Zoom at UT

     Your wish has almost come true. You can now attend class without leaving your bed, but only for the remainder of the semester. As we all know, the UT campus is closed in response to COVID-19 and students are finishing up the spring semester online. While many have probably taken an online class before, this dramatic shift to UT online is still unlike anything experienced before.

   Although UT does offer courses designed for long-distance learning, the majority of classes are held in physical locations to give students face to face interactions. Therefore, this adoption of eLearning will be a new experience for many students and professors. To help make the experience easier,  UT has chosen to utilize Zoom as a resource. The video and audio conferencing platform provides a place for weekly class meetings (i.e. a virtual classroom) to be held for both small and large classes (upwards of 500 students).

 We at TXADPR know that Zoom is a new tool for many; we understand if there is a learning curve. To help those not familiar with video and conferencing, we want to provide some tips and tricks for being successful during this shift to online learning. 

  • Treat online classes just as you would a real class.
  • Hold yourself accountable and prepare for lectures ahead of time.
  • Provide yourself enough time before class to make sure your Wi-Fi is working properly.
  • Find a place that allows for complete concentration.
  • Minimize distractions (e.g. tv, radio, phones, music etc.).
  • Stay engaged by actively participating in online discussions.
  • Form online groups to help keep yourself and classmates accountable and informed.

   Though the transition to eLearning came unexpectedly, we can endure it together and find positive ways to make the most of the situation. Zoom offers very cool and helpful features such as screen sharing, waiting rooms for video conferences, video recording, and other unique perks that could prove helpful for studying. To read up on some of these tips and tricks, check out the article by Digital Trends.

    We at TXADPR know that everyone is trying to adjust, so please reach out with any questions, comments, and concerns you have.  Also, if you have any personal tips or tricks for successful online learning, please feel free to share because we would love to hear from you!

Jack Eltife