BigBlueButton via Moodle is an effective video conferencing tool for seminars, lectures and resentations. This tool allows to share video and audio streams, make presentations available to students or to engagen them using polls, chat or an audio connenction.
News
9.11.2020 – Currently presentations that were uploaded beforehand in the Moodle settings are not being displayed during a BBB session. Please upload your presentations directly inside the BBB-session. We are working to make this feature available again.
11/2020 – If you and your students seem to have been directed into different BBB-rooms, please check, whether the group mode might be enabled.
28.09.2020 – Participants rights can be set in Moodle while creating the activity and waiting room function
02.09.2020 – Upgrade to Moodle 3.9: now you can create an External guest access link (as well as an Access code), to invite external people to participate in your session!
13.08.2020 – Re-using existing recordings in the next semester
To be able to use existing recordings of BigBlueButton in a following course, you can use the function "Import recording links".
Using this function you can link any Videos of any BigBlueButton activity to your course, which allows students of your current course to access them as well.
Limitation
For uninterrupted conferencing, please enable only those webcams, that are needed. We recommend to have not more then five cameras translating at the same time!
Please note that the maximum number of participants is 100 students for each session.
If your sessions is to have more than 100 participants, you can record your lecture and share it with the students afterwards.
Details:
If you are experiencing any problems, please use a different web browser (not all web browsers are fully supported).
Please do not use BigBlueButton while a VPN connection is active. This may cause interruptions.
Contents
The BigBlueButton activity is intended to be used only once or for the duration of a session.
If you would like to use this activity for more than one course unit, create multiple identical activities or duplicate an already existing one.
Part 1 - Preparation and implementation in Moodle
Adding a session to Moodle
To use BigBlueButton as part of your Moodle course, you first have to integrate it by selecting Add an activity or resource.
Configuration
1. Selecting the Instance type:
You can choose between three options:
- Room/Activity only: Basic use of the session with a live presentation (without the recording function enabled)
- Room/Activity with recordings: Use of the session as a live presentation as well as additional recordings (recordings will be accessible in Moodle after the session has ended)
- Recordings only: Already existing recordings can be displayed via this function
You can access the recording function in BigBlueButton itself (see below).
2. First, you can define General settings:
- Name of your session under Virtual classroom name (this will be displayed as a link in the Moodle course).
- If necessary, add further information under Description. Tick Display description on course page if you would like the description to be visible.
- To notify students of the creation of a new BigBlueButton activity, enable the option Send notification.
3. Under Activity/Room settings you can leave a Welcome message and decide whether students can join the session before the moderator enters the session. If you choose to enable this option, you should leave a welcome text for your students.
When the waiting room is enabled, incoming participants will have to wait, until a moderator grants them acces to a session.
If the instance type "Room/activity with recordings" was selected above, you can set determine, whether a session can be recorded.
4. In the section External guest access link you can allow external people (without having an active u:account) to participate in your BigBlueButton session.
You have to activate this function by choosing the checkbox "Create gust access link for external participants".
Further settings need to be configured directly on the activity page of the session (further information: Using the external guest access link).
5. Under Presentation content you can add one file (number of files is limited!) that you can use as a presentation during the session. Recommended file formats are Office documents (.ppt, .pptx, .odp etc.) and PDF files.
If you want to upload further files or files during the session, you can do so directly in the BigBlueButton classroom (see Uploading a presentation).
feature currently unavailable
The upload of presentations in the activity settings in Moodle is currently not working. Until then, please upload presentations directly inside the session as described here: Uploading a presentation. We are working to solve this issue.
Uploaded files are automatically visible and downloadable to students in Moodle. If you do not want this, please upload the file directly in BigBlueButton (see Uploading a presentation).
6. In the section Participants you first have to define which Moodle course participants may join the session.
- All enrolled participants
- Participants with a specific Role in the course
Next, you can set what role they should be given during the session:
Moderator: has extensive permissions and leads the session (teachers, tutors)
Viewer: participates in the session and can be given more permissions by the moderator (students)
7.In section Participant's Rights you can grant viewers (≠ moderators) certain rights to actively take part in the session. These are:
- Share webcam: let other participants see your webcam image
- See other viewers webcams: see webcam images of all other participants, not only moderators'
- Share microphone: make your audio available to others
- Send public chat messages: to chat with all other participants
- Send private chat messages: send private messages to other participants
- Edit shared notes: use the shared notes feature
- See other viewers in the users list: see the names of other participants in the session
These settings can be adjusted later during the session. Read here.
8. You can limit the access to the session by using the Schedule option. You can set the start and end date of the session, between which students may join the session. Outside of this time frame students can still see the activity on the course page but are unable to join.
We recommend to always set both a start and end date so that server resources are available for other sessions.
