Adobe+Connect+and+Presenter

**Presenter Licences**
See link below for information on requesting presenter licences for those who want it installed on their PC (this includes a form that needs to be filled in to go along with the help desk call to have the software installed), this page also has other information and links to support Adobe Connect. http://wsitwww.tafensw.edu.au/instunit/EduDev-LearnTech/QuickLinks/AdobeConnect.aspx?mid=2241

About the Workshop
[|Adobe Connect (formerly) Breeze Overview]

Visit All things Connected

Adobe Connect Meeting
Experience first hand interaction with the software by being invited into a virtual workshop to experiment with audio, sharing files chat and web links. After the initial virtual workshop a face to face workshop will be conducted in our computer lab for participants to learn **how:**

· to create a **Adobe Connect meeting**, · use the communication tools, · share content and · use pods. [|Share Pods and web links]

Powerpoint presentation

=**TAFE Workshops:**=

= Adobe Connect Pro: An Introduction Workshop for FHS =

Overview
This introductory workshop will cover how to use the synchronous communication platform Adobe Connect Pro. It is aimed at academics and or general staff who wish to conduct online meetings. Workshop example will be using Assessment Moderation

By the end of the session learners will have extended their skills to encompass:


 * Overview of Acrobat Connect Professional
 * Logging in
 * understanding the host, presenter and participant profiles
 * Using the Camera and Voice Pod
 * pods, layouts and their functions
 * Using the attendees pod
 * Using the text chat & Q & A pods
 * Using the note pod
 * Using the share pod
 * Using the File Sharing Pod
 * Using the Poll Pod
 * Using the Web Links Pod
 * Presenting using the Share Pod

Introduction


[|Adobe Acrobat Connect] is a commercial web conferencing platform produced by Adobe and is one of numerous platforms including [|Elluminate], now called Collaborate, [|iVocalize] etc. which are referred to as synchronous communication platforms. Typically they combine live Web conferencing within a collaborative e-learning environment and are referrred to as synchrounous because the communication takes place in real time rather than over time as in asynchrous forms of communication such as forums or email groups. Typically they bring together simultaneous Voice over IP [|(VoIP)], video, text chat, interactive whiteboard communications, application sharing etc. which are in-sync regardless of connection speed.

Adobe Connect Professional features
The Adobe Connect platform comprises the core Adobe Coonect Communication Server and applications for real-time and on-demand communication.

=Workshop Session Plan - Abobe Connect Professional: An Introduction= This introductory workshop will cover how to use the synchronous communication platform Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional. It is aimed at academics and or general staff who wish to conduct online meetings. Workshop example will be using Assessment Moderation

Purpose
The purpose of this session is to introduce the HS staff to the Adobe Connect Pro platform, provide an overview of it's functionality and examine some case studies of it's use as a teaching tool.

Topics

 * Introduction and overview of Synchronous Communication Platforms and Adobe Connect in particular
 * Logging in
 * Demonstration of the virtual meeting room and pod functionality with external participants
 * Overview on microphones and using VOIP/Video
 * Overview of the share pod
 * Permisions structure
 * Recording & distributing sessions
 * Using Adobe Connect to publish content ie. Presenter & Cativate
 * How to request and book a room
 * Using Adobe Connect Pro for Assessment Moderation

Learning Outcomes

 * Understand the overall functionality of Adobe Connect
 * How to configure & optimise a micrphone/camera for use with Adobe Connect
 * Understand the permission structure of Adobe Connect
 * Be familiar with how to request a room and book a session
 * Examine ways Adobe Connect can be used to support flexible delievery

Time Frame
2 hrs


 * **Time** || **Content** || **Aids** ||
 * 30 min || Introduction and hookup with remote participants. Need to read Quick Guide || AC platform, 2x light Pro, Mixer, 2 mics ||
 * 60 min || Overview of platform functionality including, pods, voip/camera, microphones, permissions, recording, content publishing || . ||
 * 15 min || Prepare room || . ||
 * 45 min || Acvtivity 1 : getting connected and participating using the tools and recording the session ||  ||
 * 30 min || Participating in a hypothetical [|Assessment Moderation online ( access Link to get resources)] ||

Client requirements
Adobe Connect is a [|Flash] based platform so all the a user requires to attend a meeting is the following :-


 * MS Windows, Apple Mac, Lynux or Solaris Operating System [|more info]
 * Web Bowser ie IE, Firefox
 * [|Adobe Flash] installed
 * Sound Card with mic input
 * Headset/Microphone headset also Mobile devices headsets work for both computers and mobils phones
 * Webcam (optional)in built or free standing.

