Intro to Adobe Connect Logging In When you have successfully completed the Intro to Adobe Connect assessment your Adobe Connect account will be created. You will receive an email with your login information to your Brandman University email account. To login go to https://brandman.adobeconnect.com and enter your full Brandman email (not just the moniker) along with the password that was emailed to you. In the future you will use the same URL access your Adobe Connect account. You can reset the password by clicking on My Profile at the top of the screen and then choosing Reset Password to enter your new password. If you do not know what your password is, email us at [email protected] and we can re-­‐set your password for you. Intro to Adobe Connect Creating a Meeting When you log into your account you will land on the home screen. To create a space to meet with your students you must create a New Meeting. Once you have done this, you can re-­‐use the same room over and over again. This means you do not need to create a new room for every meeting. To create a your Meeting Room or Virtual Classroom you must click on the MEETING button at the top of the screen. From here click on the NEW MEETING button There are 4 items you must complete on this page. 1. Name: • This information will help you differentiate this room from others you may create in the future. 2. Custom URL: • Start with your email moniker or the beginning of your email. • Do not use any SPACES or SLASHES (/). • You may uses dashes (-­‐) and underscores (_) to separate words. 3. Access: • Anyone with the URL can enter the room. 4. Audio Conference Settings: • To Add Phone: Include this audio conference with this meeting. FINISH: When you have finished entering this information, click the finish and your room is created. Intro to Adobe Connect Sharing Meeting Room Information Once you have completed the Meeting Info and selected Finish, you will see this screen which includes the URL to your meeting room and, if you chose to include a phone line, the call-­‐in information for your room. When you wish to invite others to join you in your Adobe Connect room you must include the following information: 1. The URL or web-­‐address 2. The day and time you would like them to meet you there. It is also a great idea to include directions on how to login to the meeting as well as how to check their adobe connection in the handout titled Sample Meeting Invite. To invite students post meeting information in Blackboard in the Virtual Office or Virtual Classroom RED button: • Inside the button you will find a place to enter your meeting information for students. • To edit the information you must click the dropdown arrow to the right of the item title and select Edit. • Then make sure to include the meeting URL and meeting day(s) and time(s) and click submit. For assistance please contact Blackboard support for your school. To invite colleagues and other non-­‐students via email: • Copy and paste this information into the body of your email or calendar invite in Outlook. Intro to Adobe Connect Ideal Meeting Invite Log in Instructions
Day: Friday, 8/30/13
Time: 6:00pm
Location URL: http://brandman.adobeconnect.com/sample
Directions:
Please use the URL listed to attend the meeting. If you do not have an Adobe Connect account you may enter as
a guest. It is advised that you complete a system check on the computer you will be joining from prior to the
meeting. You may do this by clicking on this link:
http://meet87218614.adobeconnect.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm
You should plan to log in to the meeting 10 minutes prior to the start of the session to ensure that your audio is
properly functioning. Please follow these instructions to connect your microphone once it has been enabled:
http://www.brandman.edu/files/attachments/Meeting_Welcome.pdf
Intro to Adobe Connect Testing your system When you are ready to run the test simply click on the link and the test will begin: http://meet87218614.adobeconnect.com/common/help/
en/support/meeting_test.htm#Troubleshoot The diagnostic test checks to make sure that: 1. Your version of flash player is supported 2. You have a clear connection to Adobe Connect 3. Your internet connection is strong enough 4. You have the latest Adobe Connect Add-­‐in If all tests pass successfully you should see check marks next to every item and you are ready to log in to your meeting. If prompted to update your Flash and/or Adobe Connect add-­‐in please follow the instructions provided. To download the add-­‐in directly go to: http://www.adobe.com/support/connect/downloads-­‐
updates.html#meeting-­‐add-­‐ins Intro to Adobe Connect Starting a Meeting To start a meeting you can: • Type the URL into your web browser or • Click the Enter Meeting button at the bottom of the Meeting Information page. Then: • Login using your full Brandman email & password. Before you meet with students/attendees: • Practice the skills you plan to use • Ask a friend, colleague or family member to join you in the room so you can see how it will appear for your participants • Contact [email protected] if any questions arise. Intro to Adobe Connect Audio Setup Wizard Click on Meeting>Audio Set Up Wizard The Audio Set Up Wizard allows you and your students to test your audio systems to make sure that your microphones and speakers are set up correctly and properly functioning. When you click on this button you will be prompted to follow the system check steps. To continue to each step click Next on the bottom of the screen Step 1 – Test Sound Output • Ensure that your speakers are connected. • You must click Play Sound. • If you hear music, click next to move on to step 2. • If you don’t, click HELP. Step 2 – Select Microphone • Select the microphone you plan to use for the meeting. • If there is more then one mic option, you can over ride the system by selecting the one you would prefer to use from this drop down. Step 3 -­‐ Tune Microphone Volume • Ensure that your mic is working. • You must click record and begin speaking. • Click Stop and then Play Recording. • You should hear yourself speaking. If you do, click next. • If you do not, click HELP Step 4 – Tune Silence Level • Detect and block out background noise. • Remain completely silent and click on Test Silence. • Once blue bar reaches the right side click Stop. • Then click Next. When you have completed the audio setup wizard you will see a results page. Click Finish and you are ready to go. Intro to Adobe Connect Starting and Stopping a Recording To begin a recording click on Meeting>Recording Meeting You will be prompted to give your recording a name • Think about a naming convention that will work best for your filing system • You may also provide a summary if desired • When you click OK • The recording will begin You will know the recording has started when you see the red circle appear in the upper right corner of your screen You may pause and stop your recording at any time by clicking on this red circle to reveal the black control box. For more information on where to find these recordings and how to share them with students please attend our Advanced Adobe Connect training on recordings. We will also have an advanced series of Adobe Connect videos on the CII website soon! Intro to Adobe Connect Closing A Meeting To close a meeting you have two options. You will find the End Meeting and