9. Further options to customise the activity can be found in the sections: Common module settings, Restrict access and Tags. These options include the availability of the activity on the course page and the group mode, for example.
If you use the Group mode, you have to choose one of a few available separate rooms (equal to the existing groups in your Moodle course). Please note, that all participants and moderators have to join the same session/ room in BigBlueButton.
Otherwise participants will join different rooms and will not see each other there!
9. Save your settings and return to the course page.
Accessing the virtual classroom
1. Click the new activity you created on the course page (the date of the session).
2. Within the time period you specified under Schedule for session, the option Join session will appear, that both the moderator and the viewers can see. Click this button to join the session.
This button will not be visible to the moderator or the viewers outside of the specified time period.
If you ticked the box in Activity/Room settings that allows viewers to join the session before the moderator enters the session, the button will be displayed. However, viewers cannot access BigBlueButton until the moderator is present.
Using the external guest access link
If you have activated the option to use the external guest access link (within the BigBlueButton activity), external people can access your session too.
They will be send to an invite page, where they can login to the session.
For configuring the external guest access link please do the following steps:
1. Click the new activity you created on the course page (the date of the session).
2. As a teacher here you will find the generated guest access link in the field "Invite Participants", which you can copy by using the button 
(on the right of the field).
3. In area of "Access Code" further you can generate a password, which will then be required for logging into the session.
This access code needs to be generated manually by using the button 
(on the right of the field). With this button you can also generate a new one, if necessary.
Further you can copy the access code to your clipboard or delete it entirely 
, so that participants accessing the session via guest link don't need any access code to participate again.
Ending a session
There are three ways to end a session:
- Automatically when the time period you specified under Schedule for session ends.
- Manually by clicking the End session button on the Moodle page of the session. This button will be displayed on the right-hand side of the “Join” button as soon as a session is started (see screenshot).
- You can also end a session from inside the session by clicking on the "End meeting" in the menu on the top right corner.
Part 2 - Using BigBlueButton
By default, BigBlueButton is displayed in the language you selected for your web browser. You can change this setting manually any time by clicking on Settings.
Getting started
You have to pass all of the following steps to set up your audio successfully.
If you skip some of them - e.g. because of inadvertent closing a message window - your microphone can't be connected with BigBlueButton. In this case your recordings will not include audio!
At the beginning you will be asked if you would like to join the session with a microphone or to listen only.
As a teacher you most probably choose the option "Microphone". In the following step you will be asked by your web browser to allow BigBlueButton to use your microphone (the view of the message can vary with different browser).
Then an echo test is started, where you can check whether your audio is working and configured correctly or not (it may take some time to load):
If you hear audio, please choose the button "Yes". Your audio is now working properly.
If not, please choose the button "No". Then you can choose a different audio device and do a rerun of the echo test.
Functions
You can use the following functions to customise the session:
- Uploading presentations in different file formats
- Recording sessions
- Creating and editing notes (also by students if needed)
- Sharing audio, webcam and/or screen
- Chat feature, both private and public
- Sharing videos
- Writing/drawing on uploaded slides (Whiteboard function)
- Polls with a maximum of 5 answer choices
Dividing student groups across breakout rooms for short group projects (up to 8 groups) - instructions will follow
You can find information about editing the permissions of participating students under Editing participant permissions.
Uploading a presentation
You can upload a presentation when creating the activity. If you have not done so, you can do it now.
Click the plus icon in the default presentation. 
Most presentation formats (.ppt, .pptx, .odp, etc.) are supported as well as PDF files.
Please have a look at the further information in our FAQs concerning the use of links and animations within your files!
Recording a session
If you selected in the settings the instance type Room/Activity with recordings, you can record your session in the BigBlueButton virtual classroom. The recording includes audio, video, presentations or your desktop screen.
Using this option allows you to record the session and make it accessible to students afterwards. This is especially useful for large courses, since the maximum number of session participants is 100 students.
To start a recording, click the Start recording button above the presentation area. Confirm that you want to start the recording by clicking Yes in the dialog window.
The recording starts immediately but can be paused at any time by clicking the button again. To continue the recording, click Resume recording. The recording will be ended and saved automatically as soon as you select End meeting. It is not necessary for you to do anything else.
Please be patient after ending the meeting. The video is rendered in the background and will be available to you a few minutes / several hours later (depending on server capacities and the length of the recording).
The recording will only be accessible to students after the session has ended. You can edit the meta data of the recording after the session has ended.
Tip
To make in your session a recording only without students present (cf. Screencast, ...), you can hide the activity after adding it to Moodle and change the visibility again when your recording is reada.
note:
The button presentation will not be visible – also for teachers – as long as the activity is hidden.
