Frequently Asked Question

BigBlueButton is a live classroom environment integrated into BeaconLearning. It also has the capability to record sessions for later viewing. It works on mobile devices, too!

5 minute introduction to BigBlueButton as a presenter from YouTube

Setting up the Virtual Classroom

1. Access your course in BeaconLearning
2. Turn Editing On
3. Click Add an Activity or Resource
4. Choose BigBlueButtonBN and click Add
5. Give your virtual classroom a name. "Week 1 Lecture," for example.
6. Optional:
   1. add a welcome message for your participants
   2. schedule for when students can join the session
      
      1. It's fine to leave this unscheduled, so you and your participants can join whenever they are ready to test their connection.
7. By default, you will be able to record your session
8. Click Save and Return to Course (unless you're ready to check out your virtual classroom right now, then click Save and Display)

Controlling the Virtual Classroom

1. You can share your desktop, audio, webcam and start the recording
2. Current participants are listed
3. You can also mute participants if needed. Clicking on the gear gives you control to mute all students.
4. You may upload an Office document (typically PowerPoint) or PDF. PowerPoint transitions are NOT supported. (Think of each slide as an image or PDF.)
   1. Click the blue + icon on the screen to upload a presentation
   2. Drag/drop or select the file
   3. Click Upload
   4. Click "Confirm"
   5. Use the arrows at the bottom of the presentation screen
5. "Whiteboard" - the default presentation gives you 5 blank slides to use as a whiteboard should you need it for drawing/writing.
6. There is a chat window visible to all attendees - keep in mind the needs of your participants. Do they need written/visual responses instead of auditory ones?
   1. NOTE: When recording your session, the chat does not get recorded. If questions arise in the text chat, please repeat them audibly so the recording will capture it for viewers who watch later.

Call in: Participants who have issues with their audio/visual connection can dial-in toll-free using the phone number and conference pin number available in the Public Chat window.

Additional Resources:

• Breakout Rooms
• Guest Speaker Access
• Recordings/Downloads
• Set Your Status/View Student Statuses
• YouTube video on how to use "Zoom and Pan" on your BigBlueButton presentations (and fit to width for portrait presentations)

(Updated SP2020, Moodle 3.7)

Please provide the IT department with feedback on your use of the product.