Sakai: Meetings

Meetings

Meetings (BigBlueButton) is an open source webinar tool that allows you to share content and communicate with your students remotely. You can display presentations, use a white board, use audio and/or a webcam, use text chat with your students, and share your desktop. Meetings is a synchronous tool, which means users have to be online at the same time to interact.

New! Creating and Running a Meeting Handouts

• Are step-by-step instructions available for creating, starting, and running a Meeting? Yes.
  • Instructions for an instructor to create a meeting: Create a Meeting Handout
  • Instructions for an instructor to run a meeting: Running a Meeting Handout
  • Instructions for an instructor to share their desktop during a Meeting:Sharing a Desktop during a Meeting Handout
  • Handout for Students! Instructions for Students attending a Meeting
  • Do's and Don'ts of Synchronous Online Learning: Plan, Prepare, Practice!

What version of Meetings (BigBlueButton) do we have?

• We have the latest version, released October 2014 .9.0 of bigbluebutton.

What can you do with Meetings?

• What can an instructor do with the latest Meetings tool/BigBlueButton? (BigBlueButton)
• Latest Tutorials for Instructors and Students (BigBlueButton)

Minimum computer requirements

• You must use a web browser running Adobe Flash 11.2 or higher, according to BigBlueButton .
  • To check your web browser flash version (and download the latest version), visit Adobe's Flash Version Check
• Instructors and Presenters only:
  • To share your desktop, you must have Java installed: Test Java or install Java on your computer
  • If Java is not working after you install it, you may have to remove old Java versions, activate Java in your web browser or enable the Java Plug-in in your web browser. Here are the step-by-step Java troubleshooting instructions.
  • Recommended Number of Users per meeting session: 25 or fewer. According to BigBlueButton, you may experience performance problems with more than 25 students in a single session.

Sound or Voice "Conferencing"

• For the best results, all participants should use a headset, vs a microphone and speakers.
• Or, once you join the Meeting, you can call the number displayed in the Chat area, enter the conference pin displayed in the Chat area, and you can use your phone to talk in the Meeting.
  • Note: The phone call is NOT free.
  • If I use my phone, is there a way to hide my phone number from the Meeting participants? Yes.
    • Now only your area code is displayed.
    • Otherwise, follow the first set of instructions, they are the easiest way to hide your phone number

• Why can't others hear me when I join the voice conference? (BigBlueButton)

• Why do others only hear part of my audio? Your microphone volume may be too low. Move your microphone closer to your mouth. You may need to change the volume setting of your microphone. (BigBlueButton)

• Why is there an echo in the voice conference? Tip: Students should use headsets or the presenter can mute students (BigBlueButton)

Users Area

• The Users area (in the upper left corner of your Meetings session) has been updated and simplified.
• What can the instructor/presenter do in the Users Area? Whenever a student enters the Meeting, they will appear in the Users area.
  • Beside each user name, you can click on the mic icon, to mute or unmute a user. Optionally, you can also click on a lock icon, to lock a user's mic muted or unmuted.
  • In the lower left corner of the Users area, you can click on the Settings icon (it looks like a wheel):
    • If students have clicked on an icon to Raise Hands (for attention or in answer to your question), you can click on the link to Lower All Hands
    • Don't use this: You can click on the link to Mute All Users but you would also mute yourself and/or the presenter!
    • You can click on the link to Mute All Users Except Presenter. This is good setting to use when some users have speakers or mics instead of headsets-their devices can cause a great deal of noise/feedback that you can mute.

Uploading and Displaying Presentations

• Can I upload Microsoft documents to BigBlueButton? Don't, they may not display well. Tip: Save your file as a PDF