** LEO Template under MySites  **:

It is recommended that you test your computer prior to attending a meeting. You can do this by going to @http://admin.adobeconnect.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm Access this PDF for quick Guide to starting

[|Adobe Connect Visual Quickstart Guide for Partcipants.pdf]

Access the **Quick Start Guides** and follow the guidelines to set up in readiness for your webinar sessions in this Unit.

Adobe Connect Webinar Groups
Go to the webinar room allocated to your unit for e.g. https://webconf.acu.edu.au/me l To enter the room use your ACU **Student ID** number in the  followed by your usual  to access webinar. You will need a headset such as Logitech with a speaker. You can use your i-device handset with speaker remembering to identify this hardware when asked in the set up audio wizard. See instruction guidelines below.

Mobile Apps
===If you have an **iPad** or **iPhone** or another mobile device you can download for **free** by accessing the Apple store downloads for // and use this to logon on your touch pad to connect to your webinar on the go!===

How do I access my Webinar Recordings uisng my I-Devices?
Simply download the Puffin App from iTunes or Apple store (Don't download the free Puffin App as it will only __last 30__ days) The latest version is about $2.99.



**Profiles**



There are 3 profile types in a Adobe Connect Professional meeting room, each with its own level of permissions.


 * Hosts**



Can set up a meeting, invite guests, add content, and add or edit layouts in a meeting room. They can promote other participants to be hosts or presenters, and while a meeting is in progress, they can switch to preparing mode to create or edit a layout for a different presentation. They can use any features available to a presenter.


 * Presenters**

Can show content already loaded into the meeting room from the library, and they can show new content from their computer. They can also share a screen, making anything displayed on the presenter's screen appear on the meeting room Stage of all participants and presenters. They can also chat, answer questions, and broadcast live audio and video. What they can't do is alter the layout of the pods in the room.


 * Participants**

Can view the content that the presenter is showing or sharing, hear and see the presenter's audio and video broadcast, use text chat, and broadcast their own audio and video, if given permission.

Setting up your audio/video
Prior to entering the room you will need to ensure the microphone and/or webcam are working correctly.

Audio Headsets

 * Analogue headsets**



Typically analogue headsets have 2 leads, one for the microphone and one for the headphones which are plugged into the computers sound card. They are referred to as analogue as the computers sound card converts the signals to digital information. The leads follow a loose colour coding convention which is unfortunately often not adhered to, pink for the mic and green for the headphones. They will also have printed symbols which denote the mic and headphones. One of the common problems with audio is that they are plugged into the wrong sockets on the computer. They commonly they have an in-line volume control and microphone mute switch which is also be good place to check if you have no audio signal. The microphones fold out and need to be close to your mouth, 15 cm max to work effectively.

Analogue headsets range anywhere from $7 up to $50 depending on the quality of the headphones mostly, and are the most common type of headset used.


 * Sound card settings**

Analogue headsets are notoriously difficult to get working as they require the "sounds and audio devices" settings in Windows XP to be set up correctly. As each sound card, driver software and computer is different so it is difficult to provide a definitive guide to the setup. Once set up it will not need to be altered, however it may require some trial and error tweaking to get it right initially.


 * Desktop Computers**

It's not uncommon for desktop computers to have 2 microphone headphone socket sets, one at the rear and one at the front of the computer. Plug the headset into the one most convenient. The rest of the configuration will be done using the Windows "sounds and audio devices" panel.


 * Notebook Computers**



Notebooks often have an internal microphone in addition to a socket for an external microphone. Sometimes these are refered to mic 1 and mic 2 on the audio devices panel. When an external mic is connected the internal mic is disabled.


 * USB headsets**



USB headsets are fully digital in that the headset itself converts the microphone signals to digital information and hence the sound card in the computer is not utilised. The data is transferred via the USB port. One of the great features of USB headsets is that they are "plug and play" and don't require any drivers to be installed and will generally be ready to use once the Operating System has detected and configured the headset. The advantage of USB headsets is that you bypass the common issues surrounding sound cards and drivers, all you need to do is plug the lead into a free usb port and ensure the microphone level is set appropriately in the sounds and audio devices panel.



[|Adobe Presentation on choosing a microphone]

Logging into Adobe Connect
Typically when you attend a Adobe Connect meeting/conference you will be sent an invitation which includes a url to the room.



If you are a registered user on the server enter your username and password Otherwise you can enter the room as a guest, here you will be asked to enter a name for the session.

In some instances the room will have an additional layer of security and a request to enter the room will be sent to presenters and hosts present in the room who will in turn approve your entry.

Setting your bandwidth
Upon entering the room you should set the bandwith according to the speed of the connection you have to the internet.
 * Participants****Connection Speed**

Select Meeting>My Connection Speed and choose from one of the options listed.