Exit Adobe Connect functions under the Meeting button. It is important to understand the difference between the two. End Meeting: • Ends the Virtual Class session for all participants and closes the room until you re-­‐enter it at a later date • No one will be allowed back into the room until you ‘open’ it by entering the room first Exit Adobe Connect: • Allows you to leave the Virtual Classroom but allows others to remain inside as well as enter the room when you are not there • When participants enter they can type in the chat box but they cannot turn on their mics/webcams/share screens until you enter the room and allow them to • This option can be helpful if you plan on allowing students to enter the room early to run the Audio Set Up Wizard prior to you entering the room • You can also Exit the Meeting by clicking on the X at the top of your screen, similar to how you would close out your web browser. This is the same as Exiting the Meeting and does not close the room to others. Intro to Adobe Connect Layouts Your room comes pre-­‐loaded with three layouts – Sharing, Discussion and Collaboration. • Navigate to these layouts by clicking on Layouts at the top of your screen or use the shortcut bar on the right side of your screen. • Each layout is made up of pods. Each pod has a unique functionality. Sharing Layout: • Allows you and your students to present materials • In the Sharing Layout you will find a: o share pod-­‐which allows you to present content o video pod – which allows you to connect your webcam and present your video image o attendees pod – which notifies you of who is attending and allows you to manage your attendees o chat pod – which allows you to facilitate text conversation during your meeting. Discussion Layout: • Facilitate one-­‐on-­‐one as well as larger group discussions. • In the Discussion Layout you will find a: o much larger video pod which allows for more clarity in your webcam video broadcast as well as room for others to turn on their webcams and join you in a face-­‐to-­‐face conversation. o discussion notes pod – which allows you to take notes and send them off to your attendees o poll pod – which allows you to pose questions to your attendees and poll their responses o chat pod and attendees pod Collaboration Layout: • Facilitates group collaboration • In the Collaboration Layout you will find a: o white board -­‐ which allows you and your students to manipulate it just as you would in a traditional seat-­‐based classroom. o files pod – which allows you to upload a file from your computer for your attendees to instantly download onto theirs o chat pod, notes pod, attendees pod and a video pod. Intro to Adobe Connect Share Pod – Share My Screen Share Pod: Allows you to share content with your audience • Begin sharing content by clicking the drop down to the right • Select Share My Screen, Share Document and Share Whiteboard • Base selection on the type of content you wish to share Share My Screen: • This option allows you to choose to share your Desktop, Application or Window. • Share Desktop minimizes your Virtual Classroom and shows your desktop. o Ideal for presenting multiple types of content within one presentation. o For example, if you wish to show your students how to download their syllabus inside the blackboard course, review the assignments in the syllabus and then share with them a few web resources that may be helpful. o When done click Stop Sharing in the upper right corner of the pod. • Share Application allows you to share one application only o Note: you cannot switch from one application to another without going to Stop Sharing and then re-­‐
sharing another application. o Items displayed from other applications will appear pixelated. • Share Window allows you to share a specific window within an application o For example, you can share a tab within Firefox o Select window, then the specific window you wish to share and then share. o Ideal for privacy o Other windows will appear pixelated. In general, if your objective is to share multiple items on your screen you should always select the first option (Desktop) but in certain scenarios the other options may make more sense for you. CII How To: Load the Custom Pod Extensions into Your Adobe Connect Room In addition to the pods that are already loaded into your Adobe Connect room, Adobe offers custom pod extensions. These are third party aps that are designed to work in your room when loaded through the Share Document option in your Share Pod. The CII has pre-­‐loaded some of the more popular extensions, including the hold music and timer, into a Shared Content folder for easy access. Please follow the steps below to load them into your room. Step 1: First you will need to clear space where you would like the Timer and/or Music pod extensions to go. You can do this by holding your mouse at the edge of a pod, exposing the double arrow. Then just click and drag to resize. Step 2: Next, click on the Pods button at the top of your screen. Select Share and then Add New Share from the dropdown to the right. Step 3: Once the new Share Pod opens, resize it to fit in the space you would like. Then click the dropdown arrow to the right of the Share My Screen and select Share Document. Step 4: From here, select Shared Content from the list on the left. Then click on the folder titled MISC. Step 5: Inside the MISC folder you will find the following custom pod extensions to choose from: • Connect Tube – allows you to place youtube videos in your room • Countdown Clock for Meetings • Hold Music – plays salsa type music • MP3 Player Pod – plays elevator type music Select the item you wish to load and select OK in the bottom right. Step 6: You will need to add a new Share Pod to load another item. Follow the same steps from above and select the new pod extension you would like to load. Please use this link for more information on how to operate these pods and other adobe pod extensions. http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect/extend.html If there you would like to load an extension that is not already pre-­‐loaded into the MISC folder, you can load these directly from the Adobe Connect extensions site (link above) by downloading them to your computer and uploading them through the Share Document option, just like you would upload a powerpoint. Tip: often you will download a zip folder that is then directly uploaded. There is no need to unzip the file. Intro to Adobe Connect Share Pod – Share Document – PowerPoint Share Document: • The Share Pod also allows you to share content by pulling it directly into your room rather then sharing it on your desktop. • To utilize the Share Document feature your content must be either a PowerPoint, PDF, flash or jpeg file. • Note: a word document can only be shared through the Share Document feature if it is first converted to a PDF file. To share a PowerPoint: • Choose Share Document from the Share My Screen dropdown menu. • Select Browse My Computer and find the PPT on your computer. • Note: Its best to load your content into your room prior to the start of your meeting. Once loaded into the room the file is stored in your Share History where you can find it at a later time. Present the PowerPoint: • Use the right and left arrows located in the lower left corner to navigate through your slides. • Next to the arrows you have a side bar. This allows for greater