• How do I upload a document to display to my students? In the Presentation area (in the middle of the Meeting), in the lower left corner, click on the icon that looks like a document with a plus sign on it.
  • Click on the Select File button to select your document
  • Find your document, click on your document, and in the dialog box lower right corner, click on the Save button
  • Click on the Upload button to upload your selected document into Meetings (you'll see a Progress status displayed until your document is uploaded successfully). Remember, save your files as pdf's for the best (and fastest) results.
  • Your document will display. At the bottom of the Presentation area:
    • You can click on the icon to upload another document.
    • Click on the right facing arrow (or later left facing arrow) to transfer to other pages in your document.
    • If your document has more than one page, click on the number icon, to display miniatures of all the pages of your document. You can click on any miniature page to display the page. If you can't see miniatures of all of your document pages, a tiny scroll bar appears below the miniature pages that you can click and drag to move around your miniature document pages. When done, click on the number icon to turn off the display of miniatures.
    • Click on a triangle and drag it to maximize display of your document.
    • Click on an icon with two horizontal arrows to maximize the display of the width of your document.
    • Click on a four headed arrow icon to fit your document in the presentation display area.
• See the Using Whiteboard Features area for instructions for using the Whiteboard with your uploaded documents.

• Will my animations in PowerPoint convert when uploading to BigBlueButton? No. (BigBlueButton)

• Is there a page limit for uploaded files? 100 pages.

Whiteboard Features

• The Instructor and Presenter can use a Whiteboard in Meetings, by moving your cursor over the right side of the default presentation area. A number of icons will pop up for you to click on and draw with. New icons are highlighted in bold:
  • Whiteboard icons available: A hand (pan and zoom), pencil, shapes (rectangle, circle, triangle), line, T (text), X (clear page), backward arrow (undo shape), color box (to pick a drawing color), sliding arrow icon (to change the thickness of the lines/shapes drawn).
    • To draw perfect shapes (rectangle, circle, triangle), click and hold the Ctrl or Shift key on your keyboard, then click and draw your shape.
  • You can draw on the default presentation page, an uploaded document, or you can upload a blank document.

Chat box

• A Chat box is displayed on the right side of Meetings.
• At the bottom of the Chat box, type in text, then click on the Send button. All participants will see your message.
• All participants can type in Chat messages.
• If you need to chat with a specific user, near the top of the Chat box, beside the Public tab, click on the Options tab.
  • Click on the name of a user. A new Chat tab will appear, with the user name.
  • In the user's Chat tab, type in text, click Send. Only the selected user will see a new Chat tab appear with your name. They have to click on the tab starting with your name. The user will then be able to see your private Chat message.
  • If the user responds to your private Chat message, their message will pop-up in your Chat tab with their user name.
• Click on the Public tab, to post chat messages to all participants.
• How can you change the size of the chat font size displayed? At the top of the Chat box, click on the Options tab.
  • Click on the number beside Chat Message Font Size, click on a new font size, such as 12 or 14.
• How can I copy all chat messages to the clipboard? (BigBlueButton)
• To share a video, share the video link in the Chat box. If you try to share your desktop and play the video, students won't hear the video, only the presenter will!

Layout Manager

• Are there different layouts available, so I can make one part of my Meeting session larger than the others? Yes.
• What happens when the instructor/presenter clicks on the lock beside the layout drop-down box? The student's meeting display matches the instructor, and the student can't change their layout, until the instructor unlocks the layout.

Webcam Features

• The instructor can display their webcam, as well as students.
  • After the instructor has plugged in their device, they must go to the upper left corner, and click on "Share my Webcam". You'll be presented with a Webcam Settings dialog box.
  • In the Webcam Settings dialog box, you must click on the Start Sharing button to display your Webcam or click Cancel.
    • Optionally, you can change the device you're using and change the size of your webcam display.
  • Your webcam will display in the Webcams area, usually located in the lower left corner of the default presentation.
  • Students can perform the same steps to display their webcams.
  • Instructors can move their cursor over student webcam displays, click on the microphone icon, and mute or unmute them.
    • Instructors can also click on the "X" in the upper right area of a student webcam display, and close the display.

