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Adobe Connect

 

Adobe Connect Software and Hardware Requirements

Adobe Connect 8 requires that you have an Internet connection, a web browser, and Adobe Flash Player 10.1 or later to attend a web conference. It supports nearly any operating system including Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Solaris, as well as the most widely used browsers including Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari. For hosting a meeting, it is also strongly recommended that you have access to a webcam and microphone. Fore more information, visit Adobe Connect 8 Tech Specs.

Blackboard Requirements   

You must have a host license in Adobe Connect in order to create meetings in your Blackboard courses. To find more information about how to obtain a host license, visit this link: Adobe Connect.

Your course must be available for student viewing for you to create an Adobe Connect meeting. For a tutorial on making your course available, visit Making your Course Available.

For a list of browsers supported by Blackboard 9, visit Blackboard 9 Browser Guide.

Before a Meeting

  1. It is recommended that you test your computer prior to creating or attending a meeting to make sure all system requirements are met. If you pass steps 1-3, then you are ready to participate in a meeting. To begin this process, visit Test Meeting Connection. 

  2. Adobe Connect requires an additional meeting Add-in for hosts. Test Meeting Connection will verify the Add-in is installed during step 4. If you are not automatically prompted to download/install the Add-in, visit Adobe Connect Updates.



Creating a Meeting  

Once you have a Host license for Adobe Connect and have confirmed that your course is available for student viewing, follow these steps to create an Adobe Connect Pro meeting in a Blackboard course:

  1. Login to Blackboard and go to the course.
  2. Click on Course Tools in the Control Panel, then on Adobe Connect Pro.



  3. Click the New Meeting button and fill out the form.



    a. You will need to create a unique meeting name and URL; an example of a URL is http://connect.luc.ed/CIEP488. 

    b. It is recommended that you select "Only registered users and accepted guests can enter the room" as the Access type. This will provide students the option of entering as a guest if the meeting attendee list is not completely up-to-date, e.g. late registration.



    c. Make any changes you wish to Meeting date and time. If you intend to reuse this meeting space for all of your class meetings, there is no need to change the meeting duration, but be sure to select Meeting > Exit Adobe Connect, instead of Meeting > End Meeting when you close each session.

  4. Select meeting participants from the list of students enrolled in the course; they should all be listed in the box on the left. To select all students in the list, click on the right double-arrow  between the two boxes; to choose selected students from the list, Ctrl-click on each one and then click the right single arrow to move the names into the box on the right.



  5. Click Submit. You will see the following confirmation listing the name, URL, start date and time, duration, and list of participants.



    a. You can communicate the date and time of the meeting to your students through an announcement or email from your Blackboard course; or include a regular meeting day and time in your syllabus. 

    b. To see information about the meeting, click the chevron beside the meeting name, then select View Information. On the Display Connect Pro Meeting page, you can find the name of the meeting and its URL, as well as its start date and time, and duration.




Turning on Voice over IP (VoIP) for Broadcasting Audio

  1. Verify your headset (or computer microphone) is connected properly. For a list of recommended hardware, visit ITS TechConnect.



  2. It is highly recommended that you run through the Audio Setup Wizard before a meeting begins. To start this process, click Meeting > Audio Setup Wizard.

  3. You may see a Flash Player settings box asking you for permission to grant access to your camera and microphone. Click Allow and check Remember if you wish to avoid this alert in the future.



  4. To begin broadcasting your voice, click the Connect My Audio button. Click the button again to stop broadcasting. All meeting hosts and presenters can broadcast their voice. A host can also activate audio for participants. To turn on this feature, click Audio > Enable Audio for Participants. Follow the same steps to disable the feature.

 

Turning on Webcam for Broadcasting Video (Optional)   

  1. Verify your webcam is connected properly. For a list of recommended hardware, visit ITS TechConnect.
  2. To begin broadcasting video, click the Start My Webcam button  on the menu bar or in the Camera and Voice pod. This will open a video preview. Click Start Sharing when ready. Click the button again to stop broadcasting. All meeting hosts and presenters can broadcast video. A host can also activate video for participants. To turn on this feature, click the menu button to the right of the Start My Webcam button > Enable Webcam for Participants. Follow the same steps to disable the feature.



Recording a Meeting   

  1. A recording of your meeting can be captured at any time. To start a recording, click Meeting > Record Meeting. You will be asked to provide a name and summary for the meeting (optional). Click OK to accept.



  2. All attendees will receive notification the meeting is now being recorded. Hosts will see a Record Meeting icon appear in the upper right corner of the window. Click on the red Record Meeting button and select "Stop Recording" when finished.



  3. You and your students can access meeting recordings from the Display Connect Pro Meeting page in Blackboard:

    a. Click the chevron for the meeting.

    b. Select View Information.

    c. Click Recordings.



    d. Click the name of the recording to play it.

  4. You have the option to do basic editing of your recording, i.e., cut out selected portions, with Adobe Connect. Access the Display Connect Pro Meeting page, by clicking the chevron for the meeting and selecting View Information; then click the Recordings link. Click the chevron for the recording you would like to edit and select Edit.




    This will open your recording in a new Adobe Connect Pro window with edit options along the bottom play counter. Drag the triangular markers along the play counter to select a portion of audio. Click the Scissor icon to cut out the highlighted portion.




Changing the Layout    

  1. Adobe Connect includes three preset layouts. Each layout contains a series of windows or "pods." To change the layout, click Layouts > Sharing, Discussion, or Collaboration.