options in navigating through your PowerPoint as well as informs you of which slide is coming up next. This side bar also allows you to see notes associated with each slide. Note: If you have animations and transitions loaded in your PowerPoint they should present the same way as they do in PPT but you will want to check this first. • Web Links in your PowerPoint are live meaning attendees can click directly on them to navigate to the site listed. • The draw button at the top of the screen allows you to manipulate your PowerPoint as you present. To remove the edits use the selector tool to the far left and then the erase tool • To the right of the draw button is a pointer that allows you draw my attention to specific items. • To end the presentation click Stop Sharing which will allow you to load a new PowerPoint or begin sharing another item. Intro to Adobe Connect Share Pod – Share PDF or JPEG While you can’t share word documents and certain image files in your Adobe Connect room, you can convert these to PDFs and load them directly through the share pod. Share PDF: • Choose Share Document from the Share My Screen dropdown menu. • Select Browse My Computer and find the PDF on your computer. Note: Its best to load your content into your room prior to the start of your meeting. Once loaded into the room the file is stored in your Share History where you can find it at a later time. • Once you upload a PDF into your connect room, its converted to a free adobe reader. Present PDF: • From the tool bar at the bottom you can set to a fit page mode or a page width mode. • You can also zoom in and zoom out and navigate up and down to see the other pages associated with the file. • As with the PowerPoint you can also use the draw button to directly edit your PDF file. NOTE: Consider downloading the handout entitled Meeting Welcome and uploading it into your room to direct students on how to connect their audio. Share JPEG: • You can also share a JPEG file through the share document feature. • Load a jpeg the same way as you load a PDF or PPT. • Load the JPEG through the Share Document option from the Share My Screen dropdown. • Draw button is also available. NOTE: Consider loading a JPEG image of yourself as an alternative to using the webcam for your entire presentation. Hello and Welcome,
If you are new to Adobe Connect, please follow the directions below to set up your
microphone.
Once you have entered the room, you should see a
microphone icon at the top of your screen.
Click the drop down arrow to the right of that icon and
select Connect My Audio.
If your computer has a built in microphone, Adobe Connect should detect it and
automatically connect. If it does not connect automatically, log out and come back into
the room by clicking the X in the upper right hand corner (upper left if you are on a
mac).
If your computer does not have an internal microphone you will need to use a headset,
(one with a microphone) similar to what you use to talk on your phone hands-free in the
car.
Once your microphone is connected it will turn green.
It is Adobe Connect etiquette to mute your microphone
when you are not talking. This way there is no
background noise coming through your mic. To do this,
click on the dropdown arrow to the right of the
microphone icon once again and select Mute My
Microphone.
You will know you are muted because a slash will appear over your mic icon
and next to your name in the attendees list. To unmute, just click directly on
the mic icon.
We will get started shortly. Thank you for joining us today!
Intro to Adobe Connect Share Pod – Share MP3, MP4 and FLV Adobe Connect uses flash as its platform and because of this there are two types of files that allow you to stream media to your audience Share MP3/4: • This is great if you want to present a speech from some who is not available or a famous speech that you have saved as an mp3/4. • Choose Share Document from the Share My Screen dropdown menu. • Select Browse My Computer and find the MP3/4 file on your computer. • There is a tool bar at the bottom that allows you to start and pause your mp3 as well as adjust the player volume. • The draw button at the top allows you to use the text tool to write notes to your attendees directly on the mp3/3. Note: It is best to load your content into your room prior to the start of your meeting. Once loaded into the room the file is stored in your Share History where you can find it at a later time. Share FLV and video MP4: • Share an FLV/MP4 file through the share document feature. • An FLV/MP4 file streams video in an Adobe Connect room. • Use the tool bar at the bottom to start and stop the video as well as adjust the volume • Use the draw and pointer buttons to mark the video up. • Select the undo arrow to remove any drawings you make as they will not automatically disappear when you press play. • The selector tool can be used to select the item you wish to remove and then the erase tool to remove it. • The progress bar at the bottom will speed up playback on your attendee’s computers. • It’s a good idea to start and then pause the video allowing it to finish buffering before you press play. This will prevent play back problems for attendees. Note: If you do not have access to an FLV or MP4 video file there are other ways to play video during your AC meeting. Attend an Advanced AC: Playing Video training for more information and/or view our hand out Playing Videos in Adobe Connect. Intro to Adobe Connect Playing Video in Adobe Connect There are two ways to play video inside your Adobe Connect room: 1. Stream a Flash (flv) or MP4 video through the Share Document feature in a Share Pod Connect uses flash as its platform. Because of this you can stream flash-­‐
based video files or flv using the Share Pod inside your Adobe Connect room. If you have an flv or mp4 video or you are able to use a video converter tool to convert your video to flv or mp4, you can load this into your room. Step 1: From the Share Pod options in the dropdown menu of your Share Pod, select Share Document. Step 2: From here select Browse My Computer and select the flv or mp4 file from your computer. Step 3. Once the video has loaded you can start and stop the video as well as adjust the volume. You can also use the draw and pointer buttons to mark the video up. You will want to make sure to remove any drawings you make as they will not automatically disappear when you press play. To do this you can either select the undo arrow our you can use the selector tool to select the item you with to remove and then the erase tool to remove it. You will also notice that there is a progress bar at the bottom which will speed up playback on that attendee’s computers. If you know that you have attendees with lower bandwidth it’s a good idea to start and then pause the video allowing it to finish buffering before you press play. This will prevent play back problems for attendees. 