Ressort Presse

• von Arne Rensing
• 17.04.2020

The summer semester at UDE will initially start exclusively with digital and e-learning formats - and with many employees* working from home. Among other things, this requires the extensive use of video conferencing techniques. These are centrally administered by the Centre for Media and Information Services (ZIM) and are offered nationwide.

Why does the UDE rely on different solutions?

This is necessary to ensure that digital teaching operations - face-to-face and in real time - are reliable and fail-safe. In addition to internally operated systems, there will be an externally operated commercial product for larger events. "Because it is foreseeable that the required bandwidths and technical prerequisites will be difficult to achieve with in-house solutions," explains ZIM director Uwe Blotevogel.

What are the InHouse solutions?

The UDE operates the open source web conferencing tool "BigBlueButton" (https://bbb.uni-due.de/). Smaller team meetings with up to eight participants* can also be held via the UDE's "Jitsi Meet Server", which is also hosted internally (https://jitsi.uni-due.de/). Both systems offer an interface to the Moodle learning platform, so that video meetings can be created and configured from the virtual course rooms.

What is the external solution?

Here, the UDE, like other universities, has opted for video conferencing technology from the US company Zoom Video Communications (Zoom). It is now available to all university members with a valid UDE identification at uni-due.zoom.us. The contract is initially valid for one year.

Why does the UDE use zoom?

With a purely digital teaching, it is not the software that is the problem. Rather, not enough courses can be held simultaneously as video conferences using your own resources. Therefore the question is not to rely on an external provider, but rather: which one? - A decision that had to be made under great time pressure.

According to the Rectorate, Zoom has proven to be the most powerful and reliable video conferencing system since the beginning of the Corona crisis. It is a clearly designed and easy to use tool.

But Zoom is also criticized. How does the UDE deal with this?

The UDE is currently working under high pressure and must adapt very flexibly to the current situation in teaching, administration and research. This does not mean, however, that principles such as operational safety, data protection and co-determination are ignored. At the UDE, for example, the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), the Data Protection Officer and the staff councils have not, at first glance and under certain conditions, raised any substantial objections to the use of Zoom. And even if the contract is signed with Zoom, the regular review and participation procedures will of course be initiated.

The authentication of users at Zoom runs exclusively on UDE systems. As far as possible, security settings have now been adapted to the needs of the university and critical functions have been deactivated. The ZIM explains exactly which functions have been deactivated under: https://www.uni-due.de/zim/services/zoom#nutzungsbedingungen

Important is: data protection, security, handling of usage data - these are all points that are put to the test with every introduction of new software. Regardless of the question as to how functional processes and configurations are specifically designed in Zoom at the UDE, the users themselves are now particularly important. They must carefully weigh up how they handle the existing technology and design their behaviour in accordance with data protection regulations.

What about personal data?

Naturally, the UDE has regulated the passing on of such information with Zoom in a contract for commissioned data processing. Zoom is also listed as an active member of the EU-US Privacy Shield. This agreement regulates the protection of personal data transferred from a member state of the European Union to the USA. Of course, ZIM continues to closely monitor the current discussions about Zoom, as well as the further developments that are being made by the provider.

Meetings, seminars and confidential discussions: Can Zoom be used for all purposes?

Zoom is used in the different areas of the UDE. In administration, the tool is used to hold meetings, in teaching and research for webinars and online courses. The university considers it uncritical to use it for public events, information or lectures.

The situation is different for committee meetings, examinations or when research data is discussed. In these cases, the parties involved have to make decisions on their own responsibility: To what extent can sensitive or confidential content be exchanged, and should internal alternatives be used if necessary?

Under no circumstances should the discussion of health data, job applications or particularly confidential interviews be handled via Zoom. The UDE internal systems should be used here. This guarantees that no data leaves the university.

Some faculties or institutions have their own stable solutions. May these be used further?

Zoom is an offer. It is by no means intended to prohibit other solutions - on the contrary: The UDE welcomes the fact that experience is being gained with other systems. For example, AdobeConnect (from DFN-Verein), WebEx (from CISCO) or Microsoft teams are continuously being tested, and the decision to use Zoom will be reviewed in due course.

Where can I find out how the tools work?

ZIM is currently developing instructions, handouts and recommendations for the use of BigBlueButton, Jitsi and Zoom. These are updated continuously:

https://www.uni-due.de/zim/services/bbb
https://www.uni-due.de/zim/services/jitsi-meet
https://www.uni-due.de/zim/services/zoom