Each tool has features that should be explored to determine the best method for the specific learning and teaching context.

Compare meeting systems
	Conferences (inom Studium)	Zoom e-meeting (can be used with VC)	Zoom Webinar	Video conference (VC)
Maximum no. of participants	Course participants in Studium	300	500
Breakout	yes	yes	no	no
Recording	yes (14 dagar)	yes	yes	no
Share screen	yes	yes	yes	yes
Share documents	yes	yes	yes	no
Notes	yes	no	no
Whiteboard	yes	yes	yes	no
Polls	yes	yes	yes	no

Video conference

For ease of use, a video conferencing system may seem more difficult to use than Zoom as the equipment tends to vary depending on the classroom being used.

Uppsala University has a collaboration with SLU for video conference facilities. There are also some independent facilities that do not receive support from SLU. On the Staff Portal you can find a list of classrooms equiped for video conferences.

Some meeting rooms at UU have equipment for e-meetings (Zoom, Skype, etc). there is a camera, microphone and speaker that can be connected to your computer with USB. These meeting rooms that can be booked in Exchange / Outlook and have the abbreviation eM (e-meeting) if they have this type of equipment

Booking

For most video conference connections within Uppsala University, it is sufficient to just book the room. This applies to all occasions when only two locations are involved, and you do not need to record or stream the connection.

The system at UU has a built-in address book which makes it easy to connect to other campus locations. Externas systems can be reached by entering their IP- eller SIP-adress. Speak with your local support if you would like a short demonstration about how to use these systems. It is also local support you should contact if three or more places are to be connected, or if the connection is to be streamed or recorded.

Remember to book video conferences in advance, at least 10 working days before the event, so that those who work with the systems have time to plan and set up the connections to achieve the best user experience possible.

Booking video conferences:

Book the classroom or location and equipment in TimeEdit.
Book local support for the video conference.
Employees who work at Segerstedt book through Outlook/Exchange. Others can contact the reception desk at Segerstedt for help.

A video conference can be challenging to conduct well. The video conferencing equipment will differ from room to room, so it is important to familiarize yourself with the equipment at every connection point.

Tests the connection ahead of time:

Do the microphones need to be moved?
Is there enough light in the room?
Does the furniture need to be rearranged?
Does it work to show material that you have in mind?

Local and remote participants need to be able to see each other. Make sure webcams are zoomed in to see facial expressions. People must also have access to all presentation images as well as the online workspace for collaboration. Make sure that the participants always use a microphone, e.g. Catchbox, when asking a question or making a comment.

E-meeting vs. Zoom

zoom-meeting by alexandra koch, pixabay Despite the fact that a large part of teaching has been conducted in Zoom since March, the system has managed the huge increase in the number of users surprisingly well. All staff and students at UU can create meetings in Zoom and there were approximately a thousand employees who took the course 'Get started with Zoom' in the spring of 2020.

The latest version (June 2020) provides increased security and improved encryption. With regard to data security, Uppsala University uses a separate installation of the Zoom service provided by Nordunet with its own server hall in Copenhagen, Denmark. This means that no meeting content is saved with the supplier and recorded meetings, chat text and notes are saved locally on the computer that makes the recording.

However, it is not recommended to use Zoom for confidential meetings, with e.g. patients or at therapy sessions. For higher security, another program, Signal should be used instead.

Teaching functionality

Zoom is very suitable for online teaching due to all the built-in features that enable interactivity:

Participant management - The teacher can book meetings and invite the participants or delegate rights to a course administrator. During meetings, the teacher can see participants and decide if they should be allowed to have audio on, webcam running, etc.
Sharing material - share a video or presentation, a word document, a web page, or your entire desktop. There are also whiteboard and annotation features that can be used for collaboration.
Breakout Rooms - here you can send out participants in closed chat rooms. You can visit the different rooms and also recall all participants to the main room.
Recording - You can record or allow another participant to record. The recording is saved as an mp4 file, locally on that computer and can then be uploaded to Studio. From there, the film can be published and shared with students.
Chat - in the chat window, all participants can write messages to each other. The chat could also be used to take attendance for example, or taking notes. You can save the chat locally on your computer as a text file.
Polls – ask questions that you want students to answer or vote on. Prepare the questions in advance when booking the meeting.