Forming Online Study Groups

How can I use Zoom to work with my study group?

As a York University student, you are eligible for a licensed Zoom account. Simply sign into York’s Zoom account with your Passport York credentials. York has put together tips for hosting a Zoom meeting and a series of video tutorials.

Synchronous Study Groups

• Schedule a meeting using Zoom where your study group will come together at the same time to actively discuss and work through material.
• Encourage all participants to utilize their webcam and microphone if they can to fully participate.
• Set an agenda and goals for what you would like to accomplish during your sessions.

Asynchronous Study Group

• Some groups like to have Zoom open in the background so that group members can study independently but reach out to group members whenever they have questions or want to work on something together.
• Consider setting a timer and using the Pomodoro Technique, where all group members study for 25 minutes and then can interact with each other socially during a 5 minute break.

Zoom Features for Working Collaboratively

• Video conference – Use your camera and microphone to interact through video conference. Adjust your video layout to change how many participants you see at once.
• Chat – You can use the chat feature to speak with everyone in the group or to send a private message to another participant.
• Screen share – Share your screen to show everything on your computer, a particular file, or even an interactive whiteboard. Remember to turn on the sound sharing option if you want to include audio.
• Annotation – Allows participants to write, draw, and add stamps to the whiteboard or to a file that is being shared.
• File sharing – Upload a file from your computer, or share a collaborative file from Google Drive or One Drive that you can edit together.