2. Use the ConnectTube player to stream a YouTube video in your room: In addition to the pods that are already loaded into your Adobe Connect room, Adobe offers custom pod extensions. These are third party apps that are designed to work in your room when loaded through the Share Document option in your Share Pod. The CII has pre-­‐loaded some of the more popular extensions, including the ConnectTube player which allows you to stream YouTube videos in your room, into a Shared Content folder for easy access. Please follow the steps below to load them into your room. Step 1: From the Share Pod options in the dropdown menu of your Share Pod, select Share Document. Step 2: From here, select Shared Content from the list on the left. Then click on the folder titled MISC. Step 3: Inside the MISC folder you will find the Connect Tube player. Select the item and click OK in the bottom right. Step 4: Once the ConnectTube pod is loaded you can either search a topic to find a list videos you may be interested in or you can type the url to the video you know you want to play into the search box in the lower left corner and select go. You will then see a list of videos in the upper right corner (you should just see one if you searched the url). Click on the video title you wish to play. Hint: if you don’t see the list try making the pod larger. Step 5: Once you’ve selected the video you wish to play you can click the play button at the center of the screen. This should play the video for all your attendees. If it does not, try clicking the sync button in the lower right corner until your attendees can view the video. The ConnectTube pod also has the draw button and pointer which you can use the highlight certain parts of your video. WARNING: Because ConnectTube comes from a third party vendor it does not always work flawlessly with Adobe Connect. If you run into trouble try the sync button. If that does not work try clicking Stop Sharing and then reloading the ConnectTube pod. If that still doesn’t work you can ask your students to watch the video on their computers by pasting the url into the chat box or an easier solution is to share your desktop, remove your headset if
you are using one, turn your computer speakers all the way up. Next bring the
YouTube video up on your desktop in full screen and click play. It will play for
everyone and they should all be able to pick up the sound from your
speakers. You won’t be able to monitor the chat box while the video is playing
but you can go back after the video is done and review any questions.
For a full list of Pod Extensions please visit: http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect/extend.html If there you would like to load an extension that is not already pre-­‐loaded into the MISC folder, you can load these directly from the Adobe Connect extensions site (link above) by downloading them to your computer and uploading them through the Share Document option, just like you would upload a PowerPoint. Tip: often you will download a zip folder that is then directly uploaded. There is no need to unzip the file. Intro to Adobe Connect Share Pod – Share Whiteboard Connect has also created a whiteboard which allows you to share thoughts and ideas with your attendees. The Whiteboard is located in the Collaboration layout but it can also be pulled into any layout through the Share Pod. Share Whiteboard: • Choose Share Whiteboard from the Share My Screen dropdown menu. • The draw button at the top of your whiteboard will expose the draw tool bar. • Select the pencil tool to create a shape or write a formula. Use the same pencil tool to expose the highlighter tool. • Change the color of the ink by selecting the color box. • Click on the right arrow at the bottom of the screen to move to a new blank screen. • Select the shape tool and find basic shapes to work with. • The text tool can be used to write on the whiteboard. • The right arrow at the bottom allows you to create a multi page document. Click back through the pages to see all of other pages just created. • Rename the pod by double clicking on the title and type a new name. • Remove the pod by clicking hide from the dropdown in the upper right corner of the pod. • Pull the pod back into the layout by clicking on pods and scrolling down to find the file again and click to open. Once opened scroll through the pages using the arrows. NOTE: To allow attendees to collaborate on the whiteboard they must be promoted presenters. To do this hold the mouse over the participant’s name and selecting make presenter. Intro to Adobe Connect Video Pod One great way to develop a relationship with your students is to enable your webcam during your presentation. This helps them put a face with your name and ensures that there is in fact, a real person on the other end of the computer. To begin using your webcam: • Either click directly on the webcam icon at the top of your screen or • Click on the Start My Webcam button at the center of the video pod. • Connect your flash player when prompted by clicking allow. • Your image will appear in preview mode. • Once you’ve made sure you are presenter ready you can click Start Sharing at the bottom of the screen. • Pause the image to offset the audio issues that can occur when using the webcam. • To unfreeze the webcam click on the pause button again. NOTE: If the video has trouble loading make sure that you have turned off other webcam programs such as skype or photobooth. Intro to Adobe Connect Attendees Pod The attendees pod allows you to see who is attending your meeting but it also allows you to manage your meeting participants. You can use the attendees pod to manage your attendees in the following ways: Send Private Chat – hover the mouse over their attendee’s name and select Start Private Chat. Edit Attendee Info – highlight the attendee’s name you wish to change. Click on the dropdown in the upper right corner of the pod. From here select Attendee Options>Edit User Info and then enter in their user name and click ok. Remove Attendee – highlight the attendee’s name you wish to remove. Select the dropdown in the upper right corner then choose Remove Selected User. This will remove them from the room. Give Individual Users Microphone Rights -­‐ hover over their name and select Enable Audio. NOTE: to enable microphone rights for all participants you can do so by clicking on the audio button and selecting Enable Audio for Participants. This will enable microphone rights but they will still need to click on their microphone icons at the top of their screen to connect their microphone. Mute Attendees -­‐ In the event that someone is unable to mute on their own or is not paying attention to mute upon request the host can mute them. Hover over their name and select Mute Attendee. The participant still has the ability to unmute when they wish to talk but this prevents others from being distracted from unmuted microphones during your presentation. Promote Participants to Presenters – In the event that a participant wishes to share content and/or collaborate on a whiteboard or notes pod in your room you will first need to give them presenter rights. Hover your mouse over their name and select Make Presenter. They will then appear as a Presenter in the attendee list. NOTE: If you plan to do this with your students it’s a good idea to have them watch the video on how to share a PowerPoint through the share document feature in the share pod. Intro to Adobe Connect Chat Pod The chat pod is present in all layouts and it promotes your students’ ability to engage in the classroom activity especially if they do not have microphones enabled. Even with mics enabled, the chat box is a great location for students to enter questions as it provides clarity for you and allows others to see the questions that have already been posed. The pod options dropdown in the chat pod are