What a throw back that class was to the days of online classes during Covid! It was a nice change of pace and, as someone living an 1.5 hour roundtrip drive away from campus, it reminded me of the efficiencies that can exist with online classes. Being put back into breakout rooms emphasized that efficiency for me, as I felt I was able to quickly pair up, dive into discussion, and then rejoin the class with ease. I also appreciate how easy it is to focus on the lecture compared to when in class, as I can often get distracted by those around me more easily than being online. The virtual backgrounds are always a blast as well:

I actually ended up discovering some more filters that I had no idea about as well! It was nice to test run what a moustache would look like on me without taking the time to grow it:

Finally, I had no idea they had avatar heads you can apply. Here’s a quick video showing how reactive it is to me moving:

Pretty crazy how Zoom has continued to add features like these. I can see lots of potential with running online classes, having virtual meetings, or using the built-in features to create content. This was a fun refresher on the abilities of Zoom!

While the positives are great, I still think being in-person offers a more dynamic learning experience than online classes do. We get to socialize more and avoid feelings of isolation that can creep up when participating in only online classes. For all of the fun I had with Zoom, I still prefer in-person classes personally.