Zoom Video Conferencing Application has impacted Jamaica in significant ways.
The COVID-19 Pandemic had caused a Government decision to enforce precautionary measures on all Jamaicans. Jamaica went into lockdown with all schools, colleges and universities ordered closed. Over 600 thousand students and more than 30 thousand teachers where disrupted by the separation of teacher and learner.
Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing app. Zoom allows remote audiovisual communication between people over the Internet. Key featured loved by many include breakout rooms, chat, and screen sharing. People can access Zoom by smartphone, tablet and desktop computers. Zoom uses camera, microphones, screens/monitors and speakers.
Zoom connects the teacher and learner facilitating education. Synchronous interaction increases the engagement of remote learners through excellent video and audio quality and content integration.
Zoom provided several advantages to the lives of Jamaicans. Master trainers and teachers where trained to zoom. Upgrading the education and training of the Jamaican workforce. Several teachers saved money by manipulating the free version of the app. Teachers told students to login again after the session has ended: thus extending the needed session time. Teachers may also record their Zoom sessions. Absent or late students have received and benefited from the recorded session videos. Learners study the sessions videos at their own pace.
The disadvantages of Zoom on the lives of Jamaicans are access related. Students and teachers must have access to an internet enabled device. Learners who can't connect to class are left behind. Zoom fatigue from overusing video conferencing also results in tired students and teachers, The disruption due to Covid-19 also adds to this fatigue.
Figures
Above. How Zoom works over the Internet.
Above. Percentage of learners affected by access to Internet-enabled devices.
Above. The number of teachers affected by school closure due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
References
Teachers training for online and blended learning skills to ensure quality education during COVID-19 in Jamaica - Jamaica. (2020, August 20). ReliefWeb. https://reliefweb.int/report/jamaica/teachers-training-online-and-blended-learning-skills-ensure-quality-education-during
U-Report Jamaica. (2020). U-Report Jamaica. https://jamaica.ureport.in/
Virtual networking etiquette and best practice. (2020). Jamaica Observer. https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business-observer/virtual-networking-etiquette-and-best-practice_204252