located in the upper right hand corner and allow you to: • Change Text Size -­‐ click Text Size and select a size. Allows you to view the chats in a larger size and may be a good idea for attendees who struggle to see the smaller size chats. Each attendee must adjust their own text size. • Change Chat Color -­‐ to help distinguish your responses from your attendees. Click My Chat Color from the pod options and choose a color. • Email the Chat History – you can email the chat to yourself as a record of the discussion or the meeting minutes. Choose Email Chat History from the pod options menu. • Clear Chat – before ending a meeting or exiting your room clear the chat to ensure that confidential information is not shared. Choose Clear Chat from the pod options menu. • Hotlink Tool -­‐ type or copy and past urls into the chat pod and attendees can click directly on these links to navigate to the site. NOTE: to get back to the meeting window they may need to locate the Adobe Connect icon at the bottom of the screen as the website may open in front of the meeting room window. Intro to Adobe Connect Notes Pod A notes pod is located in both the discussion and the collaboration layouts. The notes pod allows users to take meeting notes during your virtual class session as well as write messages to attendees prior to the class session. The notes pod can be added to any layout by clicking on Pods>Notes>Add New Notes. The Notes Pod allows users to: • Type Messages -­‐ enter text you wish to share with your participants in the box provide. • Basic Text Edits -­‐ a basic text editor is located at the top of the pod and allows you to set the font size, width and color as well as add bullets. • Save as RTF – to save the information from the notes pod to your computer select the pod options drop down in the upper right corner and click Export Note and then Save as RTF. This allows you to save the file to your computer. • Email Notes – to email the information from the notes pod to yourself and/or your attendees select the pod options drop down in the upper right corner and click Export Note and then Email Notes. This allows you to email the notes to yourself and/or your participants. • Save for Later – if you wish to save this information you have entered into the notes pod to access it later double click on the title of the pod and give it a new name. Then select hide from the pod options menu in the dropdown. Later, when you want to reopen the pod for your meeting click on pods at the top of your screen. Select Notes from the dropdown and then find the title of the notes pod you wish to have appear. Intro to Adobe Connect Poll Pod A great way to engage your attendees is by asking them questions. The poll pod is designed to facilitate this type of engagement. • You will find the Poll Pod in the Discussion Layout. To add a poll pod to any layout click on Pods>Poll>Add New Poll • There are three types of polls you can create: multiple choice, multiple answer and short answer. To pose a question to your audience: • Types of Polls – You may choose to ask a multiple choice, multiple answer or short answer question from the dropdown in the upper left corner of the poll. • Enter the Question – click and enter text in the question box. • Enter Answers – click and enter text in the answer box. Be sure to enter one per line. • Open Poll -­‐ click Open in the upper right corner. The Poll is then open for attendees to enter their responses • Close the Poll -­‐ click End Poll in the upper right corner. • View Votes – click View Votes in the upper left corner to see your attendee responses • Broadcast Results – check the box next to Broadcast Results at the bottom of the pod to share the anonymous results with your attendees • Make Changes – Click Edit to make changes to your question or change the format. NOTE: This will erase all responses. • Saving and Reopening Polls – once the poll has been created click Hide from the Pod Options drop down in the upper right corner of the pod. To deploy it later click on Pods>Polls> and select the poll(s) you wish to deploy. They will be listed by the question you posed. It’s a great idea to preload your room with polls before your class session. • Custom Pod Layout -­‐ Consider creating a new custom polls layout. To learn how attend an Advanced Adobe Connect training on Custom Layouts. Intro to Adobe Connect File Share Pod During your meeting you may want to share handouts with your audience for further study. The File Share pod allows you to upload a file from your computer and instantly allow attendees to download it to their computer without having to overload their email inbox. • The File Share pod is located in the bottom left corner of the Collaboration Layout • It can be added to any layout simply by clicking on Pods>Files Share>Add New Files Share To share files using the File Share pod: • Upload File – select the Pod Options dropdown in the upper right corner of the pod and choose Upload File. • Locate File – select browse my computer to choose a file from your computer or select one from your file share history. • Rename File – highlight the item and then click on the Pod Options dropdown. From here select Rename Selected and enter the name you wish to use and click ok. • Attendee Uploads – your attendees can also upload files to the File Share pod but they must be promoted to presenters to do so. Hover over their names in the Attendees pod and select Maker Presenter. • Download File – attendees will click Save to My Computer at the bottom left of the pod to download the file. The a tab will open in their web browser and prompt them to download the file. Try downloading a file yourself so you can accurately coach your attendees on how to do so. NOTE: The web browser may open in front of the Adobe Connect meeting window. To get back to the meeting window look for the Adobe Connect icon at the bottom of the screen. • Save and Share Later -­‐ similar to the Share pod, this process may take a moment depending on the size of the file so its always a good idea to preload these materials prior to your meeting whenever possible. To do this you will want to double click on the pod title and rename it. Then select Hide from the Pod Options dropdown. To deploy it later click on Pods>File Share> and locate the file share pod by the title you gave it. Intro to Adobe Connect Web Links Pod You may find that you want to share web links with your attendees. You can do this typing or pasting them into the chat pod or by using the Web Links pod. • Deploy the Web Links pod -­‐ To deploy a Web Links pod click on Pods>Web Links>Add New Web Links. • Navigate Attendees to a Specific Website: o Type the website directly into the Browse To box at the bottom of the pod and then click Browse To. o All users will be navigate to the website within their web browser. o This is a great option for sharing video content that you may not have an flv file for. From here, your attendees can play the videos on their individual computers and then minimize the screen and come back to the meeting when they have finished. o Also a great option for sharing web resources they may need to complete an assignment. Attendees can then bookmark the page in their web browser. NOTE: the Web Link will cause the web browser to open in front of the Adobe Connect meeting room window. To navigate back to the meeting room locate the Adobe Connect icon at the bottom of the screen. It is a good idea to talk new users through this process. • Browsing During Recording Playback – the Web Links pod is captured during a recording meaning anyone who later views the video will also be sent to the website you provide creating a powerfully engaging video for viewers. • Storing Reusable Web Links: o Select pod options and click Add Link. o Enter the URL you wish to add and click OK. o To rename the URL highlight it and click on Pod Options. From here select Rename Selected Link. You may choose a link name that best describes the resource. o Repeat these steps to add as many links as you wish. o Later on in your meeting you can click on the name and it auto populates the Browse To box preventing you from having to re-­‐
