Wimba Classroom

From ITwiki

Wimba Classroom 6.0, cornerstone of the Wimba Collaboration Suite 6.0, is a live, virtual classroom environment with robust features that include audio, video, application sharing and content display, and MP4 capabilities. Its pedagogical design and ease-of-use ensures that educators and students engage as if they were meeting face-to-face. Advanced features such as polling, whiteboarding, presenter on-the-fly, resizable chat areas and participant lists, usage analytics tools, and MP3 or MP4 downloads enable further dynamic interaction between students and educators.

General Information

A list of supported browsers and operating systems can be found below.

Wimba Classroom Supported Operating Systems, Java & Browsers *
OS	Browser			Java (JRE)
		Supported	Unsupported
Win 7*** Win Vista Win XP	Internet Explorer	7.0 - 8.0		Java v.6+ (1.6) XP/Vista/Win7 Java v.5+ (1.5) XP/Vista only
	Firefox	3.0, 3.6
	Other		AOL, Opera, Chrome, Safari
OS	Browser			Java (JRE)
		Supported	Unsupported
Mac OS X 10.6 10.5 10.4	Safari	3.0, 4.0**		6.+ (1.6) 5.+ (1.5)
	Firefox	3.0, 3.6
	Other		AOL, Opera, Chrome, IE

* Browsers listed in the Supported section are recommended browsers for use with the Wimba Classroom. Browsers that are not listed have not been tested fully and therefore may or may not work with the Wimba Classroom.

** Safari 4.0 is only supported for use with Wimba Classroom on Mac OS 10.5+.

*** Windows 7 only support java version 6 (We have found that some computers shipped with Windows 7 are also shipped with an incompatible version of java version 5. Users running Windows 7 may need to remove the older java 5 installed version and install the more recent Java 6 version).

NOTE: Internet connection: Wimba recommends a stable broadband connection. Those connecting over wireless broadband and satellite connections may experience poor connection quality due to poor signals.

For Instructors

This section contains information regarding the Instructor portion of eLearn. It contains information about system requirements and guides on how to use it's features as an instructor.

System Requirements

• 1 GB or higher recommended
• Broadband Internet access
• Internet access broadband connection
• Soundcard w/ mic and speakers

Wimba recommends using headsets (such as Plantronics DSP 500) instead of external speakers or microphones, particularly built-in microphones of laptops

For Students

This section contains information regarding the Student portion of eLearn. It contains information about system requirements and guides on how to use it's features as a student.

System Requirements

• 512MB (1 GB or higher recommended)
• Internet access at 56k or above (broadband recommended)
• Soundcard w/ mic and speakers

Wimba recommends using headsets (such as Plantronics DSP 500) instead of external speakers or microphones, particularly built-in microphones of laptops

Using Wimba Classroom

Tutorial Name	Description	Link
Creating Wimba Room	How to create a Wimba Room in Moodle. Note: Wimba archives can not be brought over using Backup/Restore from term to term. If you want to bring archives from term to term you must convert your archives into web links using the Wimba Guest Access link per archive.	Link
Creating Student Wimba Room	How to create Wimba rooms where students can interact and use presentation tools with other group members.	Link
Wimba Branding Frame	How to add images to the Wimba branding frame as a default image for the Wimba room.	Link
Convert Wimba Archives to Web links	How you can convert your Wimba archives to web links so that you can bring them from one Moodle course to another via Backup/Restore or via Import. This process will need to be repeated for each archive.	Link

User Interface

Tutorial Name	Description	Link
Content Frame	Information about the Content Frame	Link
Text Chat Frame	Information about the Text Chat Frame	Link
Resizing	How to resize the interface	Link
Status Indicators	Information about status indicators in the Participant Area	Link
Room Pulse	Information about room pulse in the Participant Area	Link

Application Share

Application Sharing allows you to share all or part of your desktop with participants. For instructions on how to use Application Sharing, please click the preferred format. (PDF | Video)
Below you can find guides on specific tasks in Application Sharing.

Tutorial Name	Description	Link
Authorizing	How to authorize Application Sharing in your Web Browser	Link
Running AppShare	How to run an Application Sharing session	Link
Best Practices	Overview of important practices to follow	Link
Technical Notes	List of Technical Notes about Application Sharing	Link

WimbaMedia

Wimba Classroom makes it easy to use audio and video calling. WimbaMedia is the infrastructure used by Wimba to allow the use of live internet calls.
Below you will find specific guides on using WimbaMedia.

Name	Description	Link
Authorizing	How to authorize the WimbaMedia Java applet	Link
Media Bar	Overview of the Media Bar in Wimba Classroom	Link
NetStats	Overview of network status monitor	Link
Options	Overview of the Options for WimbaMEdia	Link

Below you will find specific guides on using Audio and Video Calling features of WimbaMedia.