To be able to test-play the recording before making it available, you can change the visibility briefly to be able to click on the button presentation. When the recording is running, you can hide it again.
Using the shared notepad
You can open a shared notepad notes by clicking Shared Notes above the list of participants on the left-hand side of the screen. It will be displayed on the right to it, instead of the chat.
These notes will not be saved. If you would like to keep your notes after the end of the session, you can download them by clicking the button on the right-hand side.
The upper toolbar displays all functions with which you can highlight and edit the text:
- Bold
- Italic
- Underline
- Strikethrough
- Ordered list
- Unordered list
- Undo most recent action
- Redo most recently undone action
- Export all notes as file
Sharing audio, webcam and/or screen
You can decide to share audio and video via the bar at the bottom in the middle of your screen:
- Click the left button to restore your default settings. If you accidentally chose the wrong settings when entering the virtual classroom, you can rectify that here.
- Click the middle button to turn your webcam on and off.
- Click the right button to start or stop sharing your screen.
You can share the entire screen, single windows or tabs of the current browser or a specific window of an opened application (according to the used browser).
It is only possible to share only windows of applications which are currently in the front of the window/ tab of the browser, where you want to start the screen sharing (> the window/ tab where the videoconference tool has been opened).
Application windows which are minimised or in the back of the window/ tab of the browser, where the session of videoconference tool is running, won't be shown in the list of available windows.
Chat feature
You can communicate with all students through public chat or with individual users through private chat.
Click on the person you want to chat with in the bar on the left. For every new message you receive you will see a white number displayed on a red background.
Playing audio or videos
Click the plus button on the bottom left and select Share an external video to share videos from external video providers.
The following providers are supported:
- Youtube
- Vimeo
- Instructure Media
- Twitch
- Daily Motion
External videos will not be part of a recording!
You should always post links of external videos in the BigBlueButton for teachers#Chat too, so that students are able to watch them later.
Writing and drawing on slides (whiteboard)
Further options to interact with your slides are located on the right-hand side in the middle.
Click the hand to change tools. The following tools are available:
- Hand: All students see a dot on the slides where your cursor is (similar to a laser pointer).
- Line, triangle, ellipse, rectangle: Draw the respective geometric shape on the slides. Hold down the mouse button to draw.
- Pencil: Directly draw any shape with a pencil.
Use the buttons below to undo the most recent action, clear all annotations and allow all participants to use the drawing tool.
Turn multi-user whiteboard on should only be selected when working in very small groups, since all users can draw on the slides at the same time. In larger groups this may cause your web browser to crash.
- Saving annotations on the slides and later publishing or downloading them is currently not possible with BigBlueButton. An alternative would be to take a screenshot or use external tools (see also tips under the CTL information for remote learning). Annotations are only saved temporarily and are automatically deleted after the session has ended and the moderator has left. Please inform your students about this.
Creating polls
You can ask your students one question at a time by using a poll.
To create a poll, click the plus button on the bottom left: Then click Start a poll.
There are different types of polls you can choose from:
- Yes/No Choices
- 2-5 answer choices indicated by numbers (you would have to communicate to your students which answers correspond to which numbers)
- Custom poll with custom choices (up to 5)
As soon as you click Start a poll, all students will be able to vote through clicking.
Click Publish polling results to end the poll and display the results for your students. The result will be displayed on the bottom right of your slide.
We recommend that you create a dedicated slide on which the poll question as well as all answer choices with their respective letters (max. A-E) are displayed.
Editing participant permissions
You can edit the participant permissions on the left side of the screen. Next to the heading Users you can click the gear icon and select Lock viewers:
Details
| Function | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Share webcam | Here you can define whether students can share their webcam with others. The default setting is that students cannot share their webcam. We recommend a maximum of 5 active webcams at the same time. All participants should not activate their webcam during the hole session. |
| See other viewer webcams | Here you can define who can see shared webcams. The default setting is that only moderators can see shared webcams. |
| Share microphone | Here you can define whether students can decide to share their microphone. The default setting is that only moderators can decide to share microphones. |
| Send Public chat messages | Here you can define whether students can write messages in the public chat that can be read by all participants. The default setting is that all students can write messages in the public chat. |
| Send Private chat messages | Here you can define whether students can send private messages to participants who are visible to them. Click “See other users in the list of users” to define which participants can be seen by students. The default setting is that students can send private messages to all participants who are visible to them (in this case: only moderators). |
| Edit Shared Notes | Here you can define whether students can also create and edit notes. The default setting is that students cannot edit shared notes. |
| See other users in the Users list | Here you can define whether students can see other students in the list of users. The default setting is that only moderators can see all students. Students can only see themselves and all moderators. |
Please note, that users have to connect their audio again, if you have granted them the right to activate their microphone. Users must click on the button Leave audio 
and another click on the button Join audio 
.
