We encourage you to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Burke Library - 3rd Floor
helpdesk@hamilton.edu

859-4181
859-4185 - fax

Using Adobe Connect

Table of Contents

Set up your Computer

Before connecting to the Adobe Connect meeting, make sure that you are in a quiet and private room and your computer speakers are on. We recommend that you do not use headphones or earbuds as they will get in the way when you want to ask a question using your telephone. NOTE: your telephone will remain connected for the entire duration of the meeting, though it will be muted until you are selected to ask a question.

Connecting to a Meeting

  1. To connect to a meeting, click on the URL in Blackboard and enter as a guest using your full name.

  1. When prompted to join the audio conference, keep Dial-out [Receive a call from the meeting] selected and enter your telephone number in the field provided.

  1. Wait for Connect to call your phone and follow the instructions that you hear to join the conference.
  2. In the top of the screen, click on the green audio button and uncheck Mute Conference Audio Only.

  1. You should now make sure that meeting audio is being sent through your computer's speakers. Use your phone only when you want to ask a question. You should set your phone down until you are ready to ask a question. NOTE: When you connect to the meeting, the host will mute your phone.
  2. To ask a question, raise your hand by selecting the raise hand icon, and wait for the presenter to unmute your phone. When the presenter calls your name, use your phone to ask your question.
  3. When your line is muted by the host, you will receive instructions on unmuting your phone. Please allow the host to control the muting and unmuting of your phone and do not unmute your own phone.

Virtual Classroom Layout

The following is an introduction to the layout of the Music in American Film Virtual Classroom, which is distributed among four screens, each of which feature different types of interactions. The instructor controls the layout of the classroom and will select whichever screen is suitable for the current activity; this switching is automatic and will change the view for all participants, so you will never become lost.

The Sharing Layout

This layout will be used to share video clips, music scores, and other media:

  • A is the Sharing pod, in which content will be displayed.
  • B is the Instructor pod, in which Professor Hamessley will appear.
  • C is the Chat pod, in which participants in the class can converse with each other--simply type a message and strike the Enter key.

The Discussion Layout

Most conversations in the class will take place in the Discussion layout:

  1. A is the Instructor pod, in which Professor Hamessley will appear.
  2. B is the Participants pod, in which all class participants and their statuses (i.e. hands raised, lowered, and other) will appear.
  3. C is the Chat pod, in which participants in the class can converse with each other--simply type a message and strike the Enter key.

The Polling and Q&A Layout

This layout will host a variety of tools designed to broaden the interaction options in the virtual classroom:

  • A is the Instructor pod, in which Professor Hamessley will appear.
  • B is the Notes pod, in which text germane to the lesson will appear--this is analogous to a chalk/white board and cannot be modified by students.
  • C is the Question & Answer pod, in which students and Professor Hamessley can post questions; it functions like the Chat pod: simply type a question and strike the Enter key.
  • D is the Participants pod, in which all class participants and their statuses (i.e. hands raised, lowered, and other) will appear.
  • E is the Quiz and Survey pod, in which multiple choice, multiple selection, and short answer prompts will appear for participants to respond to.
  • F is the Chat pod, in which participants in the class can converse with each other--simply type a message and strike the Enter key.

The Notes Layout

This layout features large note pods, which are, as stated above, analogous to white/chalk boards:

  • A is the Instructor pod, in which Professor Hamessley will appear.
  • B and C are Note pods, in which text germane to the lesson will appear that cannot be modified by students.

 

Troubleshooting

  1. If you experience problems that either hinder you or prevent you from using the Virtual Classroom environment, the Hamilton College Help Desk stands ready to assist and is available before, during, and after each session (until 10pm) at (315) 859-4181.
  2. You may also consider posting technical questions to Blackboard--a special conversation space will be set up just for technical issues. 
  3. If you have unmuted the conference audio (Step 4 above) and are not hearing audio through your computer, check your operating system audio preferences.
    1. On Windows 7, go to Start - Control Panel - Sound, and make sure your Speakers/Headphones are selected as your default playback device.
    2. On Windows Vista, go to Start - Control Panel - Hardware and Sound  - Sound, and make sure your Speakers/Headphones are selected as your default playback device.
    3. On Mac, go to Apple - System Preferences - Sound - Output and select Internal Speakers as your playback device.
  4. If your computer is generating an echo, turn down the volume of your computer's audio.

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