (as seen with Courtney).
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- The technology itself is described as *"too much"* when viewed in terms of constant screen time.
- The speaker notes that technology *can* help with homework (e.g., using Google search), but this is contrasted with the desired reduction of online classes.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- The speaker ultimately hopes for a future where there are fewer online classes.
## Implications & Consequences
- The positive ability of Zoom to maintain education continuity during periods like COVID-19 is noted.
- The difficulty in building in-person friendships online is a consequence of remote learning.
## Verbatim Moments
- *"Zoom meeting that's how people are for learning works and do some work that they want to do at home and they can use it to come mutantly remotely"*
- *"300 million Zoom meeting every day wow that is a big number already"*
- *"the whiteboard is the app in Zoom that when you click in it you can draw or write something you like"*
- *"the bad thing about chatting box in Zoom that is student can write can chat with each other in in the class and they didn't Focus through the lesson"*
- *"teachers can use screen share to share the screen to the student to more understanding"*
- *"can be safe if we learning at school some people or some we will have covered too"*
- *"I hope that we can do less online class in the Futures"*