Big Blue Button

1. Big Blue Button Web conferencing software

2. What Is the Big Blue Button? • Free, open source, web conferencing software • Clean and simple was the design goal (“Just push the Big Blue Button!”) • Similar to Connect or Elluminate • Uses VoIP for audio • No telephone needed • Practical limit of 25 attendees for audio • BBB sessions will supplement (but not replace) Connect sessions • Big Blue Button main site: • http://www.bigbluebutton.org/ • Big Blue Button tutorials • http://www.bigbluebutton.org/content/videos • CSU-E’s Big Blue Button: • http://bigblue.library.colostate.edu/ (this is the one you’ll use)

3. presentation users chat video listeners

4. Differences Between BBB and Connect • Attendees have much more control over workspace • They can resize, move, and hide modules • They can talk • Might want to establish some ground rules on when attendees should speak • They can turn on their webcam (other attendees have the choice to view other webcams) • No polling pod • There is a Hand Raise option for yes or no questions • No recording option • Will be one in next version • Groovy hold music • Stops when 2 listeners or more sign in to VoIP

5. Getting Started • http://bigblue.library.colostate.edu/ • Click “View API Examples” at the lower right

6. Getting Started • Click “Create Your Own Meeting” • Enter name, Click “Create (name’s) meeting

7. Getting Started • Copy and paste link to an email and send it out to all invitees • As long as the name you use in the previous step is exactly the same, the URL will not change, so it can be sent out in advance • Click “Start Meeting”

8. Audio and Video • Click headphone to enable audio • Presenter and attendee option • You’ll get an Adobe window confirming you allow access • 2.4 second delay • Ask people to raise hand to talk; otherwise you’ll step on each other’s audio • To choose between microphones, Right-click>Settings>Microphone icon • Click webcam to enable video • Presenter and attendee option • You’ll get an Adobe window confirming you allow access • Attendees can hide (or view) any given video module • *TURN OFF CAMERA NOW*

9. Presentation Module • PDF is best • Microsoft docs upload, but not well • 30 mb limit • Images also work well • Use icon at lower left to upload • Use icon at lower right for whiteboard • You can set zoom level of participants, drag doc to center what you want (reset button at right of slider) • Arrows to navigate slides/pages • Click the slide number (2/7 in the screenshot) to get a filmstrip at bottom – move to non-adjacent slides

10. User Module • Shows everyone in room • Three status icons: • Hand raise (use icon at lower right to raise your hand) • Webcam (click on a user’s webcam to see their feed; minimize the cam module to NOT see them) • Presenter (to switch presenter, select who you want to switch to, then click Switch Presenter)

11. Listener Module • Everyone in on the VoIP connection • Speaker icon means they are sharing their microphone • Mute a listener using icon to left of their name (presenter only) • Mute everyone with icon at lower left (presenter only) • Eject a listener using icon at lower right (presenter only) • Use lock icon to lock a mute/unmute options (presenter only)

12. Chat Module • Type in lower text box to chat with all in the room • Click the + tab at top to chat with a specific person, then choose their name • Their name will appear on a new tab • Click that tab to chat with them

13. Screen Sharing Module • Presenter’s view will be a thumbnail • Attendees will see it full screen (though they are free to resize the window) • Screen refresh can be slow if desktop changes dramatically • Moving around with a mouse, using menus captures pretty well • You can switch presenters and they can share their desktop • Need Java installed