e-Learning Blog

First, let's review the general features and functions of Zoom. Zoom has the following features.

No account registration is required

With regular web conferencing tools, both the host and participants need to register for an account. However, with Zoom, only the host needs to register for an account. Participants can easily join the meeting by simply accessing the URL sent to them, making it very convenient.

Free to use

There is not only a paid version, but also a free version of Zoom. Simply send an invitation link to easily invite members to a meeting. However, please note that the free version has limited meeting time.

Large-scale meetings can be held

With Zoom's paid plan, you can hold large meetings of up to 1,000 people. It can also be used for webinars and company-wide meetings. Even with the free plan, you can hold meetings with up to 100 people.

Stable connection environment

Stable connection is crucial in web conferences. Zoom has excellent technology for optimizing network connections, allowing for worry-free use even on slow connections. Not only Wi-Fi, but also 4G and 5G connections can be used, so you can participate in meetings with peace of mind even when you are out and about.

There are many useful features

Zoom offers a variety of features such as virtual background settings, screen sharing, whiteboard, and group discussion capabilities.

Next are the main useful features of Zoom.

Screen Sharing

In screen sharing, you can show your computer screen to meeting participants. By projecting materials on the screen while explaining, you can expect everyone to understand the content easily. In Zoom settings, not only the meeting administrator but also participants can change to be able to share screens.

Breakout Room

Breakout rooms are a feature that allows you to divide conference participants into up to 50 rooms. It is useful for group discussions and summarizing opinions.

Recording

In recording, you can record and record the screen and audio of the meeting. You can show the meeting to people who could not attend on the day later. Like screen sharing, only the meeting administrator can do the recording by default, but participants can change the settings to be able to do it as well.

Chat

In chat, you can send short messages and share files or URLs. In addition to sending messages to everyone, you can also send messages individually.

Whiteboard

Whiteboards can be shared online with people participating in meetings. By drawing illustrations and handwritten characters, you can share things that are difficult to convey with just text.

Now, let's review the features of Zoom and discuss the types of online training. There are two main types: on-demand and real-time.

On-demand online training is a format where pre-recorded videos are watched. There is no two-way communication with the instructor, but there is the benefit of being able to take the training at your own convenience. The training content is saved and made public, and participants can watch it as many times as they like at their preferred timing. It is very convenient to record classes and training sessions held on Zoom and have them available for those who were unable to attend to watch later.

In the case of online training using the web conferencing system Zoom, it will be "real-time type". The advantages and disadvantages of real-time online training are as follows:

Benefits of Real-Time Online Training

・Communication becomes more active
Since the participants are in the same place (space) in real time, it becomes easier to ask questions and have discussions. It also becomes easier to create new insights and new interactions.

・Can maintain appropriate tension
If you turn on the screen display and show your face, you will be aware that you are being watched, which will create a good tension suitable for learning.

・Easy to deepen understanding of participants
Since questions can be asked easily, it can be said that the understanding of students deepens and the learning efficiency is good.

Real-time online training like this is useful for improving interaction with learners and learning effectiveness.

Disadvantages of Real-Time Online Training

・Difficulty in understanding
It can be difficult to understand the level of understanding of each individual student. In an online environment, it is difficult to accurately assess the reactions and expressions of students on screen, so it is necessary to conduct small tests to check their understanding.

・Equipment and Communication Troubles
There is a possibility of problems with internet connection or devices being used. As participants may join from their homes, offices, or even outdoors, they may be affected by network instability or device malfunctions.

It is necessary to consider these advantages and disadvantages while proceeding with the consideration and preparation of online training.

Why is it beneficial to use Zoom on Moodle? This is because you can incorporate real-time training through Zoom as an activity within Moodle courses. The following activities are possible within courses.

Participation history remains

If using Zoom alone, you will need to grant entry permission and confirm attendance when participants enter. Also, you may not notice if someone leaves in the middle of the session if there are a lot of participants. However, with Moodle, detailed participation information such as when participants joined, how long they participated, and if they stayed until the end will be recorded, not just whether they participated or not.

Scheduling will become easier.

To set up Zoom, you usually need to log in to Zoom, schedule the meeting, and distribute the meeting information (URL and passcode) to the participants. However, there may be issues such as not being able to receive or check the email, which can prevent participants from joining the training. But if you integrate Moodle and Zoom, you can schedule the meeting on Moodle. This eliminates the need to send meeting room information to participants as it will be set up within the course. Participants can simply log in to Moodle, open the course, and click on Zoom, one of the activities, to join the meeting immediately.

You can easily conduct a comprehension test.

After conducting online training with Zoom, there may be a need to administer a test to assess understanding. But how should this be done? Should we write questions in Word and have participants fill in the answers? Then distribute the Word file to everyone and collect the responses afterwards. This can be very time-consuming and labor-intensive.
In the case of Moodle, you can set up a test as the next activity after the online training session. Once the online training with Zoom is finished, participants can click on the test activity and answer the questions that have been set up. As soon as the test is completed, the results are immediately evaluated and the instructor can review them. If a participant's test results fall below a certain threshold, they can easily watch the recorded video of the online training session using Zoom's recording function and retake the test at a later date.

We have introduced how convenient it is to use Zoom on Moodle, so next we will explain how to integrate Moodle and Zoom.
To integrate, we will use a plugin called "Zoom meeting". You can download it from this site, which is the official plugin site for Moodle.
＞ Zoom meeting

Download this plugin and set it up in Moodle. Please refer to the detailed instructions on how to install the plugin here.
＞ Plugin Installation

Next, log in to Moodle as a user with course creator permissions and click on "Add an activity or resource" in edit mode.

Select "Zoom Meeting".

Enter the meeting name for "Title". (Example: Compliance Training)
Enter a description for "Description".

Afterwards, perform the following settings.
"When": Set the month, day, year, hour, and minute to start the Zoom meeting.
"Duration (minutes)": Set the length of the meeting.
"Repeat": Check this if the meeting will be held regularly.
"Webinar": Check this if the meeting will be a webinar.
"Show Schedule section": Check this if you want to display schedule information on the Zoom meeting page.
"Require registration": If this option is enabled, participants will be required to register for the Zoom meeting before joining.

Once the settings are complete, click "Save and Display".

The following is the screen that indicates the completion of the setup.

Next, let's log in as a student user. The course will be displayed like this and you will be able to take it. Click on "Compliance Training".

You can join the meeting simply by clicking "Join Meeting".

Zoom will start. Depending on the settings, you can display it within Moodle or split the browser screen to display it.

With this, participants can easily join Zoom without having to distribute the necessary URL or meeting room information. This means that there will be no trouble and it will save the instructor's time. Additionally, it is very convenient to collect participation information on Moodle.

Moodle and Zoom are widely used tools in educational institutions and business environments, respectively. Moodle is a learning management system (LMS) and Zoom is a web conferencing system. By integrating the two, you can create an even more efficient online learning environment. Did you feel the benefits in this blog? Please consider using Zoom on Moodle. Human Science Co., Ltd. provides support for how to integrate and use Zoom. Please feel free to contact us.

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