enter the URL o Attendees can also click on the links and select Browse To to navigate themselves to the site. o You may also wish preload links and hide the pod to deploy it at the end of your session. To do this click on the title to rename the pod. Then select Pod Options>Hide. To add it later click Pods>Web Links> and select the title from the list. Intro to Adobe Connect Q&A Pod While presenting your content you will often want to create a place for your attendees to ask questions. The chat pod does work for this but Adobe Connect has another pod that is better suited for Q&A sessions. • You can add a Q&A pod to any layout by clicking on Pods>Q&A • The Q&A pod has two views. The host and the attendee. You can toggle between the two by clicking on the icons in the upper right corner of the screen. The Q&A pod acts very much like a chat pod but it has some additional functionalities including: • When someone types a question into the Q&A pod the host can respond orally or via text. • When responding via text the host can respond to the individual who posted the question or to the group as a whole by clicking on the individual or all response buttons to the left of the text box at the bottom of the pod. • When cohosting a session the main host can opt to assign a question to a cohost to answer by clicking the dropdown next to the Assign To box that appears under the question. • Once the question has been responded to it can be removed from the list by clicking X to the right of the question. • Questions can also be sorted by clicking the dropdown in the upper left corner. The Q&A pod is a great tool for managing question and answer segments in a virtual meeting to ensure everyone’s questions are addressed. Because you can make it anonymous, it also encourages students who may be more hesitant to ask questions in front of a large group, to do so in the Q&A pod. While the chat pad does work, it can also encourage informal side conversations that are distracting to other students and avoidable by using the Q&A pod. Intro to Adobe Connect Managing Audio When creating a meeting there are two options to choose when setting up your audio preferences for the Adobe Connect room. Voice Over IP or VOIP allows attendees to communicate through the computer. This option is ideal because it’s free and it is easy to use. NOTE: EDOL students are not assigned a phone line so VOIP is the only option. In case of an audio emergency you can also turn on a phone if you have set one up for your room. To help ensure that attendees can successfully use VOIP, encourage them to test their connection prior to the class meeting. For more information on how to do this, view our Testing Your System video and/or the Ideal Meeting Invite handout. Using VOIP only: • To use VOIP only in your Adobe room select the first option “do not include any audio conference with this meeting” when setting up your Adobe meeting room. • Then open the meeting room and select the dropdown to the right of the microphone icon and select Connect My Audio • Click Allow to enable the flash. • Once turned on the icon will appear green. • Click on the icon to mute. It will then appear with a slash (/) through it. To unmute click on it again. • Adjust the volume by clicking the dropdown to the right of the icon and then Adjust Microphone Volume. • Choose Select Microphone to choose your preference from multiple devices when applicable. • Click Audio and Microphone Rights for Participants to allow all of your attendees to connect their microphones. It’s a good idea to coach them how to connect. • To enable rights for individual users hover over their name in the attendees lists and select Enable Microphone Rights. Using VOIP and Audio Conference/Phone: • If you plan to allow attendees to call into your room or you are unsure if your attendees can use VOIP successfully you will want to connect a phone line to your room when you are creating it. • Select “Include this audio conference with this meeting:” when creating your meeting room. If you are faculty or staff and do not have this option, email [email protected] for assistance. • A Start Audio Conference Box will appear when the room is opened. • Click Select View/Change Settings to set up your Audio Conference Preferences. NOTE: This can also be accessed via the Audio button by clicking on Audio Conference Settings or by clicking on Meeting>Preferences> and Audio Conference • Set preferences by: o Check Using Microphone o Check Allow participants to use Microphones o Uncheck Using Phone. *This is extremely important. If you forget to turn off the phone your audio will cut out completely during your meeting. In the event someone needs to call in your can turn on the phone later. o Check Start Audio Conference automatically with this meeting o Click finish and your audio is set up. • When you have completed the conference settings you will see this box again. Make sure to select Don’t show this message again and then click start. You will never need to take these steps again. • Once you have established these preferences they are set for your room and you won't need to select them in the future. Turning on the Phone Line It’s a good idea to do a sound check at the beginning of a meeting to make sure everyone can hear and speak. In the event that the phone is needed turn it on by: • Click on Audio>Audio Conference Settings • You will see the Audio Conference preferences box. • Check Using Phone. This will turn the phone immediately on in your meeting. NOTE: You will need to turn it back off after that session to ensure your preferences are back to the way you want them for your next meeting. • Make sure to tell your attendees that you are turning on the phone and that they must reconnect their audio. • Attendees will see a popup that asks them how they wish to connect their audio. • Those calling in will choose the second option “Dial-­‐in to Audio Conference via phone”, and there they will find the call in number and conference code. • Those using the microphone on their computer will select the third option and then reconnect their microphones. • Once the meeting is over, you will want to go back to your audio preferences and deselect the phone line to ensure that it is not automatically connected in your future meetings. If you experience issues with connecting your phone line, please contact the [email protected] for support. Adobe Connect Solutions to Common Problems
These tips are provided to help solve the most common types of problems encountered in Adobe
Connect. If you have any suggestions for other tips, please send them to [email protected].
