Digital tools for video conferences, lectures, consultations

Zoom is one of the most widely used tools for synchronous video communication, especially in education and business environments. It has gained popularity due to its simple user interface and high connection stability even with weaker internet infrastructure. A key feature of Zoom is breakout rooms, which allow teachers to divide students into smaller teams for discussions or assignments. In addition, Zoom supports meeting recording, screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, and calendar integration.

On the other hand, the free version of this tool has a limit on the duration of meetings (40 minutes for groups larger than three participants), while more advanced functionalities require a subscription. Security issues arising from the use of this tool have been discussed in the past (eg “zoombombing”, joining uninvited people to randomly selected sessions and disrupting meetings or classes held in such a way), but the company has since introduced significant improvements, including meeting encryption and additional security settings.

Zoom is a commercial tool and is available via subscription, although it offers a free basic version. Thanks to its rich functionality and flexibility, it remains among the most common choices for higher education, especially for lectures and workshops with a large number of students.

When we talk about the platforms from which it is possible to use this tool, these are:

• mobile app: available for iOS and Android
• desktop application: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Web browser: yes, with partial limitations.