Virtual Classroom Resources
The following resources have been designed to act as quick reference guides when using the virtual classroom tools.
- Create a session
- Create a large session
- Create a recurring session
- Session settings
- Creating a guest link for external presenters
- Using Breakout Groups
- Add links in the module to that session
- Add communications for students as to module expectations
- Add links for recordings
- Student guides for making the most of the VC
College of Business – Module Design for Online / Blended
For anyone who has not already enrolled to our self-paced module, Module Design for Online / Blended, then we invite you to register by using this link.
Enrolment Link: Module Design for Online / Blended
Create a session
1. Create a Collaborate Virtual Class link in Brightspace
Video: Create online classroom link in Brightspace
2. Schedule a Meeting in Zoom
Video: How to Schedule a Zoom Meeting
3. Schedule a Meeting in Google Meet
Video: Schedule a Meeting in Google Meet
Create a large session
1. Enabling Large Sessions in BBCU
Video: Large Classroom setting in Collaborate
2. Large Sessions in Zoom and Google Meets
UCD offers Zoom Pro accounts. Meetings in Zoom Pro can accommodate 300 attendees. Google Meets can accommodate 250 attendees. Find more information here: Virtual Classroom Tool Comparison
Create a recurring session
1. Enabling Recurring Sessions in BBCU
Video: Recurring sessions in Collaborate
2. Enabling Recurring Sessions in Zoom
Video: Recurring sessions in Zoom
3. Enabling Recurring Sessions in Google Meet
Video: Recurring sessions in Google Meet/strong>
Session settings
1. Session settings for Collaborate Ultra
Video: Blackboard Collaborate Ultra – Session Settings
2. Session settings for Zoom
Video: Meeting session settings in Zoom
3. Session settings for Google Meets
Video: Meeting session settings in Zoom
4. Recommended Security Setting for Zoom
If you choose to use Zoom to hold online classes, tutorials or online office hours we recommend that you use the below settings or refer to our guide when creating your meetings in order to harden the security of the session.
It should be noted that Collaborate Ultra is still the approved virtual classroom tool for the University. Potential security issues are mitigated by the full integration of Collaborate Ultra and Brightspace.
Recommended Meeting Options
Step 1: Create your meeting by logging in the Zoom web interface. Go to UCD Connect and click the Zoom icon.
Step 2: Click ‘Sign In – Configure your account’
Step 3: If you haven’t already agreed to the T&Cs, do so now by selecting ‘Accept’.
Step 4: Enter your UCD Connect details when prompted. Go to ‘Schedule a Meeting’ to create a new online class.
Step 5: In the meeting settings, enable the passcode and enable the waiting room.
Step 6: In the meeting options, select ‘Require Authentication to join’ and select ‘UCD Domains’ from the dropdown. By selecting this option you are ensuring that students will connect to your sessions using a Zoom account registered to their @ucdconnect email address. This is an important step to allow you to confirm that only students from your module are attending the session. If you have not selected this option before, it may be the case that some students have joined a previous session using an account that is registered to a personal email address. If you use this option we recommend that you email the class beforehand to inform them that they need to access the session with an account associated with their UCD connect email. An example of email communications to students is included below.
In order to increase the security of the online class, you will be required to access the Zoom session with an account associated with your UCD Connect email. If you have not already done so, please set up a Zoom account registered to your UCD connect email and use this account to gain entry to the session.
Click ‘Save’ once done.
Step 7: There are additional security options that you can enable within the session also. Go to the ‘Security’ options when you have started the session. Uncheck the option for participants to rename themselves. This prevents anyone using false names in the session. When all participants have entered the session, you can ‘Lock’ the meeting. This will prevent anyone gaining access to the session after it begins.
Step 8: If participants are allowed to use the chat function, it is recommended that you only enable public chat share. To do this in session, click the ‘Chat’ icon in the session window. The chat function will open on the right of the screen. Click the three dot icon to expand the function menu and select ‘Everyone publicly’ from the chat options.
Applying Default Settings for Zoom Meetings
If you want to keep the settings detailed above for all of your Zoom meetings, you can set your preferences as default in the Zoom web interface.
