Zoom Gains Focus Mode to Help Reduce Distractions in Virtual Classrooms

[MacRumors]

Zoom has introduced a new feature called Focus Mode that's designed to prevent students from distracting each other during virtual classrooms.

When enabled, Focus Mode allows the teacher or lecturer taking the class to see all the students, while each student can only see the teacher.

The setting can be activated at any time by the teleconferencing host, so for example it could be turned on for lecture periods to reduce distractions from students' video feeds and then turned off for group discussion.

Focus Mode is available on the free desktop Zoom client, therefore lending itself to other uses, like business meetings, family gatherings and so on.

Zoom announced the new feature in a blog post offering other back-to-school tips to get children prepared for virtual or hybrid learning. Version 5.7.5 of Zoom for Mac is available to download from the Zoom website.

Article Link: Zoom Gains Focus Mode to Help Reduce Distractions in Virtual Classrooms

 

[HappyDude20]

I feel that in the very long term these ‘features’ are really about control.

 

[idmean]

Focus Mode is available on the free desktop Zoom client, therefore lending itself to other uses, like business meetings, family gatherings and so on

How so? That would be a strange kind of business meeting or family gathering

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I've been teaching a lot over Zoom during a few periods of lockdown, and it has been less than ideal.

However, this seems like a nice way to get the students to actually enable camera (privacy concern and distractions are two main reasons why I normally teach to a bunch of "icons on black background").

That way it would be possible to actually get the "feel of the room", although just fraction of what you can get in a physical classroom.

There are other issues to zoom lectures (not least for practical subjects), but every little bit helps.

Now, I don't trust Zoom anywhere near enough to install the client on my personal Mac, I still consider the app as Malware, but on my company issued work Mac this will be a welcome upgrade.

 

[EmotionalSnow]

I feel that in the very long term these ‘features’ are really about control.

Care to explain your thoughts or are you going to leave us in the dark? Because I have no clue why you would think that.

 

[DaSal]

I've been teaching a lot over Zoom during a few periods of lockdown, and it has been less than ideal.

However, this seems like a nice way to get the students to actually enable camera (privacy concern and distractions are two main reasons why I normally teach to a bunch of "icons on black background").

That way it would be possible to actually get the "feel of the room", although just fraction of what you can get in a physical classroom.

There are other issues to zoom lectures (not least for practical subjects), but every little bit helps.

Now, I don't trust Zoom anywhere near enough to install the client on my personal Mac, I still consider the app as Malware, but on my company issued work Mac this will be a welcome upgrade.

Honestly, as a student, I feel like this is the worst of both worlds from a student perspective. I absolutely hate zoom calls for a number of reasons:

- It’s distracting/hard to focus - primarily because of your OWN preview (you also don’t do other things in front of a mirror)
- Other students can be distracting
- (Most) teachers themselves can be distracting, for instance by being poorly prepared, having technical issues (bad WiFi - stutter, bad microphone or bad camera) or another common one is teachers taking +25% longer than a physical lecture because ‘they can’ which generally results in lectures that either drag and are too slow paced or on the other end of the spectrum, are overfilled and fatiguing

The upsides being:

- seeing your fellow students
- seeing the teacher

With this new feature, it basically remains a ****** experience for students while also removing any social elements.

at this point might as well just stream a live recorded video and have a live q&a chatbox imo.

 

[rizzo41999]

A "Professor" of grade school?

 

[ReddJive]

Now if they could do something about getting teachers to actually teach in a virtual classroom.

 

[Poisednoise]

This is a welcome new feature for teachers, although a pity it’s being introduced at a point where most of the developed world is looking to returning to the classroom. Apart from the US my understanding is most countries are reverting to a greater normality this September: this is certainly the case in Europe (I teach in the UK).

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

at this point might as well just stream a live recorded video and have a live q&a chatbox imo.

Funny you should say that, as I've been toying with that idea this Spring.

 

[therockyroad]

This is a welcome new feature for teachers, although a pity it’s being introduced at a point where most of the developed world is looking to returning to the classroom. Apart from the US my understanding is most countries are reverting to a greater normality this September: this is certainly the case in Europe (I teach in the UK).

Unfortunately not Australia. More regions locking down every day atm, including all of Sydney and much of NSW. Looks like we will be remote learning for at least a whole ten week school term.

 

[NightFox]

This reminds me of 19th century prison chapels where each prisoner sat in a partitioned cubicle so they could only see the priest and not each other as part of a prison-wide regime of total isolation from other prisoners. Can you imagine the response if anyone suggested doing the same in a normal school environment? So why do people think it's a good idea for online teaching?