  2. To create a new layout, click Layouts > Create New Layout. Use the Pods menu to show or hide pods. All pods can be moved, resized, and renamed (double-click name to edit). For more information on specific features and functions of pods, visit Learn Adobe Connect 8.

  3. During a meeting you may want to adjust or create a new layout without affecting the active layout seen by attendees. To do this, click Meeting > Switch to Prepare Mode. You can then make adjustments to layouts and pods. When finished, click Meeting > End Prepare Mode.

  4. A secondary display area can be made visible to hosts and presenters only. It can be used to prepare content, share confidential information, or divvy out responsibilities in confidence. To display, click Meeting > Enable Presenter Only Area. When finished, click Meeting > Disable Presenter Only Area.



Modifying Attendee Roles  

  1. Meeting roles determine capabilities for sharing, broadcasting, and other activities. Attendees can be initially assigned as a host (license required), presenter, or participant, then changed during the course of a meeting. You can drag attendees from one role to another in the Attendee List pod.

  2. Attendees initially assigned the role of a participant can be promoted to presenters upon entry into a meeting. To turn on this feature, click Meeting > Manage Access & Entry > Auto-Promote Participants to Presenters.



  3. An icon will appear next to the name of each attendee identifying their role and if they are connecting from a mobile device: host, presenter, participant (registered), and participant (guest).



Changing Your Status    

  1. The Attendee List pod displays a status icon next to each attendee. An attendee's status is blank when they first enter the meeting. Hosts, presenters, and participants can change their personal status at any time. To do so, click the triangle to the right of the Status button on the menu bar, then select the status you want to show (e.g., Raise Hand, Agree, Step Away). To clear your status, follow the same steps and select Clear Status.



  2. To view groups of attendees who share the same status, click the Attendee Status View button  in the Attendee List pod.

  3. Hosts can clear the status of attendees. To clear the entire group, click the Attendee List pod menu > Clear Everyone's Status. To clear one or more individuals, select attendees, then click the Attendee List pod menu > Attendee Options > Clear Attendee Status.



Chatting in Meetings   

  1. The Chat pod can be used to communicate with other attendees while a meeting is in progress. By default, all attendees will see messages you send. To start a private chat, click the Chat pod menu > Start Chat With > Hosts, Presenters, or specific attendees. Tabs will appear in the Chat pod to let you view different conversations. To clear a Chat pod, click the Chat pod menu > Clear Chat.



  2. Hosts and presenters can disable private chats between participants. To turn off this feature, click Meeting > Preferences > Chat Pod, then deselect Enable Private Chat for Participants. Follow the same steps to re-enable at any time during a meeting.



Creating Breakout Rooms   

  1. Hosts can create up to 20 breakout rooms and send attendees into them. Participants are automatically promoted to presenters in a breakout room (they return to participant when breakout session ends). Hosts can jump from one room to another and can broadcast messages to all groups. Attendees can ask the host a question at any time even if the host is not present in the breakout room using VoIP or chat.

  2. To start a breakout session, click the Breakout Room View button in the Attendees List pod. By default, three breakout rooms are created. To add additional rooms, click the Create a New Breakout Room button. You can drag attendees to rooms manually, or click the Evenly Distribute From Main button to randomly assign. When ready to begin, click Start Breakouts. Click the same button to end a breakout session.



    NOTE: If you are recording a meeting, only the main room is captured. You will need to use the Edit Recording feature later to crop out footage of the empty main room.

Ending a Meeting   

To use the same meeting space for each session in your course, select Meeting > Exit Adobe Connect when you close each session.

 

Troubleshooting Tips and Recommendations   

When I click on Adobe Connect Pro under Course Tools, I get an error message that says "The course is not available. Please contact the instructor."

  • Your course must be available for student viewing for you to create an Adobe Connect meeting. For a tutorial on making your course available, visit Making your Course Available.

 

I cannot get into the meeting.

  • Click Help towards the bottom of the Meeting Login page. This takes you to the Test Meeting Connection page where you can verify that your computer meets all the requirements. If you do not pass the test you will be given instructions for what you need to do.

  • Verify a pop-up blocker us not blocking your meeting window.

  • If an attendee cannot login, suggest entering the meeting as a Guest by typing in first and last name.

 

I cannot hear any audio in the meeting.

  • Verify your speakers are turned on and your computer's volume is not muted. 

  • Check to see if the meeting host has provided teleconference information. If this is the case, you need to dial in via telephone to hear meeting audio.  

 

Attendee cannot hear my voice using VoIP. This issue may be occurring on your computer or the attendee's computer.

  • Verify your microphone is not muted.

  • Verify audio has been enabled for participants.

  • Ask the attendee to run through the Audio Setup Wizard. Make sure "Allow" is selected if prompted to provide Flash Player access to webcam microphone.

  • Verify the correct microphone is being recognized by the Flash Player. To do this, right click in the meeting window and select Settings. Select the Microphone tab and check that your microphone is selected in the drop down menu and the Record Volume is at an appropriate level.


My video doesn't appear when I share my camera.

  • Verify your webcam is properly connected. If you connected after entering the meeting room, exit and enter the room again.

  • Verify the correct webcam is being recognized by the Flash Player. To do this, right click in the meeting window and select the Webcam tab. Check that your webcam is selected in the drop down menu.

  • Verify your webcam is not in use by another application such as Skype, iChat, AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, etc.

  
I edited a Blackboard-created meeting in Connect Central, and when I returned to the Adobe Connect Pro page in Blackboard, my meetings had disappeared.

  • Log out of Blackboard and close your browser, then log back in; this should bring back your meetings.
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