Step 1: In order to do this, go to your Zoom account and select ‘Settings’ from the left hand menu.
Step 2: In the ‘Security’ settings, turn on the ‘Waiting Room’ and ‘Passcode’.
Step 3: Also in the ‘Security’ settings, turn on ‘Only authenticated users can join’ in the meeting.
Step 4: In the basic meeting settings, turn off ‘Private chat’.
Step 5: Also in the basic meeting settings, turn off ‘Allow participants to rename themselves’.
Once you have enabled these settings they will be default options for every new meeting that you create.
Creating a guest link for external presenters
1. Creating a Guest link in Collaborate Ultra
Video: Get guest link in Collaborate
2. Inviting others to join a meeting in Zoom
3. Inviting others to join a meeting in Google Meet
Video: Invite others to meeting in Google Meet
Using Breakout Groups
1. Recommendations for Breakout groups in BBCU
Breakout Rooms allow instructors to organise students into discreet group rooms for discussion during larger sessions. Have a look at the following video for a brief introduction:
Video: Using Breakout groups in BbCU
Blackboard support page for Breakout Groups here.
Note: Session recordings continue so long as there is at least one participant (either instructor or student) in the main room, but recordings end when all participants enter breakout rooms. This can be avoided by the moderator staying in the main room during breakouts rooms, or if the moderator must enter breakout rooms, they must remember to restart the recording when breakout rooms end.
2. Recommendations for Breakout groups in Zoom
How to set up pre-assigned breakout groups: Pre-Assigned Groups in Zoom
Using self-assign groups in Zoom: Self Assign groups
General guide to managing Breakout Rooms: Breakout Rooms in Zoom
Student Guide to Breakout Groups in Zoom
Please note that issues have been reported with using pre-assigned breakout groups in Zoom. If you are using the student’s email to populate the .csv file, then the success of this action relies on students being logged into a Zoom session with their UCD Connect account. The .csv upload is also reportedly sensitive and requires exact formatting as per the template. Between both of these considerations there is no guarantee that the pre-assigned groups in your Zoom session will fully work. It is likely that you will still have to manually manipulate students into groups in those sessions.
Tufts University in Boston have created a useful guide to try to mitigate the issues you may have using Zoom. Please note that as per their instructions, there is no way to ensure that all students will enter your session with the correct account and that the breakout groups will be successful for all students: Link to guide
3. Recommendations for Breakout groups in Meets
Resource from Google on managing Breakout rooms in Meet
Add links in the module to that session
1. Adding a Zoom link to Brightspace
Video: ZOOM – Create session link in Brightspace
2. Adding a BbCU link to Brightspace
Video: BbCU – Create session link in Brightspace
3. Adding a Google Meet link to Brightspace
Video: MEET – Create session link in Brightspace
Add communications for students as to module expectations
It’s important to let students know what your expectations are of them in relation to how they use the virtual classroom tool in your module. Students in turn will need to know how you plan to use the tool.
Consider these questions:
- How many sessions will you run?
- Will they run at the same time each week?
- How long are the sessions?
- Where will they find the link?
- What virtual classroom tool will you be using?
- Do they need to have an account or is it provided?
- How do they log in, is there a procedure to follow?
- What kind of engagement do you expect, and how should it be demonstrated?
- Will there be group activities, and how should they prepare?
Add links for recordings
1. Adding a Zoom recording link to Brightspace
Video: ZOOM – Adding a session recording to Brightspace
2. Adding a BbCU recording link to Brightspace
Video: ZOOM – Adding a session recording to Brightspace
3. Adding a Google Meet recording link to Brightspace
Note: Currently the Google Meet session recording feature has been withdrawn, if it becomes available again we will add further resources.
Student guides for making the most of the VC
- Blackboard Collaborate Ultra – Troubleshooting
- Student Guide to Remote Learning and Assessment
- Using Google Meet for Student Groups
- Blackboard Collaborate Ultra – Accessing a Virtual Class
- Virtual Classroom – Recommendations
- Using Zoom for group presentation recordings
