Table 1.
Summary of Video Conference Features and Descriptions With Examples
Feature | Description | Example |
---|---|---|
Screenshare | Allows either the meeting host or participants to share their device screen with other participants | A lecture with slides on basics of glomerular disease. |
Whiteboard | Host/participant can create a white canvas seen by all participants.Can be used to draw with various colors, pens, or text. Drawings can be saved at the end of the meeting. | A “chalk talk” on acute kidney injury. |
Polling | Host can write 255 character multiple choice questions (single or multiple answer) with 10 choices that can be shared with the group. Each poll can be launched/cleared as needed. | A nephrology board review session during which participants answer practice questions. |
Breakout rooms | The host can separate the group into smaller groups for a specific period of time before recovening as a larger group. Each group can communicate with the host to ask them to join their group to answer questions or discuss. | A medical student session during which they solve acid-base disorder problems in small groups of 4 students. |
Annotation | Participants may use the same tools that are available to draw on the whiteboard to annotate on any screen that is shared. | A learner circles the basement membrane deposits on a pathology slide shared from the pathologist's microscope. |
Chat and file share | Similar to instant messaging, participants can share messages with the whole group or individual participants. | Learners pose questions during a lecture on nephrolithiasis. After the lecture, a file with slides is shared with all participants. |
Nonverbal feedback | Participants can communicate with the host using preset reactions (eg, yes, no, and raise hand) | A medical student raises their hand to ask a question about hyponatremia. |
Virtual background | The user uploads a photo or uses existing images (eg, outer space) to change their own background. | Create an ice breaker by asking learners to use a background of their favorite place. |
Recording | The session is recorded and stored to either the host's computer or Zoom Cloud account. If the screen sharing is used, the screen is recorded with a thumbnail of the speaker in the corner. Chat sessions and an audio transcript of the session are also saved. | A nephrology fellow on night float misses a board review session and then views the session the following week. |