DLC Spring 2019 Class Projects/Elissa Alzate Adobe Connect

Project Details

You will be using Adobe Connect in this class which allows you to connect virtually in this desktop conferencing software. Adobe Connect is a full-featured web conferencing tool that can be used on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. It supports video and audio over the Internet, document and screen sharing, and more. It is web-based and does not require the installation of any major software application. Every WSU student can access their own instance of Adobe Connect (see directions for Activating and Accessing Your Adobe Connect Accounts and create virtual rooms to meet with a group or give a presentation. For Professor Alzate's class, your assignment is to create a Connect room, conduct independent group meetings, record these meetings, and post them to Discussion boards within your D2L BrightSpace course. This resource walks you through this entire process.

Hardware/Software

D2L BrightSpace Adobe Connect

What's Connect?

Adobe Connect is a full-featured web conferencing tool that can be used on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. It supports video and audio over the Internet, document and screen sharing, and more. It is web-based and does not require the installation of any major software application. Meeting hosts can create meeting sites or rooms using the Connect Manager, provide access to those rooms through a URL, and then use the tools available in the room to facilitate engaging online meetings with anyone in the world via a web browser. Meeting attendees can participate in online activities based on the role assigned to them by the host. WSU employees and students can create and host Connect meetings. Connect meeting rooms can be persistent, so you can set them up once and reuse them. Most faculty and staff use Connect to support online meetings (e.g., remote classes, virtual office hours, exam review sessions), but it can also be used in a face-to-face meeting or classroom to support communication and collaboration.

Activating your Connect Host Account and Accessing Connect Manager

In order for employees and students to activate their Connect host accounts, they must know their Minnesota State StarID and password. You can then activate your Connect account by simply logging into the Connect Manager site using the steps below:

Use your favorite web browser to go to https://webmeeting.minnstate.edu/.
Enter your StarID and password. The Connect Manager page will open.
Occasionally, users will get a "Not Authorized" message. If this happens, click "OK", wait 5 minutes, then log in again.

Creating a Connect Meeting Room

One member of your group will need to create a common Connect Room. The following directions explain where you need to go to create a room and how to share the link to this room with your group members.

1.) Use your favorite web browser to go to https://webmeeting.minnstate.edu/.

2.) Enter your StarID and password. The Connect Manager page will open.

3.) To create a meeting room, follow the screenshots below. You will end up with a web address or URL for the room, which you can pass along to anyone you want to attend the meeting.

4.) Your meeting will now appear under the section “Custom Meetings”. To enter your room, select “Join” on the right side of the screen. To share your link, copy and paste the URL next to the title of your room with the members of your group in an email.

Best Practices for Using Adobe Connect to Conduct Virtual Meetings

Before you start using Adobe Connect, use this link "Testing Adobe Connect" to test if you have all the add-ons etc. installed to allow you to use Adobe Connect properly. Testing Adobe Connect will also tell you if your connection speed is fast enough for you to use it. If any of these tests do not work, follow instructions to make sure you are in line with the requirements. Refer to Adobe Connect (Participant) for additional best practices for attending an Adobe Connect meeting.

When participating in a Connect online rooms you will want to make sure to take two important steps to make the experience of participating in this meeting a success.

Have a set of earbuds or headphones to separate the sound from your speakers and microphone so you do not have feedback.
Before you start using Adobe Connect, use this link Adobe Connect Diagnostic Test to make sure you have a good connection, the Flash media player, and Adobe Connect presenter app installed.

Important: Before you start your meeting, the person who is Host should announce that you are starting the recording of this meeting and then launch the recorder. To record and share your meetings with your group or class go to Recording and Sharing Connect Meetings.

Connect Audio Settings

Your professor may want you to participate with audio for the class and this requires you to launch the Audio Setup Wizard that is found within the Meeting menu. The following steps walk you through this process

Click Next to begin testing your laptop audio output.
On the Sound Output page, click Play Sound button. If you did not hear the sound sample, click Help button for more information.
After successful audio test click Next button.
On the Select Microphone page, select your microphone type from the pull‑down menu.
Click Next and on the Test Microphone page, click Record button to test your microphone. If a dialog box appears requesting access to your camera and microphone, click Allow to allow Acrobat Connect Professional to access your camera and microphone.
After 5 seconds of recording click the Record button again and then the Play Recording button to see if the level of audio is appropriate.
Click Next button and on the Tune Silence Level page, click the Test Silence button. Remain silent until progress is complete. Acrobat Connect Professional sets a microphone sound level that compensates for background noise in your environment.
Select Finish button and you will be returned to the online room. Make sure to activate your microphone (i.e. White=Inactive and Green=Active) on the Application Bar at the top of your screen in the Connect online room (see Figure 1 below).

Figure 1. Active Microphone

Using Chat

Sometimes faculty just want you to use the Chat feature to send a message to everyone in your class. The chat feature allows you to also select a specific person and have a private chat. By default the Chat box will send your messages to all, but if you choose from the Attendees pod a specific person by hovering over their name you can select the Start Private Chat and a new Tab will appear in the Chatbox (see Figure 2 below) and you can start a private conversation with this person.

Figure 2. Private Chat Tab

Activating Webcam Video

Your professor may have you use your laptop webcam to share video. When you see the Video pod in your online room you will have a Start My Webcam button in the center of this pod. Important:You will then be asked to Start Sharing and once you click on this button you will be live. You can also use the webcam icon in the Application Bar to access your webcam and preference.

Presenting You Screen

You may be asked to present your screen when using your online room. Sharing your screen requires you to have the Adobe Connect Add-in that the Adobe Connect Diagnostic Test (see Adobe Connect Diagnostic Test) to make sure this add-in is enabled and working on your laptop. Once you give Presenter or Host status, you will see in the Share pod a Share My Screen button. Select this and choose the screen you wish to share and you will see a smaller Connect menu appear and your screen will be viewed by all participants in the online room.

The Sharing your screen video from Lynda provides much more detail about why and how to use the feature when presenting something in your Connect online room.

Alt 1 --Share this YouTube video on sharing? https://youtu.be/2KZD5Rrbhqs

Alt 2 --Adobe Connect support page on Sharing https://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/using/sharing-content-meeting.html

DLC STARS/Presenter

Chad Kjorlien

Resources/Helpful Links

The Lynda course Adobe Connect Essential Training is the definitive resources on Connect that you will want to check out to learn all about this tool. If you have not already created a Lynda account you can learn how here.

Other Resources

DLC Support

Phone: 507-457-2206
Email: dlc@winona.edu
1:1 Support: Krueger Library #105