North Island College uses Kaltura Virtual Classroom (also called Kaltura Meetings) as part of our Kaltura video streaming and storage solution. Kaltura Virtual Classroom is like BlueJeans, Zoom or Teams but is designed with teaching and learning first. All NIC students have free access to create meetings on their own for group projects, working with another student or engaging in conversations with people from around the world. Read on for how to use Kaltura Virtual Classroom!
STUDENTS: CreatE YOUR OWN VIRTUAL Meeting Room(S)
- Student Video: NIC Students – Creating Kaltura Virtual Meeting Room – Link
- Student Handout: NIC Students – Creating a Kaltura Virtual Meeting Room – PDF
TO DO: BEFORE YOU JOIN A KALTURA VIRTUAL CLASSROOM MEETING
- Do a “Quick Tech Check” and confirm “System Requirements“. Chrome is preferred browser. | Webpage
- If you get “Access Denied” error – this is your browser needing to be set up to allow Kaltura to connect items. See this page for solutions.
- Watch this Video | Skim this Getting Started Handout (not Brightspace login – but rest is accurate)
- So you’ve been invited to a Kaltura Virtual Classroom meeting – now what? | Webpage
HOW TO: Join Via Brightspace COURSE
Each Brightspace course has its own ‘virtual classroom’ space! It never goes away. It is always there! As long as your Brightspace course is active and your teacher is using this space – you can easily join your virtual class times from within your Brightspace course. Instructors must first “open” the virtual classroom space by starting the meeting – but students can still join but will be put in a ‘waiting room’ until the instructor has opened the course. The video below shows this process of joining and joining while waiting.
- Brightspace course > blue navigational bar > Tools > Kaltura Media Gallery > Join Meeting
- If instructor has not started the meeting – you’ll be asked to wait but will be added in as soon as the meeting opens
- Don’t forget: box showing your microphone, camera and speakers – ensure they are all correct and click the black CONFIRM button at bottom of box to enter the room in active mode
HOW TO: Join via URL
- You may be sent a URL to a class and you’d click on that URL to access the online space,
- You’ll be presented with a box showing your microphone, camera and speakers – ensure they are all correct and click the black CONFIRM button at bottom of box to enter the room in active mode
HOW TO: Join via MOBILE APP
- You may be sent a URL to a class and you’d click on that URL to access the online space,
- You’ll be presented with a box showing your microphone, camera and speakers – ensure they are all correct and click the black CONFIRM button at bottom of box to enter the room in active mode
- For Android and iOS, Kaltura makes a mobile app called Kaltura Video Conferencing that is Kaltura Virtual Classroom.
- Instructions on how to use: Webpage
STUDENT TOUR: Kaltura Virtual Classroom
A tour of the Kaltura Virtual Classroom environment – key tools and layout of the screen along with what your instructor sees.
CREATING A NIC MEDIASPACE CHANNEL FOR KALTURA MEETINGS TO BE STARTED BY MORE THAN 1 PERSON
If you have a group that regularly meets and you (the owner) can’t always start the meeting and want others to start the meeting – then create a channel in NIC MediaSpace.
Kaltura Virtual Classroom Features
Preparation
- Persistent virtual class (it never goes away, or you have to set up again – it is always ready for teaching and learning)
- Up to 50 participants per a class but only 25 show on the stage (first page) – instructor is able to click on “LIVE” button in participant list to enable a student to the webcam tray/stage if # 26 onwards
- Instructors can prepare ahead of time (content, pre upload, link in videos) in playlist, set up videos in advance etc.
- Play videos with excellent high quality video, audio and streaming quality (because this is Kaltura – video is their speciality)
Joining
- Students join from within Brightspace (no links required) or instructors can create a room for meetings outside of Brightspace (e.g., Office Hours) shared with students via a URL
- Students and instructors join without any apps to download (users the browser unless using Safari) – there are mobile apps for joining
- Raise hand feature in Participant List (raise hand button in top black bar)
- Instructor can assign moderator role to anyone in the class if required
- Can blur the background (no virtual background)
Recording
- Instructor can record and have recording automatically go into class Kaltura My Media Gallery for access
- Instructor can set permissions to allow students to record breakout groups
Tools
- Instructors can use whiteboards, quizzes, polling and Q+A chat stream
- Polling can be anonymous or not
- Quizzing (set up ahead of time) can be multiple choice, multiple answer, or open question – results displayed to class
- Chat can have up to four streams (Questions and Answers, Group Chat, Private Chat and Instructors/Moderators’ Chat)
Breakout Rooms
- Instructor can create breakout rooms (up to 30), add students (drag and drop) and upload documents for you to use while in breakout
- Instructor can set a time limit on the breakout rooms
- In breakout rooms students can chat, upload shared files, add YouTube videos, share screen, record the session, write notes, collaborate on whiteboard and even switch rooms – if instructor has set permissions
- Students can also summon the moderator if they need help while in a breakout room
- Instructor can broadcast a message to all students while in breakout rooms
Not included: Virtual backgrounds and live machine captioning (but there will be closed captions on all recorded classes 30 + mins after recording is done or there is the ability to appoint someone to be a live captioner).