Adobe Connect versus Zoom functionality comparison
Zoom and Adobe Connect functionality were compared to determine if Zoom met the requirements for use as UQ’s Virtual Classroom teaching system, on top of its use as a general purpose as a Web Conferencing system. As shown in the table below Zoom now has comparable functionality to Adobe Connect with the recent introduction of LTi capability which allows it to be embedded into Learn.UQ courses.
|
Feature |
Adobe Connect |
Zoom |
Comments |
|
Blackboard integration |
Yes* |
Yes |
Zoom now has LTi capability which means it can be embedded in a Blackboard course. |
|
Launch a session via a URL |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Mobile app |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Control audio and video (webcam) |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Phone dial in |
No |
Yes |
The Adobe phone bridge was unreliable. Many students need phone access due to unreliable internet connections or issues caused by corporate firewalls when using work machines. i.e. Pharmacy moved to Zoom due to students having access issues on QLD Health computers. |
|
Chat |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Private Chat with presenter |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Sharing a document |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Sharing a link |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Sharing a desktop |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Control another person’s desktop |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Share a whiteboard |
Yes |
Yes |
Only one whiteboard is available in Zoom compared to multiple in Adobe Connect. |
|
Status icons (instead feedback) |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Polling |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Break out rooms (for group work) |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Preset up session “rooms” |
Yes |
No |
Workaround is to pre-setup an area on your desktop and then use screen sharing. |
|
Student initiated sessions |
No |
Yes |
In Adobe Connect the project rooms had to be set up by staff. |
|
Record a session |
Yes |
Yes* |
* Zoom’s configuration settings were changed in December 2017 to allow meeting/class host to record sessions at their own discretions. |