BigBlueButton- Virtual Classroom

BigBlueButton (BBB) is a web conferencing system for online learning and is integrated into your Fullmind Learning Management System.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can educators prepare for the new BBB digital classroom experience?

   • Check out the BBB User Guide, where iTutor has highlighted key features, including how to screen share with audio, create breakout rooms, use the polling feature, and more. You can also create a BBB demo session to practice by signing up here!

2. What are the minimum requirements for the BigBlueButton client?

   • For the browser, we recommend running either Firefox, Chrome, or the latest Edge (which is based on Chromium). Why? These browsers provide excellent support for real-time web communications (WebRTC). On Mac OS X, the latest Safari will also work, but Firefox and Chrome will deliver better audio in lower bandwidth conditions.

3. What are the allowable file types for uploading presentations?

   • PDF and most office file types can be uploaded in the "Manage Presentations" section. For sharing external videos, users can choose a video URL from YouTube, Vimeo, or a URL for an MP4 or WebM video. More information can be found here.

4. Why do I have to turn on the pen tool on every new slide?

   • It seems like this is intentional per BBB: "This was 100% intentional and is to keep the data models clean and unassociated between the whiteboard and any other component. [...] If we start introducing the presentation logic or the pod logic into the whiteboard, we will forever tie them together and limit our options for new features in the future." Check out the conversation about this feature request here.

5. What is palm rejection? (the last icon on the toolbar)

   • When someone places their hand on the display while writing, the palm rejection function automatically only accepts the pencil's input and ignores touch events. For this reason, they've implemented a manual palm rejection function. While that function is enabled, users can only write with their pencil. If they want to draw with their finger, they must disable it.

6. When will some other features be available?

   • Eraser function? - This is slated for the 2.6 release, likely scheduled for later this summer.

   • Emojis? - Here's how BBB thinks about using gold stars as rewards during sessions. They are also considering providing students the ability to use emoji reactions.

   • If you want more details or to learn about other features, check out BBB's release notes. For more information on how BBB prioritizes features, see here.

7. How can I prepare in advance for my sessions? 

• Educators can upload lesson materials in advance of their scheduled sessions without having to launch the class! 

• Just click the session link, and either drag and drop the files you wish to use during your session or select “Choose files…” to upload. Once your files are uploaded, you can close out of the window.

• When you return at the start of your session, you can “Join Class” and the files you previously uploaded will be automatically loaded into the session for you and your students.

8. I am getting booted out of my live class sessions. 

•  There is a known connectivity issue for customers with Spectrum internet provider that causes users to disconnect from BBB sessions. If educators are getting booted from sessions, please ask if they have Spectrum. If so, here are the instructions BBB provided to help fix this.

9. Why does my recording show a blank screen when I have shared an external video in a live session? 

• BBB doesn't allow the screen recording to capture external videos, which is why some parts of some recordings appear completely blank. Therefore, eng will disable the "Share an external video" feature (see image below). A workaround will be to have educators screen share with audio instead. Instructions for educators to screen share in BBB can be found here.

See additional, indepth FAQs here.