Zoom in seminar rooms

Physically present and online course lectures in seminar rooms (DIY without support)

We offer two different sets for loan (with daily return) or for purchase to lecturers holding hybrid (combining physical presence and online) courses in seminar rooms. These lectures are Zoom-based, using the lecturer's laptop and supplemented with audio/video infrastructure.

Scenario: Teacher or TA is in a seminar room at ETH with some students, while other students participate via Zoom at the same time. Zoom runs on the presenter's computer, which enables content sharing. The session is recorded in Zoom (cloud).

Simple setup

Teacher or TA's laptop with external webcam (instead of the built-in camera) on a small table, with additional speaker phone (instead of built-in microphone). The Zoom meeting with the external students is running on the laptop. The teacher points the webcam in the desired direction (e.g. presenter, chalkboard/whiteboard). Video quality very much depends on the conditions at the location (light, position, of table/camera, size/colour of board). Acceptable audio can be achieved using the speakerphone - if the room and audience are not too large. Audio-interaction with students in the room and with Zoom participants is possible.

• Example webcam: )
  
• Example table tripod: external page Gorilla Pod
• Example speaker phone: external page Jabra Speak
• Cost per set: slightly less than CHF 400.-
• Setup time: 60 seconds per person
• Problematic aspects: Audio quality; only suitable for relatively small rooms

Advanced setup

• A reasonably priced, hand-held stand-alone video camera on a tripod in the room
• Radio microphone (clip-on) for the teacher, receiver on video camera
• HDMI cable to HDMI grabber on laptop (for sending audio/video)
• Laptop connected to the room via HDMI, video via projector, audio via room speakers
• Cost per set: approx. CHF 1,000.-
• Setup time: 5 minutes by technically-minded person
• No audio-interaction possible between students in the room and Zoom participants.
• Problematic aspects: Resource heavy, battery management