Tips on Using LearningTimes/Elluminate in the Webheads Community Virtual Office 

This page of tips combines discussion of tools and some ideas for using them effectively in an online presentation.

Webheads Virtual Office in LearningTimes

For examples of how Webheads have used the room, check out some of the EVO Training recordings from earlier in Fall 2008. In particular, see Moira Hunter's handling of the interface in Week 4, Chat 2.

For microphone/speaker setup beforehand and for further help, go to the Elluminate site Help pages.

Before you start

1. Be sure to book your session on the Webheads official timetable on the LearningTimes page well in advance of the time/day you want. It's first-come-first-served. (It is a self-access calendar, but if you need to edit your entry, you will have to contact Vance Stevens for help.)

2. Announce the chat time in GMT on your Yahoo Calendar or wiki calendar widget. Have a reminder sent at least 48 hours ahead of time to allow for those using Yahoo’s Daily Digest.

 

3. Arrive at the LearningTimes room at least 15 minutes ahead of time to check your audio and upload your ppt, if you are using one. It can take well over 5 minutes to upload a presentation. (Be patient and don't click around while waiting.) Open a new public whiteboard before starting your upload (or select to upload After the Current Screen).

 

 

4. If you have any problems uploading your presentation, exit the chat room and empty your Java cache. (You'll have to find Java on your computer, open it, and go to the advanced properties, depending on your OS.)

 

 

5. Don’t enter through the Green >Enter Session button. Use the green >Session Moderator link located about halfway down the LT entry page. All co-mods can also use that link, or you can make them moderators after they enter the room by highlighting their names and using the >Tools menu, selecting >Moderator >Give Moderator Privilege.

 

 

6. As soon as you enter the virtual chat room, use the >Tools pull-down menu to select >Audio >Audio Setup Wizard. You may need to adjust the sound level and/or application selection on your own computer, especially if you have used another audio program (i.e., Skype or Yahoo Messenger) since your last Elluminate session. If your microphone isn't working, you may need to go to the settings in your own computer and reboot.

 

 

7. Elluminate doesn't work well with a built-in microphone because it will pick up noise from your hard drive. Invest in a USB or other plug-in microphone.

 

8. It is usually a good idea to have a co-moderator. You can take turns speaking to offer more variety, and one can monitor the chat window while the other is explaining what's on the whiteboard.

 

 

During your session

1. When your session begins, start the recorder from the >Tools pull-down menu, selecting >Recorder. (Or use the icons at the bottom of the chat box. Stop recording at any time by clicking on the red recorder icon on the lower left.)

 

 

2. The video transmission feature often interferes with the speed of other parts of the program. Don't turn it on until after you have uploaded your ppt. You could start with the video, but turn it off before you begin to show whiteboard slides or conduct a Web Tour. You can take a snapshot from the video transmission and put it on the whiteboard if you wish to remain "present."

 

 

3. Introduce yourself and have others introduce themselves by uploading a photo or by drawing a picture of themselves on the whiteboard (good ice-breaker, and it gets participants to use the graphics icons).

 

 

4. Be sure to check the Follow Moderator box (top of the whiteboard) before starting a Web Tour or presentation.

 

 

5. When leading participants on a Web Tour (>Tools >Web Tour >Start Web Tour), they will not be able to enter sites that require a password. You can instead prepare a mock-up of such sites from static screenshots loaded to a wiki as images. Or, use >Tools >Application Sharing >Share Application to lead them to the saved pages on your own computer. (Try to avoid >Share Entire Desktop, as it usually causes transmission breakdowns.) Remember that in a Web Tour, participants can browse through any part of the pages you open, so you may lose their complete attention.

 

 

6. Before opening oral discussion to the room, remind participants to release the microphone button when they finish speaking. (It is possible for two moderators to open microphones at the same time, but it is not recommended. It can be a little confusing and can cause the room to slow down or become disabled.)

 

 

7. Be sure to keep an eye on the text chat window as you speak to catch questions. If you have more than one moderator, one can watch and respond to the text chat while the other talks.

 

8. Remind your audience to use the >Raised hand icon so that they can take turns speaking.

 

9.  Use the polling feature (green and red check marks) to relieve the tedium of straight lecture and get more audience interaction. Use the >Tools menu and go to >Polling to select the type of question. The choice options will then appear at the top of the participants' screens. You can also type a list of multiple choice questions (up to five) on a screen and use the >Polling >A....E function. You can show results in a graph on the screen using the function at the bottom of the >Polling menu. MCQ questions are good for getting a needs assessment at the beginning of a session, for example.

 

 

 

Recording archive

1. The recorder will stop when all participants leave the room. However, it saves archive space to click on the recorder icon to stop it when the discussion is over.

 

 

2. To find your recording link, wait 24 hours while the archive is processed. Then go to the >Webheads Recordings link at the bottom of the LT Webheads' entry page. Your recording will be listed by date, and you can capture the link to pass on to your participants.

 

 Updated 16 July 2009 - Elizabeth Hanson-Smith