Zoom News: Focus Mode

Inside of a recent Zoom Update to the desktop software (5.7.5), there is a great feature for those instructors who are teaching online courses. 

When delivering instruction, especially via Zoom it can be challenging for faculty to keep students focused on the instruction. The new feature, called Focus Mode, once enabled allows the instructor to prevent student’s video streams from distracting each other by displaying only student’s names instead of their video stream. The instructor will still see the students’ video and students will see the instructor in addition to their own video stream. With two clicks the instructor can disable Focus Mode to allow for a class discussion and can easily be shifted back when appropriate.  

While in Focus Mode Instructors can spotlight students who need to speak to the class to have their video shown to the whole class (as pictured below). 

Here is a brief video shared by the Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship Instructional Design Team about enabling the feature.  

Documentation on the feature can be found in the Zoom Help Center - Focus mode – Zoom Help Center 

The full details of all updates are available on the Zoom Website. Always, be sure to keep your Zoom software up to date.     

To update your Zoom Application, check out these directions.