using - cindy huggett...written by cindy huggett, cplp. twitter:@cindyhugg . using . adobe connect ....

WRITTEN BY CINDY HUGGETT, CPLPTWITTER:@CINDYHUGG

WWW.CINDYHUGGETT.COM

USING ADOBE CONNECT

FOR INTERACTIVE LIVEONLINE LEARNING

© Cindy Huggett, 2017, All Rights Reserved. www.cindyhuggett.com. 2

This guide is designed for virtual facilitators and designers who use Adobe® Connect™. It includes some of the most commonly used features of Adobe Connect for synchronous virtual training classes and other live online learning sessions.

This guide is not a complete comprehensive guide to what Adobe Connect can do. This guide may also not be 100% accurate, due to software upgrades, available add-ons to the software, and/or my own shortcomings.

Also note that there is often more than one way to do the same thing. So you might discover a shortcut or different method of using Adobe Connect. This guide is meant to be a useful document, so please also add your own tips, tricks, and techniques to your online training toolbox. There’s always more to learn!

Enjoy!

WELCOME


Welcome .........................................................................................................................2

Table of Contents............................................................................................................3

Setting up the Meeting Room: Layouts ...................................................................... 4-7

Setting up the Meeting Room: Pods ......................................................................... 8-12

Connection Speed .................................................................................................. 13-14

Chat ........................................................................................................................ 15-16

Attendee Status Options ...............................................................................................17

Drawing Tools ......................................................................................................... 18-19

Whiteboards ........................................................................................................... 20-21

Polls ........................................................................................................................ 22-25

File Share .....................................................................................................................26

Web Links ............................................................................................................... 27-28

Breakout Groups .................................................................................................... 29-33

Presenter Only Area .....................................................................................................34

Prepare Mode ...............................................................................................................35

Ending a Meeting ..........................................................................................................35

Creating a Meeting .......................................................................................................36

Audio Features ....................................................................................................... 37-49

Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................40

About the Author ...........................................................................................................40

TABLE OF CONTENTS


WHAT IS AN ADOBE CONNECT LAYOUT?

Imagine walking into a regular classroom to set up for class. What’s one of the first things you do? Most trainers scan the room layout to see if the tables and chairs are arranged in the best possible option. And if they are not, the trainer starts moving them around.

It’s the same in the virtual classroom. When you first enter the meeting room, you see the default room setup. You see a place to open shared documents, a spot for chatting, and the list of attendees. Unfortunately, that may not be the optimal layout for the first activity in your training class design. You might prefer a prominent whiteboard, or perhaps a video screen. Maybe you want learners to focus on chatting with one another.

Whatever your design calls for, wouldn’t it be nice to have the virtual classroom arranged accordingly? And to be able to quickly change the way the entire room looks in just one click? In Adobe Connect, you can accomplish this using Layouts.

For example, you might want to : • re-size the Chat pod to make it larger• open a second Share pod to upload slides• hide the Notes pod if you won’t be using it.

However, one of the best things about the virtual classroom is the ability to have multiple layouts available at the click of a button. At any time during class, you can switch to a different layout. This is useful when you have multiple activities in a class, each one having an optimal layout.

For example, you might begin a class by asking a thought-provoking question and asking learners to respond via chat. After discussion, it’s time to move to the next activity, which might be a series of poll questions. In other virtual training platforms, you might have to stop and open the poll questions while the learners wait for them to appear. But using Adobe Connect’s layout features, you could simply move to another layout that has the poll questions already posted. One simple click immediately changes the screen for everyone. It’s clean, it’s seamless, and it’s extremely useful.

SETTING UP THE MEETING ROOM: LAYOUTS


TO WORK WITH LAYOUTS, USE THE “LAYOUT” MENU:

By default, a new Adobe Connect meeting room has three layouts: Sharing, Discussion, and Collaboration. Since you probably will not use these three layouts, you can modify them.

I typically delete the three default layouts and start fresh by choosing Create New Layout from the Layouts menu.

Select Manage Layouts from the Layout menu to delete a layout or change its name.


To add a new layout, select Create New Layout from the Layout menu, and then choose Create a new blank layout (give it a name of your choosing). This will give you a blank canvas layout, allowing you to add and place pods on it.


