The Virtual Classroom is essentially an integrated online meeting/web-conferencing tool – similar to Zoom, WebEx, and other tools. It allows instructors and learners to engage each other via livestream video. You can use Virtual Classroom to engage a large audience and connect up to 7 simultaneous webcams.
Because it’s integrated within the TILE platform, the Virtual Classroom is easy to set up. It’s especially useful for:
Click each tab for step-by-step guidance on how to use the virtual classroom for these two activity types.
Watch this video for a quick example of how to set up a Virtual Classroom synchronous learning activity in Composer. You can also follow the Step-by-Step instructions below.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Access the Collaboration Admin Page
Create Virtual Classroom Activity
Your Virtual Classroom activity is set up, but there's one last step. You need to map it to a resource so your learners will be able to see and access it. Watch this video for a quick example of how to map a Virtual Classroom activity to a resource. You can also follow the Step-by-Step instructions below.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Watch this video for a quick example of how to test and rehearse for a Virtual Classroom synchronous learning activity. You can also follow the Step-by-Step instructions below.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Test and Rehearse for Activity
The main Virtual Classroom interface is displayed. Explore this synchronous learning environment to get familiar with the various features.
See “Virtual Classroom Features” section below for more information on how to use each of these features.
Here’s a summary of the main features of the Virtual Classroom environment. Get familiar with each feature before using it in a live activity.
Participant Panel
Live Chat Panel
Presentations
Polling
Muting
Breakout Rooms
Create rooms
Monitor rooms
You can monitor Breakout Rooms by clicking the + button and selecting Show breakout rooms.
To join a Breakout Room, click Enter Room. The Breakout Room will open a new tab.
You can also join a Breakout Room by clicking on the caret icon next to the meeting name. If you would like to leave one room and join another, close the Breakout Room tab and repeat the process above.
Close rooms
There is a countdown timer in the Breakout Room. Learners will automatically rejoin the Virtual Classroom when the timer runs out. You can also end the Breakout Room session early by clicking the + button and selecting Close all breakout rooms.
Share Screen
Annotation Tools
The Virtual Classroom has annotation tools you can use to support the activity.
Recording
You can record meetings in the Virtual Classroom, which can be useful for learners that are not able to attend or for later general reference. To test this feature, do the following.
Click here for more information about using the Virtual Classroom.
You can use the Virtual Classroom feature to set up re-occuring “virtual office hours,” where your learners can ask you questions and interact with you in real-time. The process for setting up Office Hours in Composer is the same as setting up synchronous learning activities, with a couple of minor differences. Watch the video below to see how it’s done. You can also follow the Step-by-Step instructions below.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Access the Collaboration Admin Page
Set Up Office Hours
Your Office Hours session is set up, but there's one last step. You need to map it to a resource so your learners will be able to see and access it. Watch this video for a quick example of how to map an Office Hours session to a resource. You can also follow the Step-by-Step instructions below.
Step-by-Step Instructions