Adobe Connect room appears to freeze
 Solution: Quit Adobe Connect and log back in to refresh the connection.
Sound cuts out entirely
 Cause: Adobe failed to establish a strong VOIP connection or the connection has been disrupted.
 NOTE: If you have the phone line turned on and no one has called in, the software is set to cut out
audio after 15 minutes to avoid unnecessary phone charges to the university. To avoid this issue,
only turn on the phone line if you have someone calling in.
 Solution: First, try turning off the audio completely. Wait 10 seconds and
then turn it back on to reestablish the connection. If no one is calling in,
uncheck the box next to the phone line.
 Second, if turning off the audio does not help, close the Adobe Connect
session and your browser. Then reopen both to join the session.
Your sound is cutting in and out
 Cause: This is a connection speed issue.
 Solution: Use a wired internet connection, (plug directly into your router instead of using wireless)
or try to work as close to the wireless router as you can. Make sure you have set your connection
speed in Adobe Connect to the type of connection you’re using.
 You can also turn on the phone line to call into the meeting.
There is loud feedback
 Cause: Someone whose microphone is on is listening to the session on their speakers, and the sound
from the speakers is picked up by their microphone, causing feedback
 Solution: Download the Adobe Connect 9.1 add-in
(http://www.adobe.com/support/connect/downloads-updates.html#meeting-add-ins) this should help
Adobe detect your internal microphone and cancel background noise.
 If this does not solve the problem, wear headsets/headphones/earbuds, and turn off speakers.
 If you do not have earbuds, simply mute your mic and use the chat box to communicate.
 If you are a host of a meeting you will notice vibrations ))) coming from the user’s mic icon. Simply
hold your mouse over their name and then select the mute participant option from the box to the left.
You can’t login to Adobe Connect
 Solution: Use your full Brandman email address as your username.
 Forget your password? Email the [email protected] to reset.
 If you do not have an account, please attend one of our Intro to Adobe Connect trainings first.
Your microphone isn’t working
 Solution: Download the Adobe Connect 9.1 add-in
(http://www.adobe.com/support/connect/downloads-updates.html#meeting-add-ins) this should help
Adobe detect your internal microphone.
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Be sure your microphone is plugged in BEFORE you log in to Adobe Connect. Otherwise, quit
Adobe Connect, plug in your microphone, and log in again.
Be sure you click “Allow” when you get a popup asking for permission for Adobe Connect to access
your microphone.
When you're in an Adobe Connect session, do the Audio Setup Wizard, under the ‘Meeting’ menu,
in the ‘Manage My Settings’ submenu. The most important part is Step 2, where you pick a
microphone from a list. Make sure you select the right microphone. If your microphone is not
listed, you need to restart your computer with the microphone connected. If after a restart it is still
not listed, you might need to install drivers for your microphone.
You can access the Audio Setup Wizard at any time in an open classroom that will be provided by
your host.
Make sure that your microphone and audio headset works with your computer when you are not
logged in to Adobe Connect. If it does not, and you can't hear the audio and/or can't be heard when
you speak into the microphone, try this (for Windows):
o Right-click on the little speaker icon that's in the lower-right corner of the screen, near the
clock.
o Select "Adjust Audio Properties".
o In the window that pops up, click on the "Audio" tab.
o On that page, under "Sound Playback" and "Sound Recording", see what the options are in
the drop-down box and see if changing the defaults will fix the problem.
You can’t get Adobe Connect to load correctly (‘white loading screen’)
 Solution: You need to try another browser. We recommend Firefox. http://www.mozilla.org/enUS/firefox/new/
 Install the newest version of Flash from http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/.
 If it still doesn’t work, clear your cache.
You can’t get the ‘File Download’ or ‘Web Link’ pods to work
 Cause: This is usually because of popup blockers, as both of these pods open up new windows
 Solution: Hold down ‘Shift’ and try to ‘Save to My Computer’ or “Open in Browser” from these
pods or disable your popup blocker during your meeting.
Where to Get More Help
Primary Support Link – this one is best for figuring things out quickly – however, the call and chat
options are directly below if you prefer that option. http://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/connectsupport.html . Additional Support link for TOP ISSUES currently and other helpful items
http://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect.html
Call – 24/7 support at 800-422-3623 (additional TS by just holding the line), and 800-945-9120 for
Technical Support. You can also submit a web case if you would like at the Connect Support Portal. Or,
use your Adobe ID login to submit cases online.
Chat - with an Agent (at certain hours of the day) - halfway down the page – and/or submit a ticket here
too. http://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/kb/report-service-outage.html
Service Outage - http://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/kb/report-service-outage.html
FOR issues primarily around the Phone Bridge – try Intercall first (they are the provider of the
conference call lines) - http://www.intercall.com/customer-center/techSupport.php . They have live chat,
and phone and or web help.