Type	Name	Description	Link
Audio	Broadcasting	How to broadcast an audio stream	Link
	Volume Control	Overview of the Volume Control in Wimba Classroom	Link
	Privelages	Overview of how to administer speaking privelages	Link
	Common Issues	How to solve common technical issues	Link
Video	Video Window	Overview of the Video Call Window	Link
	Video Preview	How to use the Video Preview	Link
	Broadcasting	How to initiate a video broadcast	Link
	Default Presenter	Overview of the Default Presenter feature	Link
	Privelages	Overview of how to administer video privelages	Link
	Video Lock	How to lock video broadcasting to a single user	Link

Content Display

Content Display allows the instructor to display content such as Powerpoint Slides. For instructions on how to use Content Display, please click the preferred format. (PDF | Video)
Below you will find specific guides for Displaying Content in Wimba Classroom.

Name	Description	Link
Content Slides	How to display Content Slides	Link
Preview Button	Overview of the preview button and it's features	Link
Slide Targets	Guide to understanding Slide Targets	Link
On-the-fly Content	How to display content that has not been added to a presentation	Link
Live Applications	How to share applications with users	Link

eBoard

Below you will find guides on using eBoard.

Name	Description	Link
Overview	Basic overview of the eBoard interface	Link
eBoard Tooks	Overview of the eBoard Tools	Link
Enable Users	Guide on enabling participants to use the eBoard	Link

Presentation Guide

Detailed information about every aspect of the WC interface and Presentation Tools, as well as advice for solving any technical problems you may experience can be found in the following formats. (PDF | WebHelp)
Below you will find specific guides on Presentation Tools.

Name	Description	Link
Archive Status	How to modify Archive Status Controls	Link
Content Tab	Overview of the Content Tab and it's Features	Link
Slide List	Information about the Slide List	Link
Select Folder	Guide on how to show materials from a different content folder	Link
Import Powerpoint	Information about the Import Powerpoint Button	Link
Content Frame	Information about the Content Frame	Link
Presenter's Console	How to resize or move the Presenters Console	Link

Slide Annotation

Slide Annotation allows the instructor to dynamically annotate a slideshow. For instructions on how to use Slide Annotation, please click the preferred format. (PDF | Video)

Breakout Rooms

Below you will find specific guides on using Breakout Rooms.

Name	Description	Link
Creating Rooms	How to create a Breakout Room	Link
Moving Users	Guide to moving users in and out of breakout rooms	Link
Chat Privelages	How to administer chat privelages to users	Link
Saved Content	Information about saved content in Wimba Classroom	Link
Archiving	Guide on archiving of breakout rooms	Link

Interactive Polling

Below you will find specific guides on how to use Interactive Polling in Wimba Classroom.

Name	Description	Link
Yes/No Poll	How to conduct a basic poll	Link
Multiple Choice Poll	How to conduct a Multiple Choice Poll	Link
Open Ended Poll	How to conduct an Open Ended Poll	Link
Questionnaires	How to conduct a Questionnaire	Link
Advanced Polling	Overview of the advanced features of polling	Link

Web Page Display

Web Page Display will allow the instructor to display web pages in Wimba Classroom. For instructions on how to use Web Page Display, please click the preferred format. (PDF | Video)

Troubleshooting

Tips and Hints

Unstable connection while connected over wireless- A poor wireless connection can be the cause of frequent outages. A wired connection provides a more reliable connection to the Wimba media server. A wired connection also eliminates network lapses, which ensures a better connection. When using a wireless connection, you are subject to choppy audio, audio\video misalignment, and frequent disconnects. It is best to use a wired connection in order to establish a stable connection with the Wimba media server.

Echo feedback disrupting synchronous Wimba Live Classroom session - This isssue typically arises when more than one person in the class attempts to use the Lock Talk feature in conjunction with utilizing their desktop or laptop speakers instead of using headphones. The audio from the speakers is recorded by the microphone and, since the microphone is in the Lock Talk mode, that audio creates an echo loop that will not cease until Lock Talk is turned off. In order to avoid this echo feedback, users should use headphones instead of external speakers. Alternatively, only the main speaker should ever use the Lock Talk feature

Delay in the audio transmission in Live Classrom- If you experience a delay in the audio signal where the sound seems to lag behind the slides, this can mean that you have a poor connection to the Wimba media server. Using a lower-level internet connection such as dial-up or connecting during times of excessive network traffic can cause this issue. To alleviate this, it is recommended to use the Live Classroom phone simulcast option. This feature can also be used when your system does not have audio capabilities. The feature will allow you to listen to the audio feed over the phone while you view the slide presentation on the computer. To find out the phone simulcast info, (1) click the phone icon in the media bar, (2) go to the Wimba Live Classroom lobby and click on the phone icon just under the Enter Room button or (3) type /phone in the chat area.

Error Code Table

The following table lists some commonly encountered error codes and their respective solutions.

Code	Error Name	Description	Solution
132	JSecureDoor Error	This error sometimes occurs during the setup process. It will cause the user to lose audio or the capability to see slides in a session. This error occurs when there is an incompatibility between Microsoft Vista and Java.	To resolve the issue, please download and install the newest version of Java from www.java.com or by following this guide
142	Unable to Download Door Archive	This error occurs when Wimba did not install successfully.	To resolve the issue, please run the Setup Wizard again to ensure that the software is installed completely.
160	Invalid Door Archive	This error occurs when Java is either outdated, or improperly installed.	To resolve the issue, please download and install the newest version of Java from www.java.com or by following this guide