Case Study: Stanford Continuing Studies achieves scalable, engaging online learning with Zoom Video Communications

Stanford Continuing Studies Graduates to Zoom

Stanford Continuing Studies, which serves more than 13,000 adult learners annually (about 8% online), needed a simple, reliable way to expand and scale its online offerings, support remote instructors, and make trainings accessible despite staff and faculty being geographically dispersed. Early use of Zoom was limited to virtual office hours, and the school faced the challenge of encouraging broader adoption while maintaining ease of use for students and instructors.

By rolling out Zoom more widely, Stanford faculty now run live classes, record sessions and tutorials, host weekly chats and virtual study groups, and conduct hybrid instructor trainings using screen sharing, chat, and annotation tools. The platform quickly became indispensable—students expect Zoom, faculty embrace it, trainings are practical across distances, and the program has grown its online capabilities, with the only lingering issue being convincing some users how simple joining a meeting can be.

Stanford Continuing Studies

Teresa Kpachavi

Student Services Manager