Zoom is an easy to use audio and video conferencing platform that allows for online meetings with screen-sharing and annotation capabilities.
Software
Zoom Pro software is available for free to all UCSB students, staff and faculty.
Instructors can use the software to hold online office hours, bringing guest speakers from anywhere around the world, create virtual spaces for students to meet, give a live lecture while off-campus, and allow students and athletes to attend class virtually.
The Zoom LTI activity within GauchoSpace allows instructors to schedule meetings directly from a course site and set meeting details. The GauchoSpace integration also allow students to easily find and join both scheduled and recurring Zoom meetings that you've created for a specified week or topic.
It is possible to record your Zoom session to share on GauchoSpace. To do so, you will record your session via Zoom, and upload it to GauchoCast. After the video has completed processing in Gauchocast, you can make it available to students through your GauchoSpace course page. This method also allows for AI captioning using Panopto’s built-in voice-to-text captioning system.
Hardware
Zoom software is available on many platforms, but not all computers have the necessary hardware. The minimum requirements to support Zoom are a microphone, webcam, and access to stable internet
Your computer’s microphone will work, but a wired headset microphone ensures optimal sound quality.
If possible, a hard-wired internet connection is preferred to ensure reliable connectivity.
Lastly, you will need a webcam if you wish to display a live video of yourself, students in a classroom, or boardwork.