[Using Sakai] Experience with BigBlueButton?

[Becky Roehrs]

Jeff
 
We have just started using BigBlueButton (BBB), and have been using Sakai CLE 2.9 since August/2012. We had previously performed a pilot with Adobe Connect (AC). Since I ran the AC pilot, I've been working with Big Blue Button, on XP SP3 and Windows 7 (a bit) and Firefox 19:
 
Set-up
 
1) The student set-up is the same for Adobe Connect/BBB: Students must have installed Adobe Flash 10.3 or higher.   
 
2) The instructor/presenter set-up is the same for AC/BBB: Both have to have Java installed.
 
File uploads
 
1) Both products require that you save  your PowerPoint presentations as pdfs and can't play animations.
 
Sharing features
 
1) I think BBB's desktop sharing is better than Adobe Connect, since BBB provides a small preview window, so you know if your sharing attempt is really working. That is extremely helpful!
 
2) With both products, you can share your whiteboard, desktop, webcam or file very well, plus chat. I like the BBB zoom feature for files: you can move a 100%-400% triangle icon to zoom out on a slide.
 
3) BBB has less bells and whistles than Adobe Connect, which I like, since it's easier to train others on how to use it. But AC has some nice features for more sophisticated users, such as break out sessions, for example, and of course, recording.
 
BBB Recording
 
This is something new, and definitely needs folks to work on, but here's some facts I've gathered
 
1) There are no start/stop buttons. You have to state you want a recording performed when you create or update the Meeting settings. It stops when the meeting creator/presenter exits the meeting. 
 
2) My personal experience: It takes a few seconds to start a recording, even if someone enters the meeting as soon as it starts.
 
3) White board and mouse movements are not recorded 
 
4) Big Blue Button recordings play in Firefox and Chrome.
 
5) Unless you do some setup changes/programming: You can't download or update the recordings now.
 
My estimation: Great for meetings, not ready for prime-time for recordings. That's fine for the students I've tested it with.
 
I'm writing a Tips & Tricks guide for our Instructors and Students, but have added to our Sakai wiki links to important FAQ's I found on the BigBlueButton web site (it's not pretty, we're just getting started):  
http://courses.durhamtech.edu/wiki/index.php/Sakai:_Communication_Tools#Communication_Tools 
 
 
Hope that helps! Becky Roehrs
 
 
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:04:08 -0400
From: Jeff Pasch <jwp292 at nyu.edu>
Subject: [Using Sakai] Experience with BigBlueButton?
To: sakai-user at collab.sakaiproject.org 
Message-ID: <8986E1EC-1EF0-4563-B311-25F7F3FED258 at nyu.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
 
Hi all,
 
NYU is looking at BigBlueButton as a possible web conferencing solution, to be integrated with our instance of Sakai CLE 2.8.
 
Are there any institutions out there who are using / have used BBB with Sakai who would be willing to share their experiences with us? Pros and cons? Issues? Triumphs?! Comparisons with other web conferencing solutions you've used? 
 
Any input/advice you have would be very helpful.
 
Thanks,
Jeff
 
----
Jeff Pasch
Project Manager
ITS .edu Services
New York University
 
 
Becky Roehrs   M.Ed, CPP
Coordinator of Distance Learning/Learning Technology Specialist
Durham Technical Community College
1637 Lawson Street
Durham, NC 27703
Email: roehrsb at durhamtech.edu

Durham Tech Sakai blog: http://durhamtechsakai.blogspot.com/
Phone: 919-536-7213 X5901
 
Email correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and shall be disclosed to third parties when required by the statutes. (NCGS.Ch. 132)

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