Create a Virtual Classroom from the Navbar

 

The Virtual Classroom tool can be used for many purposes. Instructors can use Virtual Classroom sessions for: 

·       Office hours when in a different location than the student(s)

·       Online group meetings and presentations 

·       Invite guest speakers from other locations

There are a few key points for using the Virtual Classroom tool: 

·       Max participants - 50 (that are listening by phone or computer) 

·       Max participants sharing their Webcam - 10 

·       If the presenter has plans to share the desktop, then the presenter must use Chrome as the internet browser and download a Chrome extension: Bongo Screenshare Extension

·       Session recording availability - 14 Days

·       Max number of Sessions - 250/week 

·       Device Compatibility: View Compatibility

·       Browser Compatibility: View Compatibility

 

This tutorial demonstrates how to create a virtual classroom session from the navigation bar.

1.    Locate the desired course in MyFIRE.

2.    Select the course tools tab at the top of the page in the navbar.

 

3.    Select virtual classroom in the drop-down menu. 

 

4.    Select the red plus icon at the bottom right of the screen to create a virtual classroom session. 

 

5.    A pop-up window will appear. Name the session in the title field.

 

6.    Next, select meeting date. A pop-up calendar will appear to aid in selecting the desired date. 

Notes: 

·       Students will not be able to enter the session until the instructor in the course has entered, regardless of the start time. 

·       Neither the instructor nor students can enter the session until the session start time has passed. 

         

7.    Then set a time for the session by typing in the meeting time field or selecting the clock icon.  

a.    If the clock icon is selected, a drop-down menu will appear to aid in the selection of the meeting time by individually selecting the hour, minute, and time of day when the session will start. To change the hour, minutes, and time of day, scroll up and down through the drop-down menu. The selected time settings will be highlighted in blue. 

b.    Or, if desired, select the “Now” checkbox to start your meeting immediately. 

 

8.    Set a duration length. A drop-down menu will appear. Options include 15, 30, and 60-minute sessions. If needed, use the scroll bar to view all options. 

Note: The maximum duration is 60 minutes. If your session is longer than 60 minutes, back-to-back sessions will need to be created.  

 

9.    If the session should be a repeated session, select how many weeks the Virtual Classroom Session is to repeat by selecting does not repeat. A drop-down menu will appear. Options include 2-15 weeks. If needed, use the scroll bar to view all options.

Note: The ‘Invite entire class’ setting must be selected for the Repeating setting to be available. See step 13 for further details. The ‘invite entire class’ setting will be enabled by default. 

 

10. If desired, start recording automatically by selecting the automatically record meeting checkbox. As the presenter, you will also have the option to manually select and start recording during the session as well. Manually starting the recording will allow you time to make any needed adjustments before the recording begins.

 

11. To publish the session and make it available for students, select the publish recorded meeting checkbox. This option will automatically publish the recording after it has ended. The recording may take a little time to become available.

Note: The recording will only be available for 14 days after the scheduled session. 

 

12. If external participants are allowed, such as a guest speaker, to the virtual session, select the allow external participants checkbox. Selecting this option will also provide a phone number where participants can call into the meeting. 

 

13. Choose if the session will be for the whole class, for a select group of students, or for individual students in the course. If the session is for individual students, unselect the invite entire class checkbox as the entire class is selected by default. Participants can be selected after creating and saving the session (step 15c).

Note: If you are inviting individual students or a subgroup of students, the virtual classroom session cannot be added to the content and assessment page. 

 

14. Select save.

 

15. The newly scheduled session will appear under the Active Meetings heading on the Virtual Classroom tool page. Locate the session. 

 

16. Select the ellipsis icon on the right side of the page for the desired session to access additional options. A drop-down menu will appear.

 

a.    Launch- Select launch to open and start the desired session. The session will open in a new browser tab. 

b.    Copy External Link- Select copy external link to obtain a direct link to the session to share with the desired participants. This option will only appear if the allow external participants setting was enabled when the meeting was scheduled. Refer to step 12.

 

c.     Manage Invites- Select manage invites to add individual participants or a group of participants from the class. This option will only be available if the invite entire class checkbox was unselected in step 13. A pop-up window will appear.

                                               i.     Next, choose the desired participants that should be invited to the virtual classroom session by selecting their names. If needed, use the scroll bar to view all of the participants. 

                                              ii.     If you do not see your course roster, select sync roster at the bottom of the pop-up window. 

                                            iii.     Once done selecting the desired participants, select save.

 

d.    Edit- Select edit to edit the session. Note: If the session has reached its scheduled time, or if the  “Now” button was selected when creating the meeting, the edit feature will not be available. 

 

e.    Cancel- Select cancel to delete the meeting. A pop-up window will appear to confirm if you would like to cancel the session.

 

                                               i.     Select yes, cancel meeting to confirm the cancellation.