Jensen said he enjoys virtual backgrounds because they help him focus on the speaker because of how entertaining or interesting they can be. “I think virtual backgrounds can serve as an anti-distraction mechanism,” he said. Matt Jensen, a junior studying information systems, has personally used virtual backgrounds in Zoom meetings with peers and said he thinks there’s a time and place where they can be used in an entertaining or purposeful way. Rogers, who goes to school primarily online and has been working virtually long before the pandemic hit, said he understands professors have made a big transition from teaching face-to-face to Zoom. When students use virtual backgrounds, the signal it sends to me is that people aren’t super engaged,” Rogers said. “If professors use a virtual background, I would definitely just suggest using a more professional one or one that’s not too distracting. Students seem to have different opinions on the Zoom backgrounds, considering factors like the style of background and whether it’s professors or students using them.Ĭhandler Rogers, a junior studying product management, said he thinks virtual backgrounds can detract from the professionalism of a professor’s lesson or a student’s presentation. He uses a virtual background that has a timer pop up to non-verbally signal when time is running out during presentations.īYU environmental geology professor Steve Nelson said he enjoys using geographical-themed virtual backgrounds while teaching his students about different types of soils, bodies of water and other parts of the planet. Smalley has also used virtual backgrounds in more professional settings, like conferences. “I like virtual backgrounds anytime there’s an opportunity to switch things up and use creativity, it’s really helpful in many ways,” he said. He has used themes like kung fu, “Harry Potter,” “Star Wars” and many more for his virtual backgrounds. As a professor who encourages students to use their engineering skills in “Star Trek” simulations in his electromagnetics class, Smalley loves having fun in academics. Seven BYU professors shared their favorite virtual Zoom backgrounds: Daniel Smalley, Steve Nelson, Craig Harline, Brennan Platt, Sarah Agate, Xinru Page and Perla Escobar.īYU electrical engineering professor Daniel Smalley said he uses virtual Zoom backgrounds to foster creativity.
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