Issue handling advice:
Most issues are best handled by either calling or chatting with Adobe Connect expert.
Service Outage- http://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/kb/report-service-outage.html .
For any unusual issues, please try Support first, they say they can handle most issues on the phone.
If you utilize the live support listed here and you end up with a CASE NUMBER, please note it and send it
to [email protected] so that we can follow up.
Adobe Connect – Support Escalation
Primary Support Link – this one is best for figuring things out quickly –
however, the call and chat options are directly below if you prefer that
option. http://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/connectsupport.html . Additional Support link for TOP ISSUES currently and
other helpful items http://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect.html
Call – 24/7 support at 800-422-3623 (additional TS by just holding the
line), and 800-945-9120 for Technical Support. You can also submit a
web case if you would like at the Connect Support Portal. Or, use your
Adobe ID login to submit cases online.
Chat - with an Agent (at certain hours of the day) - halfway down the
page – and/or submit a ticket here too.
http://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/kb/report-serviceoutage.html
Service Outage - http://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/kb/reportservice-outage.html
FOR issues primarily around the Phone Bridge – try Intercall first
(they are the provider of the conference call lines) -
http://www.intercall.com/customer-center/techSupport.php . They
have live chat, and phone and or web help.
Issue handling advice:
Most issues are best handled by either calling or chatting with Adobe
Connect expert.
Service Outage- http://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/kb/reportservice-outage.html .
For any unusual issues, please try Support first, they say they can
handle most issues on the phone.
If you utilize the live support listed here and you end up with a CASE
NUMBER, please note it and send it to [email protected] so that we
can follow up.
The Center for Instructional Innovation’s
10 Tips for Connect Success
1. Make sure your room is set up correctly:
2. Test your connection and ask your students to do the same. This test will make sure your
Internet connection is strong enough to support video conferencing, confirm your flash player
is up to date and prompt you to download the latest Adobe Connect add-In if you have not
already done so.
http://meet87218614.adobeconnect.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm
3. Speed up your connection by plugging directly into your Internet source. If you have a
household full of wireless devices this is a good idea even if your connection is strong when
you connect. If you plan on using your webcam or showing video and/or asking students to do
the same or you know other members of your household will be home tapping into your
wireless Internet this will greatly affect your meeting experience. Also, consider removing
unneeded programs/files from your computer that may be slowing it down.
4. Decrease the bandwidth settings in your room. This setting applies to your students’
connection. Your room is defaulted to an LAN connection but most students will be logging in
from a DSL/Cable connection. From within your meeting click on
Meeting>Preferences>Room Bandwidth>DSL/Cable
5. Share all necessary information in your meeting invite. Inform students of when and where
to meet by posting it in Blackboard. Make sure to ask them to login 10 minutes early and do a
sound check. A great sample meeting invite includes the following:
Log in Instructions
Day: Friday, 8/30/13
Time: 6:00pm
Location URL: http://brandman.adobeconnect.com/sample
Directions:
Please use the URL listed to attend the meeting. If you do not have an Adobe Connect account you may
enter as a guest. It is advised that you complete a system check on the computer you will be joining from
prior to the meeting. You may do this by clicking on this link:
http://meet87218614.adobeconnect.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm
You should plan to log in to the meeting 10 minutes prior to the start of the session to ensure that your
audio is properly functioning. Please follow these instructions to connect your microphone once it has
been enabled: http://www.brandman.edu/files/attachments/Meeting_Welcome.pdf
6. Preserve bandwidth by planning not to turn on the phone and limit webcams unless
absolutely necessary. If you have set your room up with a phone line you need to make sure to
deselect that option when you start your meeting audio. You can always go back and turn it on
if needed by click on the Audio button and selecting Change Meeting Audio Mode.
If you are using webcams, consider turning them on for the start of the meeting and then
turning them off or pausing them to save bandwidth while presenting content. You can turn
them back on at the end of your meeting.
7. Post instructions for students on how to connect their audio in your room. You can access
these instructions from within your meeting by clicking on Share My Screen>Share
Desktop>Shared Content>MISC>Welcome Announcement/Audio Instructions
8. Do a sound check. Ask students to come to class 10 minutes early and do a sound check to
make sure they can hear you. Remember to type in the chat box as you are speaking for
anyone who may not be able to hear. Also, consider adding music to your room. There are a
few MP3 pods located in the Shared MISC folder where you found the audio instructions.
Choose one that works for you. If someone is unable to hear the music or you, first ask them
to log out and come back into the meeting. This helps Adobe Connect reestablish a
connection to their mic.
9. If you’ve done a sound check and someone is still struggling with audio first ask them to run an
Audio Setup Wizard by clicking on Meeting>Audio Setup Wizard. This will take them through
a step-by-step process to check their system. It also allows them to override their microphone
detection if they happen to have more then one option to choose from.
10. Take Control of the Attendee Pod. As the host you have advanced capabilities within the
Attendees pod that allow you to override anything a participant does. Simply hover your
mouse over their name and select Mute Attendee or click the dropdown in the upper right
corner and Remove Selected User. Also, consider requesting control of their screen.
11. PRACTICE and Patience! Don’t let the first time you use Adobe Connect be with
students. Find a colleague, friend or family member and have them meet you in your room
and practice doing the things you plan to do with students. Also, plan to attend our Advanced
Adobe Connect trainings at the Cii where you learn by doing.
To sign up for one of our upcoming trainings go to:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D4DA4AC22AA8-trainings
If you run into trouble be patient. Learning something new is never easy. Be patient with
yourself and the technology and remember that your students will be asked to learn new
technologies as they embark upon their careers. Use this as a teaching opportunity to model
how best to work outside of your comfort zone.