Every layout you have created is available from the drop down menu. To switch from one layout to another, simply click on the name of the layout

By default, a new Adobe Connect meeting room has three layouts: Sharing, Discussion, and Collaboration.

Select Manage Layouts from the Layout menu to delete a layout or change its name.



TIPS FOR USING LAYOUTS:

• The first thing I do when setting up a new meeting room is to create a brand new layout and start with it. I delete the Sharing, Discussion and Collaboration layouts.

• I use a Welcome layout to act as a “lobby area” for when participants first join a meeting. This welcome screen includes introductory activities such as the “where in the world” map pod and a poll question related to the class topic. I also include the handout in a file share pod, and often play music from a share pod (royalty-free, of course).

• Typically, my 60 minute virtual training classes have at least 9 or 10 different layouts, and sometimes more! I make liberal use of them!

Here is a sample custom layout from one of my virtual training classes:



Once you identify your layouts, the next step is to set up the pods in each layout. Commonly used pods include:

• Attendee list

• Chat

• Polls

Share pods are versatile because they can be used for sharing documents and files. Almost any type of document or file can be shared, including slides, video files, MP3 music files, or PDF documents.

Use the Pods menu to work with pods.

Select Share and then Add New Share from the pods menu to insert files and documents into the layout. These files can come from either from the Adobe Connect libraries (such as Shared Content which contains files shared by others in your organization), or from your own computer.

SETTING UP THE MEETING ROOM: PODS

• Whiteboards

• Notes

• Share



To Rename or Delete a Pod (including shared pods, chat pods, poll pods, etc.), select Manage Pods from the Pods menu.

Once a file has been opened in a share pod, it will be available from the pod menu until you delete it. Other pods that you open will also be available from the pods menu.



Hide pods when they are no longer needed by clicking in the upper right corner on the 3-line button and then select Hide.



TIPS FOR USING PODS: • Pods can be moved and/or resized in the layout.

- Move a pod by dragging it by the title bar.

• Resize a pod by clicking and dragging the edge of the pod

• Rename a pod by double clicking it’s title bar (click in the text of its name)

• Pods remember their previous location, the last time they were open. Use this to your advantage, by placing pods where you want them on screen, then hide them. The next time you share that pod, it will open where you placed it.

• If the same pod is open in multiple layouts, changes made to the pod in one layout will affect the pod in all layouts. For example, if a Chat pod is open in two layouts, whatever is typed in the pod will show up in every instance of that Chat pod. Another example, if a PowerPoint slide deck is open in more than one layout, when you switch from one layout to the other, the same slide will be showing.

• If you open a pod while the presenter only area is enabled, the pod will appear in the presenter only area. This allows you to modify the pod without participants viewing it. It also allows you to specifically place the pod in a layout during a session, by dragging it from the presenter only area to the exact spot you wish for it to appear.



TIPS FOR USING MEDIA (AUDIO/VIDEO) IN A SHARE POD: • Have the video cued up and ready to play before class begins. If you are re-using

a video in a persistent meeting room, make sure it’s been “rewound” back to the beginning.

• Use a Video Tips slide with technical instructions.

• In classes where a video will be played, play music at the beginning of class while participants are joining the session. This will allow them to check ahead of time their computer speakers (volume, etc.).

• Have the video script file available for download in a file share window, just in case it’s needed.

• Keep a chat window open while the video is playing, as a way for participants to communicate.

• Prior to the video start, ask all participants to raise their hand. Ask them to lower their hand when the video finishes playing. That way you’ll know when everyone is ready to continue.

• Mute all participant phone lines at the start of the video by choosing Mute All Users on the attendee list pod menu. Be sure to mute your own phone line as well! When the video finishes, unmute all users.


CONNECTION SPEED

Since participants connect from various locations with various connection speeds, be sure to choose Preferences from the Meeting menu to check the appropriate Video Quality and Screen Sharing options. If bandwidth will be an issue, choose lower resolution settings for each.


CONNECTION SPEED

You can check your own connection speed by clicking in the box in the upper right corner of your screen (below the Red X, to the right of the Help button).

Green means good. By hovering your mouse over this square, you can find more details about your connection status.

TIPS FOR CONNECTION SPEEDS:

• If participants have trouble staying connected to the meeting, ask them to check their own connection speed using this same technique.

