BigBlueButton meets FELIX

FELIX 30-200

What you need to know

With the "BigBlueButton" course element you can create BigBlueButton rooms for your course meetings directly within a course.
For example, you can create this as a permanent course room and decide whether it may be started with or without your presence.
You can also restrict the use of the room to certain times and offer regular or single appointments.

When creating these appointments you have to store a so-called room template. The following room templates are currently available:
- Individual appointments are possible with only one person and are not accessible to external persons (without HFU account).
- Group appointments are possible with up to 10 simultaneous participants and are not accessible to external persons (without HFU account).
- Meetings (up to 50) hold up to 50 people at a time and can also be used by external guests.

These room templates are not suitable for your needs? No problem! Feel free to contact the Learning Services department with your requirements.

Tip: For regular office hours, the "Scheduling" element is also suitable: created appointments can also be carried out via a BigBlueButton room. In addition, you can see in advance who has booked an appointment (for instructions, see Helpcard 30-151).

Tip: You can also insert the module in your toolbar (at the top of the course view) instead of on the left in your structure (see Helpcard 20-095).

What you have to do

  1. In your course, click on "Course editor" under "Administration" (top left).

    • The course editor will open.

  2. In the course structure (left), activate the course element under which the new element is to be inserted.
    Under "Insert course elements" (above) in the "Communication and collaboration" category, select the "BigBlueButton" element. Alternatively, you can use the "Quick-Add" search function.

    • You can also move the element later by dragging and dropping.

  3. In "Title and description" in the "Short title" area, enter the title that you want to be displayed in the course structure (on the left). "Save" your entries.

    • The "Title in course menu" is displayed on the left side of the structure. Since the structure is fixed to a certain width, a maximum of 25 characters is recommended.

    • Under "Insert additional information" you can enter e.g. learning objectives and instructions for learners.

    • Under "Visibility" and "Access" you can regulate the visibility and access to the element if required, e.g. depending on the group or date (see Helpcard 30-002).

  4. Under "Configuration" you can set whether a scheduled online meeting can be started only by the moderator or also by participants.

    • In the default setting, participants can only enter the meeting after the moderator has started the meeting. If you want to change this, you have to remove the checkmark behind "Access" at "Only moderators are allowed to open this virtual classroom".

  5. Click the red cross (top right) to close the course editor. Select the "Publish automatically" option to publish the change. 

    • The new element is not displayed in the course view until it has been published.

  6. Create your online appointments directly in the course view. To do so, click on the "BigBlueButton" element in your course and there on the "Meeting management" tab.

    • The "Meeting management" window opens.

  7. Add appointments via the "Add online meeting" button. You can choose from the following options:
    - Add single meeting
    - Add permanent meeting room
    - Add daily recurring meeting
    - Add weekly recurring meeting

  8. Give the appointment a name (e.g. online consultation) and, if necessary, write a short description and/or a welcome text.
    Select the desired room template (e.g. group appointment) and define further dates as well as start and end.

    • The description appears as a description of the appointment directly in FELIX directly on the start page of the appointment. The welcome text is displayed in the BigBlueButton room as a welcome message in the chat area for all participants.

    • Under "Upload presentation slides" you can already upload slides when creating appointments (only for Individual Appointments or Permanent Reservations), which are then displayed directly in your meeting room. The following formats are supported: Office documents (e.g. .pptx, .docx) PDF, jpeg, jpg, png). As soon as the meeting starts, these presentation slides will be automatically loaded into the BigBlueButton room.
      However, for all appointment types, this can also be done directly when calling up the "Online appointment".

    • "Accept user on entry" is exhibited in the default setting. If required, you can activate that you have to accept guests or all users before entry.

    • Only for room template "Meeting (up to 50)": Under "Access for external users" you can generate a link that you can make available to external guests for participation in the meeting. Under "Password for external users" you can also assign a password. If you select this option, then external guests can only enter the room if they know this password.

    • You can define a lead time (between 0 - 30 minutes) in which the meeting can already be started by course coaches and owners, but not by participants, e.g. to provide a presentation.

    • The meeting ends automatically at the defined end and closes automatically. You can set a follow-up time (0 to 30 minutes) by which the meeting is then automatically extended.

    • Leave any other settings (e.g. preferred server, display) as they are.

  9. After you have created your appointments via the "Meeting management" tab, these appointments can be found in the "Online meetings" tab.

    • If you click on "Select" beside the created appointment, then you will find further details about your appointment there (e.g. entered description, link for externals, password for externals). There you can also upload presentation slides for your appointments.

    • Appointments can be copied, deleted and - until the start date - edited under appointment management via the three-dot menu.

  10. If you want to simulate the view of your students on this course element, use the in-course role change (see HelpCard 10-021).

Problems or questions?