Advanced: Desktop Sharing

• What does an instructor need to do to share their desktop? Tip: You must download Java (BigBlueButton)

• How does an instructor share their desktop on Mac OS X? Tip: How-to videos for both Safari and Firefox

• To start sharing your desktop, in the upper left corner of Meetings, click on an icon that looks like a monitor (between the headset icon and webcam icon).
  • The Presenter's view of Desktop Sharing will appear in the lower left corner.
• In the Desktop Sharing: Presenter's View, you must either click on the icon to share Full Screen or Region. When first starting out, click on Full Screen.
• On Firefox and Chrome, you’ll have to look at the top of your Meetings session.
  • For Firefox:
    • Go to the top right, and click on the Allow button, so you can allow blindsidenetworks.com to run the Java Platform.
    • You'll now see a new dialog box, in the top/middle of your Meeting, requesting you to allow plugins to run for Adobe Flash and the Java Platform.
      • Click on both of the drop downs, and click on Allow Now or Allow and Remember. Click OK.
  • For Chrome:
    • Go to the top right, and click on the Allow button, so you can allow blindsidenetworks.com to use your camera and microphone.
    • Also, beside Java(TM) needs your permission to run, click on Run this Time button.
• Next, a dialog box will pop up asking if you want to Run an Application (from publisher BigBlueButton, Inc).
  • You must click on the Run button.
  • If you don't see a pop up requesting to run an application, you may have an old version of Java installed. Go to BigBlueButton's web page to check and download the latest version of Java
• Your Desktop Sharing: Presenter's View will now display a miniature copy of your desktop-this is what your students are now seeing displayed.
  • You can click on any web browser tab, open a new web browser tab or window, or go to any application (such as Word or Excel).
  • To stop sharing your desk:
    • You must return to the Desktop Sharing: Presenter's View,
    • Click on the Close button.
    • Plus, you must click on a new coffee cup icon that will appear on your taskbar (at the bottom of your Windows screen). You'll be taken to a new dialog box that pops up behind your open web browser windows.
    • You must click on the Allow button to allow access to Publisher BigBlueBullon, Inc. to close your desktop sharing session.
    • Your Desktop Sharing: Presenter's view will close. Your students will see the last document you displayed (otherwise, they'll see the default Presentation).

• Can I share a specific window when sharing my desktop? Yes. (BigBlueButton)

• Can I share a video while sharing my desktop? NO. Your students will not hear the video (but you will). To share a video, share the link to the video in the Chat box.

Record and Playback Basics

Update: Meetings does record lectures now. But recordings may not show up for over 24 hours. You must "show" Recordings (make recordings available) to students, too.

• Is there a record start/stop button? No.

• How do I set up a recording? When you create a meeting, you can click on the box beside Recording.

• When does a recording start and stop? BigBlueButton will record all of the meeting, from the time the first person joins to when the last person leaves. When you set up a meeting, you can also state it's duration, therefore, a meeting may also end when it reaches your stated meeting duration. (BigBlueButton)

• What web browsers play recordings? Tip: Firefox and Chrome do playback recordings, but Internet Explorer and Safari do not. (BigBlueButton)

Advanced Record and Playback

• What parts of the session does the latest version of BigBlueButton record?: Whiteboard and mouse movements are now recorded, plus webcams, desktop sharing, chat, as well as file uploads and audio (BigBlueButton)

• What does a sample recording now look like? After clicking on the link: You have to wait for it to "load", then click on the Play button in the lower left corner to start the recording.

• When does a recording appear for review? It can take a few minutes to approximately 24 hours after you make a recording:
  • Click on Meetings, Click on Recordings.
  • To the right of your Meeting title, you can click on one of two links to recordings of your meeting. Click on a recording link to review it.

• How do you Share Recordings?
  • 1) Click on Meetings, Click on Recordings.
  • 2) Move your cursor over the title of the Recording-below the title, click on the "Show" link.
  • 3) Now you can direct students to the Meetings Recordings area link, or after clicking on the recording link, you can copy the web address of the link and share it with others.

• Can I download recordings? You can do this now, but we don't recommended it. Why? The recordings can be very long, with long pauses. Recordings start when the first person enters a Meeting; and the recording doesn't end until the last person leaves the Meeting.
  • Recording capabilities were a recent update for BigBlueButton. In the next release, an "record on/off" button will available in your Meeting session, so you can start the recording when you are ready, and pause or stop the recording when you want.

Polls

• Is Polling available? Not now. A Polling module is planned for the next release. In future, a polling on/off button will be provided when you start a Meeting session. You can type in polling questions, and type in multiple choice answers for your participants. You can then start the poll when you like, show the results, and end the poll when you like.

Accessibility

• Are Meetings/Chat/Recordings Accessible to those using screen readers? Yes, with the latest release.