• If you notice a participant named twice in the attendee list (i.e. “Sally Smith” as well as “Sally Smith2”) that typically means the participant’s computer lost connection to the meeting and they re-entered the meeting room. It could also mean they may have two browser windows open. You can ask them to close one of their browser windows.

NOTE: If you will be using Adobe breakout rooms, be sure to move both instances of the participant into the same breakout room.


CHAT

The Chat pod allows you to communicate with participants by typing messages in a shared window. By default, everyone sees chat conversations. In order to hold a private chat with another participant, click on the button in the top right corner of the Chat pod, choose Start Chat With and then select the person with whom you wish to private chat. Alternatively, you can click on a person’s name in the attendee list, and choose Start Chat With.

Notice that the private chats show up as tabs along the bottom of the Chat pod.

Also notice that it’s possible to change the text size and color in the Chat pod. It’s often easier to see the text when it’s a larger size!

NOTE: Speaking of larger size, I almost always increase the overall size of the Chat pod in each layout. This way, participants have an easier time typing and reading the Chat pod text.


To create a new Chat pod, select Add New Chat from the Pods menu:

TIPS FOR USING THE CHAT POD:

• Use different Chat pods for different discussion questions and/or class activities. For example, if you need to ask participants to share a personal example, open a Chat pod (that’s already been renamed with the question or activity instructions) and direct participants to type their answers in that Chat pod.

• Encourage participants to use the Chat pod as a running commentary during class. It’s one of the best ways to engage participants frequently.

• As a presenter, think of your Chat pod like your rearview mirror when driving a car. It’s important to glance at it every few seconds.

• Use the Clear Chat command judiciously. You don’t want participants to feel slighted if their discussion disappears.

• Have participants pair up by assigning them to a partner and encouraging a private chat (similar to having them “turn to the person next to them” in the classroom).

CHAT


ATTENDEE STATUS OPTIONS

TIPS FOR USING THE STATUS INDICATORS:

• Ask participants to use the Agree/Disagree indicators during class discussions.

• Have participants encourage one another by using the Applause indicator to encourage and “cheer on” each other during class.

Encourage participants to find the Status button at the top of their screen, and to use it frequently during class.

Have fun with it!


Use the Pen to draw freehand. You can change the color and/or width of your pencil point.

Use the Highlighter (available below the pen option) to highlight key words.

Other buttons include T for Text, Shapes, and the Eraser (delete).

To type text on the screen, click the T button, click on screen where you want text to appear, and then start typing. Notice you can change the font, size, and color of the text.

DRAWING TOOLS

In many Share pods, including Whiteboards and when sharing slides, you can click on the Draw button to open up the drawing tools. Note that the buttons appear vertically on the left side of the share pod or whiteboard.

The first button on the Drawing toolbar is your Arrow or Pointer. Use it any time you need to get your mouse pointer back, or when you need to select something on the screen.


TIPS FOR THE DRAWING TOOLS:

• To erase an annotation from the screen, you first have to select it and then delete it. Hint: Click and drag with the selection tool to select multiple items.

• To draw a straight line, press and hold down the SHIFT key while drawing it.

• Just like you do when writing on a flip chart in the classroom, use a variety of colors and styles when annotating the screen. Use stamps to add visual interest.

• To give participants the ability to draw on a whiteboard or any other share pod, use the Whiteboard settings in the Meeting Preferences area. Select Enable Participants to Draw to give drawing privileges to attendees.

TIP: If you want to temporarily remove drawing privileges from participants, simply remove the drawing tools from the screen (use the DRAW button on the share pod title bar). To reinstate the tools, click on the DRAW button again. When the tools are hidden, no one can use them.

DRAWING TOOLS


WHITEBOARDS

Whiteboards in Adobe function just like a whiteboard in a face-to-face classroom. Use them to draw, to capture notes, or to engage participants in an activity.

TIPS FOR USING THE WHITEBOARD: • To give participants the ability to draw on a whiteboard, use the Enhanced Participant

Rights command found under Attendee Options in the Attendee List pod. Select Whiteboard for whiteboard annotation rights.

• If you have a large group, use fun techniques to organize the whiteboard annotations. Either draw a grid on the whiteboard (see graphic below) and assign participants to a location. Orr ask participants to stamp their typing location before they type. You could also have just part of the group write (i.e. “if you’re wearing blue today, it’s your turn…”).