Modem - Optimises your room use for a dialup connection. DSL - Optimises your room use for a broadband connection such as ADSL, cable LAN - Select this is you are on a corporate network, like @ TAFE


 * Presenters/Hosts** - **Room Bandwidth**

If you are a presenter and/or a host in the room you will need to optimise the overall bandwith of the room.



The bandwidth for the meeting room itself, should correspond to the average bandwidth of your meeting participants. This way Adobe Connect optimises the delivery of content to best suit the majority of users in the room.

Running the audio Wizard
Prior to using the Camera and Voice pod it is a good idea to run the set up wizard to optimise your audio for the meeting room.

Select from the menu //**Meeting>Audio Setup Wizard**//



Follow the steps outlined in the wizard to the very end.






 * NOTE: ** To set your microphone for echo cancellation and noise suppression, you need to install the Adobe Connect Meeting Add-in. The Audio Setup wizard can run without this additional plugin however, for the highest quality audio possible with your configuration, Adobe recommends that you install the Adobe Connect Meeting Add-in and run the wizard.


 * Advanced Settings**

If after running the audio wizard the room attendees are reporting poor audio quality or report you are tool low in volume, despite the audio panel adjustments you can turn off some of the automatic functions.

This can be done in the final stage of the Audio set-up Wizard.

Click the **Advanced Settings ....** button




 * Silence Level**

For Silence Level, drag the slider to adjust the level. A higher setting results in more sensitivity to silence in an audio broadcast.


 * Automatic gain Control**

The automatic gain function dynamically adjusts your microphone levels based on how loud you speak. Occasionally this is too aggressive and results in too much gain being applied. To turn it off uncheck the AGC check box and manually adjust your microphone level with the slider.




 * Echo Cancellation Mode**

This is important if you want to use speakers and a microphone where multiple speakers can generate feedback.

For Acoustic Echo Cancellation Mode, select an option to adjust echo cancellation (the Flash Connect Add‑in must be installed to use this option):


 * ~ Option ||~ Description ||
 * **Full Duplex** || Enables multiple users to speak at one time. If echo feedback results, select another option (this option is preferred for most systems). ||
 * **Half Duplex** || Enables only one user to speak at a time. Use this option if microphones on your system are unusually sensitive (transmitting unwanted background sound) or if you have poor echo cancellation. ||
 * **Headphones** || Optimizes audio settings for use with headphones. This option uses Full Duplex mode, in which multiple users can speak at one time. ||
 * **Off** || Disables echo cancellation. ||
 * Audio Quality**

For Audio Quality, select an option to adjust a combination of all audio settings, including silence level, echo cancellation, and gain control, to provide optimized performance. A higher quality setting uses more CPU resources, and therefore slows performance, but provides better audio quality. It is recommended that you use the highest quality setting that does not cause detectable audio degradation on your system. Select one of four settings:


 * ~ Option ||~ Description ||
 * **Fast** || Provides the fastest performance but the lowest audio quality. (This setting uses the fewest CPU resources. Use this option for systems with slower CPUs.) ||
 * **Good** || Provides somewhat slower performance but better audio quality. (This is the default setting, recommended for most systems.) ||
 * **Best** || Provides the slowest performance but the best audio quality. (Use this option for systems with very fast CPUs.) ||
 * **Custom** || Enables you to select options for audio quality settings. Use this option if the standard settings do not provide adequate results. Proceed to step 10 to select Custom options. ||
 * NOTE:** Best not to adjust any of the Advanced setting unless you experience problems.

Camera and Voice Pod


Place video here... to learn how to set up audio for a meeting room & use the Camera and Voice Pod.


 * H ints on using camera/voice **

Unless you have a specific reason it's best not to utilise the video camera as it consumes significant bandwith and may degarde the overall experience of the session. As a facilitator you may introduce the session using the camera and then pause it for the duration of the session

To pause the camera click the camera icon, this will take a snap shot from the camera and use this as a still picture. The camera can be restarted by clicking the icon again.

It's a good idea to turn you microphone off if you are not speaking. With multiple speaker mode enabled, each participant adds a little background noise to the session which culminates in a distracting background interference.

The microphone lock mode is useful if you need to use your mouse to demonstrate and essential if you are desktop sharing as the foucus is moved to away from the meeting room to the shaped application.

Adobe - TechNote : [|Best practices for Voice Over IP (VoIP) audio]


 * Configuring pod options**

Once you have been granted control over a pod the options button will be present in the lower right hand corner.


 * Camera Off** Turns off video broadcasting.