Session configuration
Click the button on the top right of your screen and select Settings.
Here you can edit several basic settings:
Ending a session
There are a few different ways to end a session, after which students can no longer open the session in BigBlueButton.
- After the scheduled duration has passed
- All moderators leave the virtual classroom
- Moderators manually end the session
To end the session, click ... on the top right of your screen and then select the option End meeting.
Part 3 - Follow-up in Moodle / Publishing recordings
Recorded presentation / webmeeting
If you have selected the instance type Room/Activity with recordings, you can make recordings in the BigBlueButton virtual classroom.
The recording will only be accessible to students after the session has ended.
Existing recordings can be played back by clicking Presentation.
You can edit the details of the recording at any time (i.e. name of the recording, description) and, if necessary, hide it manually (by clicking the eye icon on the right) or delete it (by clicking the recycle bin).
The button presentation will not be visible - also for teachers - as long as the activity is hidden.
To be able to play the recordings, you have to change the visibility briefly to be able to click on the button presentation (and hide it again afterwards).
Importing recordings in other courses/ further semesters
If you hold more than one lecture with Moodle at the same time or in a further semester and you want to reuse existing recordings of BigBlueButton, you can link them to a further course.
In the first step you have to add a new BigBlueButton activity in the course where you want to use the recordings or import the activity using the function import (German only).
Please now switch to the new BigBlueButton activity and press the button Import recording links.
In the next step please choose the Moodle course (via the dropdown menu), where you want to link some recordings from.
All available recordings of the choosen course will be listed afterwards and you can choose the recordings you want to import by clicking the icon 
(Import) in the column Toolbar.
Please press the button Go back after importing, to check whether all the needed recordings were linked.
FAQs
- What information do I have to give to students?
You can find instructions for students under BigBlueButton for students. - Can I record my session?
Yes, you can record a session at any time. - Who has the moderator permissions in BigBlueButton?
All roles in the Moodle course with editing permissions (i.e. teachers, tutors, clerical assistants). - Why can some of my students not hear me?
Please consult the troubleshooting tips on the information page for students. I get the message "ICE negotiation failed (Error 1007)". How can I solve this?
This error occurs because of the settings of your local firewall (of your device). BigBlueButton needs for some functions the permission of your firewall, e.g. to be able to share audio and webcam or to share any content.
It could happen especially with networks of companies. If so, please contact your system administrator.
For IP adresses in the range of 131.130.* (131.130.1.*, 131.130.4.* und 131.130.106.*) the UDP ports no. 16384 - 32768 have to be available.- Is it possible to join the session on a smartphone?
In general, it is possible to both lead and participate in sessions on a smartphone. However, your experience may be limited due to a reduced screen size and the weaker Internet connection of a phone. - Can I lead sessions on a tablet?
You should not experience any problems when leading sessions on a tablet. - Can students download annotations on the slides or whiteboard directly?
Unfortunately, this is not possible. For more information and links, please see Writing/Drawing on slides (whiteboard). - Students cannot access recordings, although they should be visible to them...
In some cases the view of the table for recordings is incomplete. E. g. as a teacher you are able to watch the recordings, but students can't. We are already working on fixing this.
CURRENT WORKAROUND:
- Go to the BBB activity in your moodle course.
- Do a right-click on the button presentation and choose the option Copy Link Location.
- Switch to the field Description in the settings of the BBB activity.
- Insert here a link manually (use
) and paste the copied link to the presentation out of your clipboard.
- I use hyperlinks and/ or animations in my presentation or a PDF document, but I'm not able to use them? Why it doesn't work or how I can use them?
In BigBlueButton all uploaded files get converted into graphs (one graph per page or slide) and so further content is not included in the presented screens.
To be able to use such content, please open the file locally on your computer and use the function Sharing screen instead. - I am not able to view a recording - I see a blank white screen when I click on "presentation"!
If you go to a BBB activity you will see the button "presentation" next to each available recording.
In the backend the video file will be loaded at the same time, which might not be finished immediately. This could happen especially with large recordings. In general wait a few seconds before clicking the button "presentation" or refreshing the site. - I did some recordings in another course, can I use them in further courses too?
Yes, you can use the function "Import recording links" within a new created BigBlueButton activity. Here you can link to existing recordings of another BigBlueButton activity, so that students can access them. - The quality of my recording(s) is poor. What can I do to improve this?
In a first step you could turn off the option to share microphone and webcam for participants (e.g. during a presentation). Furthermore you shouldn't run a session in BigBlueButton, while you are connected via VPN. - I would like to play audio/ video during my lecture.
In BigBlueButton you only could play audio or video from external resources.