Sample Whiteboard with Grid


Another Sample Whiteboard

WHITEBOARDS


POLLS

Polls are used to ask questions. Use the Poll choice on the Pods menu to open existing polls or to create a new poll.

Use the Edit button in the upper right corner of the poll pod to edit a poll question.


POLLS

In Edit mode, you can type in the question and then type each answer on a separate line. (You could also use CTRL-C and CTRL-V to copy and paste text into the poll.)

If you want users to be able to select more than one poll choice, change the poll type to Multiple Answers

If you want users to be able to type in text responses, change the poll type to Short Answer


POLLS

Once you have finished preparing the poll, select Open:

When the poll question is open, if you would like to see how participants responded, select the View Votes button. (Note that this information is only visible to the Host and Presenter.)


POLLS

If you plan to re-use a poll question, be sure to Clear All Answers to re-set the poll.

TIPS FOR USING POLLS: • Use the pod renaming feature to number the poll questions in the order you will need

them in class.

• If you have multiple poll questions in a row to ask, have a layout with them ready to go. Participants appreciate the ability to work at their own pace while responding.


TIPS FOR USING FILE SHARE: • Have the File Share pod with the class handout available to participants at the start of

class.

• As a backup plan for any unexpected video playback challenges (or for non-native English speakers), have a File Share pod with the video scripts available.

• Do not upload your PowerPoint slide deck into the File Share pod. The slide deck is part of the facilitator materials and should not be given to participants.

FILE SHARE

To allow participants the ability to download files, use a File Share pod. This feature is most commonly used for class handouts, video scripts, and post-class assignments.


WEB LINKS

If you need participants to view a website (such as an evaluation survey link), use Web Links.

Select Add New Web Links from the Web Links command on the Pods menu.

Then choose Add Link... from the button in the top right corner.


WEB LINKS

Give your link a name, and then enter the URL Path:

It will then appear in the pod. When you are ready to use it, select the link and click on the Browse To button.


BREAKOUT GROUPS

To use Adobe’s Breakout Room feature, begin by clicking on the Breakout Room View button:

Once the Breakout Room View has been activated, additional buttons appear at the top of the attendee list.


BREAKOUT GROUPS

The fastest way to assign participants to a breakout group is to click on the Evenly Distribute from Main button.This action will randomly assign participants to the number of breakout rooms you have created.

It’s also possible to individually assign a user to a specific breakout room. Do this by clicking on the participant name and then selecting a breakout room.

When you are ready to begin the breakout group activity, click on the Start Breakouts button. This will transport all participants to their assigned breakout room (both visual and audio connections).


BREAKOUT GROUPS

To send a message to participants while breakout rooms are active, select Broadcast Message from the button in the top right corner of the Attendee List window.

A window will open that allows you to type a message. When ready, click on Send.


If the class activity requests that each group debriefs their discussion, you may need to show their whiteboard or other document from the breakout room. Those documents will be available to you from the Pods menu, under the Breakout Pods option:

BREAKOUT GROUPS

At the end of the breakout room activity, click on the End Breakouts button. This will return all participants back to the main meeting room (both visual and audio connections).


BREAKOUT GROUPS

TIPS FOR USING BREAKOUTS: • The default number of breakout rooms in an Adobe meeting is three. However, as part of

the pre-class setup, the trainer can add or remove breakout rooms.

- If you have multiple breakout group activities planned, you can set up multiple sets of breakout rooms for the various activities. For example, use breakout rooms 1-4 for the first group activity, and then breakout rooms 5-13 for the second activity. You would not be able to use the Evenly Distribute from Main command, however the advantage of having multiple breakout rooms set up outweighs that drawback.

• If you will re-use the same meeting room for more than one class, it’s best to completely delete the breakout rooms and re-create/re-set them up in-between each class. (Remember, Adobe remembers almost everything, including how rooms are set up.)

• When setting up a breakout room for the first time, Adobe will copy the current layout on screen. If you need/want to customize each room individually, move from room to room to add the correct pods. Each breakout room can be unique.

- For example, if your class activity calls for breaking into four groups, with each group assigned a different scenario to discuss, then each breakout room might contain an Attendee List, a Chat pod, and a Whiteboard. On each room’s whiteboard, you could type the scenario description at the top of the screen. That way, when the breakouts begin, each group has their assignment and instructions, and can complete the activity.