 

[therockyroad]

This reminds me of 19th century prison chapels where each prisoner sat in a partitioned cubicle so they could only see the priest and not each other as part of a prison-wide regime of total isolation from other prisoners. Can you imagine the response if anyone suggested doing the same in a normal school environment? So why do people think it's a good idea for online teaching?

View attachment 1817703

Because it is not a normal school environment. you wouldn’t want it on all the time, but it would be good during an online assessment, plus there are special needs students who don’t have their camera on during lessons but would be more comfortable if they know the whole class isn’t looking at them. Our head of learning support is very happy they added this feature.

PS: The model for a whole gaol like you describe was called a panopticon

 

[dominiongamma]

I may get flagged for this - but is MR migrating to a tech news and tidbits site? I don't follow why this is on the front page.

Because FaceTime will be using a similar feature in iOS 15?

 

[ReddJive]

This is a welcome new feature for teachers, although a pity it’s being introduced at a point where most of the developed world is looking to returning to the classroom. Apart from the US my understanding is most countries are reverting to a greater normality this September: this is certainly the case in Europe (I teach in the UK).

Though I didn't add any information other than what I said I do love the assumptions and judgmental responses. I kind of did this on purpose to find out how many apologists there were. It seems a lot.

First, not all areas in the US teach the same. For instance in my school district my kid's teachers spent 12 minutes of each classroom time actually on video teaching. The rest was chat me or email if you have a question. I spent more time teaching my kids the lesson work than teachers did. Why then am I sending them to school (virtual or not)? In my kids case teachers are making them selves irrelevant to the process. My wife situation? the professors record the lecture and then it's up to the student to go watch it. If they have questions during the video and they are taking it during class time the professor is in his "office" and can answer questions.

Mind you I did my masters degree by virtual in 2011. It worked well. I am doing my phd by virtual now. also working well. My wife is in Community College prepping for medical school and it is not going well. The standards vary and not all is quality.

 

[MacBH928]

There is a free and open source app called Jitsi , so I see no reason for people to continue to use zoom

 

[RalfTheDog]

This is a welcome new feature for teachers, although a pity it’s being introduced at a point where most of the developed world is looking to returning to the classroom. Apart from the US my understanding is most countries are reverting to a greater normality this September: this is certainly the case in Europe (I teach in the UK).

Give it a few months and a few more variants. I suspect normalcy will no longer be normal.

 

[bookofxero]

This reminds me of 19th century prison chapels where each prisoner sat in a partitioned cubicle so they could only see the priest and not each other as part of a prison-wide regime of total isolation from other prisoners. Can you imagine the response if anyone suggested doing the same in a normal school environment? So why do people think it's a good idea for online teaching?

View attachment 1817703

Have you never attended an assembly or lecture? This is intended to be used for short bursts of focus where you don't need to see everyone else's face for any dubious social reasons, but the presenter would. I have seen meetings go off the rails because someone's child or pet came on camera and someone called attention to it, or I get really self-conscious about my fidgeting/stimming and kill my video feed.

 

[bookofxero]

Give it a few months and a few more variants. I suspect normalcy will no longer be normal.

This will sound callous, but children getting sick is what it is going to take for a lot of people to really start taking things seriously. To paraphrase Bill Hicks, it's like after a certain age people get taken off each other's "love lists".

 

[Stromos]

Have you never attended an assembly or lecture? This is intended to be used for short bursts of focus where you don't need to see everyone else's face for any dubious social reasons, but the presenter would. I have seen meetings go off the rails because someone's child or pet came on camera and someone called attention to it, or I get really self-conscious about my fidgeting/stimming and kill my video feed.

So instead of learning focus let’s mask it completely so these kids are more socially awkward and unprepared for the real world.

Guess what? When you grow up that big business meeting isn’t going to cater to your issues.

 

[bookofxero]

So instead of learning focus let’s mask it completely so these kids are more socially awkward and unprepared for the real world.

Guess what? When you grow up that big business meeting isn’t going to cater to your issues.

Perhaps you should grow up and stop making assumptions about others or disparaging those that might have legitimate accessibility needs that limit their ability to focus as well as others.

No one - and I mean no one - is going to "learn focus" or "social preparedness" from being told to watch a Zoom presentation, nor will anyone's social skills suffer any harm (let alone irreparable, irreversible harm) from having distractions removed for a presentation.

 

[jonnysods]

Because FaceTime will be using a similar feature in iOS 15?

They don't mention that in their article at all.

 

[Le0M]

Not only nowadays students don't go to school, but they won't even see their classmates during online classes!
What an ingenious idea to make young people even less social and increase their emotions difficulties!!!

 

[ke-iron]

As a full time student, this is not good for students. Not even able to socialize on campus because of Covid, and now you cannot see your peers during class discussions!! During test or quizzes sure but to have enabled all the time is a horrible idea!

 

[dannyyankou]

You were already able to hide every camera except the host though