Knowledge Base

The Virtual classroom tool allows students to virtually attend class meetings and access assignment meetings. Anytime your professors want to leave an explanation or review content with students, they can do so using the virtual classroom. This tutorial will show you how to locate the virtual classroom and navigate through the virtual classroom.

1.        Navigate to the desired course on MyFire.

2.        From the NavBar at the top of the page, select Course Tools.

3.        A drop-down menu will appear. Select Virtual Classroom.

4.        When the page refreshes, locate the desired meeting under Class Meetings or Assignment Meetings.

5.        Select the Launch Meeting icon under action at the right of the content title.

6.        A new homepage tab will open; select Join at the bottom of the page.

a.        Students will not be able to join the meeting before it begins. If the meeting has not yet begun, you can select Join Automatically to be taken to a new window. Once the session begins, you will automatically enter the session.

7.        A pop-up window will appear. Select the desired option on how you would like to attend the meeting.

a.        If you plan to share a webcam, then select the Microphone option.

b.        Students should select the Listen Only option if you are not sharing a webcam and only plan to listen to the session or participate by chat.

8.        If you have selected to join by a microphone, you will be prompted to allow Bongo the use of your microphone. Select Allow. Only 7 participants will be able to share their webcam at one time. The webcam option is first-come-first-serve, and any user trying to share their webcam when 7 users are actively sharing their webcam already, then the participant will receive a message: “Webcam Limit has Reached.”

9.        The page will open to the meeting room. Students can:

a.        View other participants who are in attendance - Select the User List Toggle (person icon) at the left top left corner of the screen.

                                                                                             i.         From the User List Toggle, a list of users who are active in the virtual classroom session will appear. Each user, including the instructor, will appear with a colored box to the left of the name.

                                                                                          ii.         When a user is speaking, the colored box will show a moving lighter color around it, signaling that the user is speaking.

                                                                                       iii.         For each user that has their microphone enabled, a green microphone icon will appear at the bottom right corner of the colored icon. Also, the icon will change to a red crossed out microphone icon when the user is muted. Presenters can mute and unmute users by selecting the user's name that they want to mute.

                                                                                       iv.         When the user is presenting, a blue presentation icon will appear in the top left of the colored icon.

b.        Presenters can also chat with students by selecting the chat icon located at the top left of the screen. A panel will open to the left of the screen showing the public chat.

                                                                                             i.         A note at the top of the chat will remind users to use a headset to avoid background noise if needed. Also, if the instructor has chosen to invite external participants setting during the creation process, phone numbers will be listed so that the users can join the meeting by phone if desired.

                                                                                          ii.         At the bottom of the chat panel, users can enter a message or add a file to send to the other users.

c.        View Settings - Select the three dots located at the right top of the screen.

d.        The basic page of the virtual classroom starts with a whiteboard that the presenter could write or type on during the meeting.

                                                                                             i.         To edit the whiteboard, presenters have a tool menu to the right of the screen.

1.        Tool options - this option includes a text, line, eclipse, rectangle, pencil, and pointer tools that can be selected by selecting the pointer icon.

a.        Once a tool is selected, thickness and colors options to choose from will appear.

2.        Undo Annotations - this option will undo the last line, word, or mark that was added to the presentation.

3.        Clear All Annotations - this option will clear all marks on the presentation.

4.        Multi-User Mode - this option will allow for multiple users to write, type, or mark the presentation at one time. When marking up the presentation, the name of each user be listed to each user’s marks.

10.  When the meeting has ended, or to leave the meeting, select Leave from the three dots options icon to leave the meeting. Then select Leave Meeting.

11.  When you leave the group, select OK and close the window to be redirected to the main page.