Students
Instructions for student viewing
Protocol for students
Google Hangouts and Skype options

Instructor
Display Setting
Audio Setting
Wimba Classroom Setting
Lecture Archiving (recording) Setting
Tablet Setting
Creating a new Course

FOR STUDENTS

A. Wimba Classroom instructions for remote students and students wishing to view the recorded lectures

1. To log in to the virtual classroom go to https://bls.dal.ca/
2. Check your browser to make sure it has all the features required for Wimba Classroom
3. Log in with your Dal NetID user name and password (this is not your CS username/password)
4. You should see the course number, e.g. HINF6220 or CSCI6505, under "Course List". Go there.
5. Click on "Student View" tab
6. Click on the link to visit the Wimba Classroom. This takes you "outside" the virtual classroom for the course
You can do two things from here:
7. Attend the lecture in real time (incl. voice)
7a. Click on "Enter this room" - "Run Wizard" the first time you use Live Classroom to ensure your computer and browser are properly set up.
7b. If I have done my end correctly (i.e. open the classroom and share the screen) you should see the lecture screen on your screen and listen to my voice.
7c . Press on TALK to talk to the class.
OR
8. View an archived lecture
8a. Scroll down to the list of recorded archives -- dates are shown
8b. Open the desired archive
8c. Enlarge resulting window to full screen
8d. Skip wizard by clicking on "click here" to enter
8e. View archive

For help information, click on or "Wimba Classroom Help" in step 7 above or visit http://webhelp.wimba.com/WC/v6_1/Participant_Guide/
Note: Live Classroom is one of the many services offered by the Blackboard Learning System https://bls.dal.ca/
I only use the Wimba Classroom functionality.

Daylight Saving Time (for students in different time zones)

B. Protocol for virtual class attendance (i.e. attending class from home)

1. Send me an email to let me know of your Skype name.
If you do not have Skype, install it from www.skype.com and register to get a Skype name, and add me to your contacts (use Add Contact button). My Skype name is "evangelosmilios" (the quotes are not part of the name).
Test your Skype connection by connecting to Skype name "echo123" (also add to your contacts).
Send me also your regular phone number.
Your Skype name and regular phone number are needed for the back up solutions.

2. Well before the class, familiarize yourself with Wimba Classroom by reviewing the Participant Guide, and
run the Setup Wizard to ensure your computer can work with WimbaClassroom.
Make sure you have a headset connected to your computer. We will not use any of the fancy features (like raising hands), because I will not be looking at the screen all the time during the lecture.
To ask a question during class, simply say "Question" into the microphone and wait till I tell you to go ahead.

3. A few minutes before the class,
- download the presentation slides (backup measure), and
- start Wimba Classroom and Skype and
- click on the Skype "Contacts" tab and scroll to its top.
When I log in, my name will get a white/green checkmark in the Skype "Contacts" tab.

4. At the start time of the lecture,
- connect to me via Skype, and
- try to login to Wimba Classroom and enter the virtual classroom (possible only after I "open" it).
We can use Skype voice or chat to establish contact and debug any problems.

5. If Wimba Classroom does not work (due to a server failure, or my inability to use it correctly), we will use one of the following back up solutions.

Google+ Hangouts
Tutorial: http://www.slideshare.net/JonStrong13/google-hangouts-tutorial
One sheeter: http://www.slideshare.net/elijahv/google-hangouts-one-sheeter

Skype call for audio and screen sharing, or just audio.
https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA10215/how-do-i-share-my-screen-in-skype-for-windows-desktop
(screen can only be shared with one party - for more parties, need premium version)

To establish two-way voice communication:
Use Skype (up to 4 virtual students can be accommodated). Quality of Skype conference calls is not reliable, so it is better for virtual students to get together and listen to the lecture either via an echo-cancelling speaker/microphone combination or by splitting the audio out into two sets of earphones (you need a splitter that should cost only a couple of euros in an electronics store).

