BigBlueButton for Moderators: Advanced Features
BigBlueButton offers facilitators a wide range of features that allow them to manage an ongoing online session and organize collaboration among participants.
These include, among other things, permissions, group rooms, session settings, and recordings. In this post, we'll show you the most important advanced features of the BigBlueButton user interface.
This post is Part 2 of our guide,“BigBlueButton for Moderators: User Interface.” In the first part, we introduced the basic areas of the interface and features such as chat, audio, webcam, screen sharing, and the whiteboard.
You can find more tutorials in our BigBlueButton playlist on YouTube.
Manage Permissions for Participants
During an active BigBlueButton session, moderators can control certain permissions for participants.
For example, this allows you to specify which options are available to participants. Depending on the version of BigBlueButton being used, permissions for features such as the microphone, webcam, chat, or other interactions can be restricted or re-enabled.
This allows moderators to effectively manage communication and collaboration during an event.
Creating Group Rooms in BigBlueButton
With its group rooms, BigBlueButton offers a way to divide participants into smaller working groups during a session.
Moderators can create multiple rooms and assign participants to those rooms. Groups can either be formed automatically, or individual participants can be specifically assigned to particular rooms.
Group rooms are suitable, for example, for:
- Group Projects
- Small-group discussions
- Exercises
- Workshops
- shared responsibilities
The breakout rooms operate within the current BigBlueButton session. This allows participants to work in small groups at first and then return to the main room.
Manage group rooms during the session
Even after the group rooms have been set up, moderators can still adjust additional settings.
For example, you can:
- enter individual group rooms
- support the groups' work
- communicate with the participants in a room
- Send messages to multiple or all rooms
- Move participants between rooms
- Set the duration of the group sessions
- End group sessions early
The ability to join a group room on your own is especially helpful when facilitators want to guide the work of individual groups or provide support if questions arise.
Send messages to all groups
While participants are working in different group rooms, facilitators can send messages to all rooms at the same time.
This can be helpful, for example, if you want to announce the end of the workday or provide the same information to all groups.
This way, you don't have to visit each group chat individually to send a general message.
Additional settings via the three-dot menu
Additional settings can be accessed via various three-dot menus, depending on the section.
For group rooms, for example, you can adjust the duration of the work session, manage participants, or end the rooms early.
The options that are actually displayed depend on the version of BigBlueButton you are using and your specific configuration.
Show and hide areas of the interface
You can expand or collapse certain areas of the user interface using the person icon.
This can be particularly helpful on smaller screens or during an event, when more space is needed for the presentation or other content.
This allows the interface to be adapted to the specific situation during the session.
Information About the Current Session
In addition to the recording feature, moderators can find information about the current BigBlueButton session.
Additional general settings can be accessed through the corresponding menu. The settings available depend, among other things, on the version being used and the moderator's permissions.
Record a BigBlueButton session
Provided that the recording feature is enabled for the session and accessible to the moderator, the current event can be recorded by clicking “Start Recording.”
The recording can be used, for example, to make an online event available at a later time.
Before recording, you should check which data protection and organizational requirements apply to your event. In particular, for events that include personal contributions from participants, the relevant guidelines should be taken into account.
Key Features for Moderators
The advanced features help you organize and manage a BigBlueButton session while the event is in progress.
These include, in particular:
- Manage Permissions for Participants
- Create Group Rooms
- Assign participants to group rooms
- Entering and Accompanying Group Rooms
- Send messages to all group chat rooms
- Set the duration of group rooms
- End group sessions early
- Show and hide areas of the interface
- View information about the current session
- Open General Session Settings
- Record BigBlueButton sessions, provided the feature is available and enabled
BigBlueButton thus offers facilitators a wide range of options for managing online events, even when using interactive formats and group work.
Using BigBlueButton with Moodle
BigBlueButton can be integrated into Moodle. This allows online sessions to be organized and conducted directly from within a Moodle course.
eLeDia supports you with Moodle, Moodle Workplace , and BigBlueButton—offering hosting, consulting, training, and customized solutions for digital learning.
Would you like to learn more about our BigBlueButton server solutions? Please feel free to contact us.