 * Slow Images** Samples and transmits the camera image less frequently than other image settings. Images tend to be low-quality and can shift abruptly. Use this setting if most attendees have low-speed connections or if you are not concerned about image quality.


 * Fast Images** Provides a clear but not high-quality image. Use this setting if attendees are connected at a variety of speeds.


 * High Quality Images** Provides high-quality images. Use this setting if all attendees are connected at high speeds.


 * Portrait** Presents a square shape.


 * Standard** Approximates 160/120 aspect ratio.


 * Landscape** Approximates 9/5 aspect ratio.


 * Voice Off** - Turns off all audio broadcasting.


 * Voice On - Multiple Speakers** Turns on audio broadcasting. Meeting attendees who have the appropriate permissions can broadcast audio. Any attendee can talk when holding down the Talk button.


 * Voice On - One Speaker** Turns on audio broadcasting. Meeting attendees who have the appropriate permissions can broadcast audio. When a speaker holds down the Talk button, the Talk button is disabled for other users, who cannot broadcast their voice.

**Allowing participants to broadcast**
There are three methods a presenter can use to allow participants to broadcast video and audio in a meeting.

//**Method 1**//

Method one promotes the participant to a Presenter role. As a Presenter, the participant can use any meeting features available to a presenter except change the layout and size of the pods.



Select the users name in the Attendee List and then set their role as presenter. This will give them control over all pods, including the camera and voice pod.

//**Method 2**//

The second method is to enable "auto promote participants to presenters feature". Here as participants enter the room they are automatically promoted to the role of presenter.

As a host or presenter click the meeting menu and enable the option for the room.

//**Method 3**//

The third method changes the participant's rights only for the Camera and Voice pod. From the Attendee List pod, you can grant presenter's rights to a participant for a specific pod.





You can choose to grant a user control over one or more pods. Note they will have same control as hosts and presenters over pods which can lead to some chaotic outcomes if users begin changing settings which effect everyone in the room. This is a useful method to give participants control over the camera and voice pod so they can use a mic or camera.

NOTE: You can select all participants by selecting "Select All" and then use the "Change Enhanced Participants Rights" option to grant control over pods.

Attendee List Pod


The Attendee List pod, enables you can quickly see who is logged in to a meeting and monitor everyone's name, role, and status.

The names in the Attendee List pod are grouped by role indicated by their icon.



Presenters and participants can view a participant's name & status while hosts can control options.


 * Emoticons**

By default the participant emoticon is blank. However, participants can change their own emoticon to indicate to the group their status. For example they might wish to ask a question or indicate they have stepped away. When a participant selects a status, an icon appears to the right of the their name. Participants can clear their status at any time during a meeting. When you have responded to a message and want to clear the participant status, select Clear User Status from the Attendee List Pod Options pop-up menu.


 * About attendee bandwidth**

When an attendee's connection falls below the current meeting room bandwidth, one of the following indicators appears to the right of the user's name:

//**Orange triangle**// The participant is on a connection that is less than the current room bandwidth, the participant has high latency (between 0.2 and 4 seconds), or the participant is dropping between 5% and 20% of packets.

//**Red square**// The participant is on a connection that approximates a modem connection, the participant has high latency (greater than 4 seconds), or the participant is dropping more than 20% of packets.

When bandwidth performance meets requirements, no symbol appears. You can configure the network connection status indicators to be on or off at any time during a meeting.

To show or hide attendees' connection status indicators:


 * 1) Click the pod option icon in the bottom right hand corner of the Attendee List pod.
 * 2) Select Show Connection Status from the pop-up menu.

If Show Connection Status has a check mark next to it, the network connection status is enabled and shows network connection status for all attendees in your meeting. If the option has no check mark, the connection status indicators are hidden for users in your meeting.


 * Changing an attendee's role**

As a host you can change the role of any participant in the Attendee List pod, so that you can promote and demote them as necessary. You can also change your own role.

Roll over each name to view the attendee's full name, meeting role, audio conference status, and enhanced rights.

To change a participant's role:

1. In the Attendee List pod, select the name of the participant whose role you want to change. 2. Click Set User Role in the lower-left corner of the Attendee List pod. 3. From the pop-up menu, select the role to give to the selected attendee: Participant, Presenter, or Host

To remove a participant from a meeting:

A pop-up menu appears with a list of the available pod options.
 * 1) In the Attendee List pod, select the name of the participant to remove.
 * 2) Click Pod Options in the lower-right corner of the Attendee List pod.


 * 1) Select Remove Selected User from the pop-up menu.


 * Changing a participant's pod control**

A host can give a presenter or a participant full control of a specific or range of pods.