FOR THE INSTRUCTOR

A. EQUIPMENT ADJUSTMENTS (WINDOWS XP)

BEFORE GOING TO THE CLASSROOM

a. SETTING UP DUAL DISPLAY ON LAPTOP (IDENTICAL DISPLAYS ON THE LAPTOP AND THE DATA PROJECTOR)

1. Set the laptop monitor resolution to be the same as the data projector (1024x780)
in Control Panel => Display=>Settings

2. Activate dual display feature as follows:
Display => Settings => Advanced => Intel graphics media accelerator => Graphics properties =>
Check: multiple display => Intel R dual display cone => (Primary device) Monitor
Alternatively
Do "Fn F5" twice to go to LCD+CRT option. This should mirror the laptop display on the data projector

b. SETTING UP THE AUDIO

1. Control Panel => Sounds and Audio Devices => Audio
When you plug in the speakerphone, it will most likely become the default audio device automatically.
To make sure, and set the sound playback and recording levels:
Sound playback device: AK4571 or whatever the name of the speakerphone is (students: whatever they have)
--- Volume: Wave: midpoint, Speaker: max, Microphone: upper 2/3 (students: as needed)
Sound recording device: AK4571 (students: whatever they have)
--- Volume: Microphone: upper 2/3 (students: higher, as needed)

Adjust volumes on the speakephone (press V or ^ buttons repeatedly) to avoid echo

2. Setup the audio before starting Skype!

c. ATTACH TABLET

Write and point on the slides, not the whiteboard (so remote students can see)
Settings:
- Mapping =>
check "Force Proportion", (maybe, still examining tablet's behaviour)
select "Screen Area" => "Monitor 1",
select "Tablet Area => Full"
- Place tablet far from the computer and the data projector, to avoid RF jitter.
- The pencil tool in Acrobat does not work as well as Paint or the Netmeeting whiteboard.
If you want to use Paint as a whiteboard, you must share the desktop in Wimba Classroom (step D5 below)

PROCEDURES IN THE CLASSROOM

d. Wimba Classroom SETTINGS:

1. To log in to the virtual classroom go to https://bls.dal.ca/
2. First time only: Check your browser to make sure it has all the features required for Wimba Classroom
3. Log in with your Dal NetID user name and password (this is not your CS username/password)
4. You should see the course number, e.g. HINF6220 or CSCI6505, under "Course List". Go there.
5. Click on "Teach View" tab, scroll down if needed, click on "Done" and do not show me this page again (first time).
6. Double Click on the classroom Icon to visit the Wimba Classroom. This takes you "outside" the virtual classroom for the course
7. "Enter this room" to open the virtual classroom ("Run Wizard" the first time, then "click here" to enter Classroom)
8 . For voice communication
- Options => Lock Talk (bottom left of main window pane) (locks instructor voice)
- Under People pane, rightmost icon, pulldown menu => Enable audio (allows remote students to speak, if desired)
4. Share (upper right of main window pane) => Begin Sharing => Select Full Desktop
you can also select to display content in "New Window", and Select a specific Window (e.g Acrobat) for sharing by Drag Icon.

e. ARCHIVING PRESENTATION

1. Share the window as above (the window must be in the main display, in case of screen extension with a second display).
Share => Display shared content in "Content Window"
Drag Icon to select window (Acrobat or PPT) OR Select Desktop.
The displayed window should not be full screen, because you cannot shrink the content when viewing the archive.
2. Turn "Talk" on. (Options (bottom of content pane)=> Lock talk)
3. Turn "Archive" on by pressing the archive button in the top right of the Wimba Classroom window.
4. When done, turn "Archive" off by pressing the same button (now red).
5. Archived presentations will appear in the home page of the classroom (screen of step A.7).
Make sure to give access to the archive so that students can view it.

CREATING A NEW COURSE

1. To request a new course on BLS (which includes Wimba Classroom) fill out the form in http://www.dal.ca/ilo (click on Request button)

2. The Virtual Classroom must be added to the newly created course as follows:
- Under the "Build" tab, click on "Add Content Link"
- Select "Wimba Classroom", then "Create Wimba Classroom", and continue to complete the process
- The Wimba Classroom Icon will appear under the "Teach" tab.
- Click on the Icon to enter the Wimba classroom, then Enter this room

3. To enroll a Dalhousie student into the BLS course,
a. Click the Teach Tab.
b. In the left menu panel, click Grade Book.
c. Find and click the Enroll Members button.
d. Fill out the student's username, which is his/her NetID (official Dal address is NetID@dal.ca), and status, and click on Save button.

4. Documentations on Wimba classroom is here.