• During the breakout activity, move between the breakout rooms, just as if you would do if you were walking around the classroom during a face-to-face class. Let participants know you will do this ahead of time.

• Periodically send timing and other updates to participants, to let them know how the activity timing is progressing.


PRESENTER ONLY AREA

A useful feature in Adobe Connect is the Presenter Only Area. This feature opens a space on your screen that is visible to hosts/presenters but invisible to participants. Any pods in the Presenter Only area can be manipulated without participants seeing it.

To open the Presenter Only area, select Enable Presenter Only Area from the Meeting menu. The Presenter Only area typically opens on the right of the screen.

When you are finished with the Presenter Only area, disable it from the command on the Meeting menu.


PREPARE MODE

Another “presenter-only” type feature is Prepare Mode. Use this feature when you want to switch to another layout without changing the participants view of the meeting room.

For example, if participants are working on an activity, and you want to quickly switch to another layout in order to re-set a poll question in that second layout, then you could do so using Preparation Mode.

To enter preparation mode, select Switch to Prepare Mode from the Meeting menu.

When finished with Prepare mode, disable it from the Meeting menu.

ENDING A MEETING

At the end of class, use the End Meeting command from the Meeting menu (instead of simply choosing “Exit Adobe Connect.”) This option will end the meeting.


CREATING A MEETING

When creating a meeting, use Adobe’s administrative screen. Log into your Adobe account, then choose New Meeting. You’ll see a screen that looks like this:

TIPS FOR CREATING MEETINGS: • Enter a unique name for each meeting room/virtual classroom that you create. Consider

having a standard naming convention that is familiar to everyone who will use the administrative options.

• Determine who should have access to the meeting room. If your version of Adobe Connect is connected to an LMS or other hosted solution, then you might require registration for access. Otherwise, choose the third option Anyone Who has the URL Can Access the Meeting Room. This will save you time by not needing to approve each and every participant at the start of your training class.


When using Adobe Connect, you have two options for audio connections: • Conference call• Voice Over IP (VOIP)

The choice for audio connection is made when the meeting room is first created when the administrator decides which audio profile will be associated with the meeting.

When a host starts the Adobe Connect meeting, it may prompt you to begin the audio conference. If not, or if you choose not to start the audio upon login, then use the Audio menu to start the meeting audio.

Use the Audio Conference Settings dialog box to select the audio options:

Using Microphone = VOIP.Using Phone = telephone conference call.

AUDIO FEATURES


Once the audio conference has started, participants will be prompted to join in. Based upon what options you have allowed, participants can choose to have the system dial them, choose to dial in, or choose to join by computer:

AUDIO FEATURES


If participants choose to “dial in,” then their telephone number will be listed in the Attendee pod separately from their name. In order to make full use of Adobe Connect’s audio features and to have ease in use of breakout rooms, I recommend merging the corresponding phone numbers and names.

Option 1: To have the attendee merge their own name and number: Ask them to enter their unique token code on their telephone keypad. Their unique token code can be found in the Join Audio Conference dialog box (see previous page).

Option 2: As the host, you can merge a name and number by selecting each one (use the control key on your keyboard.) Right Click with your mouse, and choose Merge…

Once the audio connections are active, you will use the Audio menu and the Attendee pod menu to control audio options.

AUDIO FEATURES


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

“Adobe” and "Adobe Connect" are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

Adobe product screenshots are reprinted with permission from Adobe Systems Incorporated.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cindy Huggett, CPLP, is an independent consultant, professional speaker, instructional designer, classroom facilitator and author who specializes in workplace training and development. With over twenty-five years of experience, Cindy has successfully designed curriculums, facilitated classes, and led training rollouts in almost every industry and every size organization.

Cindy is the author of three books on virtual training: Virtual Training Tools and Templates: An Action Guide to Live Online Learning, The Virtual Training Guidebook: How to Design, Deliver, and Implement Live Online Learning and Virtual Training Basics. Cindy is also a past member of the ATD National Board of Directors and was one of the first to earn the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) designation.

You can find Cindy sharing training tips on Twitter as @cindyhugg or on her website (www.cindyhuggett.com).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND AUTHOR INFORMATION

using - cindy huggett...written by cindy huggett, cplp. twitter:@cindyhugg . using . adobe connect ....

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