 * 1) Select the name of a presenter or participant from the Attendee List pod.
 * 2) Click Pod Options button on the bottom right hand corner of the the Attendee List pod.
 * 3) To change a user's rights for a pod, select the pod.
 * 4) Click OK.

The user has full functionality for all instances of the selected pod types.

Recording your sessions
Insert movie... How to access and distribute connect recordings

Resources
[|What's possible with Adobe Connect & Presenter], John Paull, Adobe Pacific

[|Overview of Adobe Connect]

[|Adobe Connect Resource Center] - Note the existing Breeze resources are applicable to Connect

[|Breeze 5 Documentation]

[|Macromedia Breeze Presenter Quick Start Guide]

[|Adobe Presentation on choosing a microphone]

[|Adobe presentation on the best practices for using webcameras]

[|Adobe resources on best practices for recording]

[|Adobe presentation on Screen sharing with Breeze]

Afternoon Workshop
This half-day workshop provides hands skills in the use of Adobe Presenter to produce engaging online resources to enhance teaching and learning. 
 * NOTE: You should bring the following to the session**
 * Powerpoint presentation you would like to turn into a resource
 * Images and any audio/video you would like incorporated

Topics

 * Use Adobe Presenter 6; Audacity (audio) and MovieMaker (video)
 * Prepare multimedia content for inclusion;
 * How to publish and distribute content on Adobe Connect

Learning Outcomes

 * Presenter**
 * Learn the basic features of Adobe Presenter
 * Apply basic features to add value to power point slides
 * Develop simple high quality teaching & learning resources
 * publish the movie locally
 * Learn How to publish and distribute the resources using Adobe Connect

[|Watch Demo first of Presenter]

What is Adobe Presenter?

 * comprises a licenced extension to Microsoft Powerpoint produced by Adobe to enable the creation of media rich eLearning resources
 * Uses authors or opens an existing Powerpoint presentation and utilises the additional presenter menu to add additional multimedia content
 * Audio can be added to each slide directly in Powerpoint or imported. Video can also be added to each slide.
 * Flash content, for example Captivate movies can be added as slides
 * Quizzes can be included which can be tracked by Connect server
 * Control slide navigation and titles and create complex slide branching to guide users through the contents of your presentation
 * Attachments can be bundled with final presentation as supplementary resources
 * Final presentation is exported in Adobe Flash format with navigation menu and search facility
 * Resources can be delivered in Adobe Connect Enterprise server or from local media ie. Cdrom, memory stick

See the [|Adobe presenter product website] for more information

Adobe Connect Presenter
This session will identify the versatility of Adobe Macromedia products and the way teachers can become innovative in the way they can deliver material in a virtual classroom.

Ostensibly, participants will experience a very interactive practical session involving skills that will enable them to prepare a mini virtual lesson (5-10 mins) on one of the four topics provided beginning with P which were Plants, People, Places and Pets.

Resources for these topics will be provided which consist of a myriad of image files, video audio, power point and (**swf)** files of **PhotoStory** along with word docs.


 * Captivate** is a Macromedia product that integrates well with Adobe Acrobat Connect


 * Adobe Presenter versus Captivate 3 [[file:CP3vsPresenter.pdf]]**

**Note:**
You can convert multimedia rich powerpoint presentations and any other audio or movie files to **swf file** using erightsoft.com. Go to Super and download for free! [|Super]

Each group will be instructed to firstly develop a lesson aim and one assessment strategy using the **Adobe Connect** polling function.

Background Reading:
Some links that you might want to have look at [|__http://www.adobe.com/support/documentation/en/breeze/meeting/quick_start/__]

SIT Wiki to support breeze users __http://sridgway.wikispaces.com/BreezeMeeting__

Example of a good practice Architecture [|__https://admin.adobe.acrobat.com/_a13846108/p23091020/__]

School virtual tour of campus [|__https://admin.adobe.acrobat.com/_a13846108/p98735205/__]

Blogging [|__https://admin.adobe.acrobat.com/_a13846108/p15717941/__]

Visit wsi ELF Wiki for [|eLearning Facilitation]
 * Facilitators**

Facilitators will assist the groups in developing their storyboard of how it would look on the presenters screen. This will give the participants an understanding of how they can upload files in preparation and even provide presenters script to assist with the presentation.

After the developing stage the groups will be instructed to **invite participants** and to designate their role status as in participant, host, presenter etc. At the end of the session each group will present a very rich ‘mini lesson in Adobe Connect Meeting to the group.

Adobe Connect Sessions Online
A follow up session online will be cordinated within two weeks of the workshop to build on the skills learnt from the workshops. These dates are scheduled as follows: