Comparing Virtual Meeting Hosts

Virtual Meeting Host providers (VMH) can be added to a Class using two different methods: a custom VMH or integrated VMH. Class creators can specify delivery by custom virtual classroom and then add the meeting URL from your preferred VMH or use one of the three supported, integrable VMHs. You can have multiple VMHs options associated with your organization, but only a single VMH can be associated to each class.

Virtual meetings are scheduled in the Delivery section when creating or editing a class. When the Delivery Type of Virtual or Physical and Virtual is chosen virtual meeting options display. If you have an integrated VMH it will be selected by default, but you can select another option like the custom virtual classroom. If you do not have an integrated VMH, you will only see the option for Custom Virtual Classroom with a field to enter a URL. Only one VHM can be used per class. For multiple day classes, set up class sessions using the Add Multiple Session Times link in the Session Times section.

Virtual Meeting Host Comparison

Below is a comparison chart of features in the custom VMH, integrated Adobe Connect VMH, and integrated Zoom VMH. Below the chart is more information on the differences in using these features.

Custom Virtual Classroom

The custom virtual classroom is available to all Organizations anytime you schedule a class. You need to set up a meeting in your preferred VHM, then add the meeting URL to the Delivery section of your Skillable TMS class. After entering the meeting URL, you can control when the Enter Classroom button is available to users by checking the Set Pre and Post-Class Launch Access box and then inputting times for Instructor and Student Pre-Class Launch Window and for Instructor and Student Post-Class Launch Window.

Adobe Connect Virtual Meeting Host Integration

Once you have an Adobe Connect contract, you can send information to our help desk to implement an integration. Once in place, your Adobe Connect VMH is the default selection for virtual delivery. Scheduling a class using Adobe Connect as your virtual delivery automatically creates a meeting in Adobe Connect.

• You can customize pre-class and post-class access to the virtual classroom. If you do not specify these settings, they default to allowing the instructor to enter the meeting 60 minutes before the class session begins and students to enter 15 minutes beforehand. The default is set to zero minutes after the session ends for the instructor and students. Your settings apply to all classes.

  When setting the pre-class access, consider how much time instructors may need to set up the meeting and load materials; and how soon you want students in the meeting. When deciding on the post-class meeting access, consider the amount of time that the class may still be discussing after the scheduled session end time. This time setting does not end the virtual meeting session, it will continue while the host is there, however, if someone is bumped out after the schedule end time, they cannot re-enter the virtual meeting.

• All instructors enter the meeting as hosts. Once a student selects the Enter Classroom button, they may need to load software prior to entering the meeting. All students enter the meeting as participants.

• Licenses in your contract cover any instructor scheduled for a class as a host for a meeting. The number of licenses in your contract affects the number of hosts (instructors) that can be scheduled. If you have multiple licenses, then the Skillable TMS can automatically add them as meeting hosts. If you have one license, then you must manually remove and add your host in Adobe Connect to schedule a different instructor into a class.

• Recordings are available for each recorded class session. Class recordings are available for 180 days after the last day of class to students through their Enrollment. Adobe Connect makes the recording available for as long as you maintain your contract.

Zoom Virtual Meeting Host Integration

Once you have a Zoom contract, you will need to set up a JSON Web Token application through Zoom and send information to our help desk to implement an integration. Once in place, your Zoom VMH is the default selection for virtual delivery. Scheduling a class automatically creates a Zoom meeting when a licensed Zoom user is added as an instructor. When a Zoom meeting scheduled through the TMS is opened, it will show in the UTC time zone.

• The account used to set up the JWT application is where the meetings will be located. The primary instructor in a class must be licensed from the same account that is set up on the JWT application in order to be verified through the API. Your instructor's email address in their Skillable TMS profile must match the email address in your Zoom account for them to be verified. Your contract with Zoom provides a pool of licenses that are not owned individually, they can be assigned to different users. You may switch out instructors on the licenses in your contract.

• The primary instructor added to a class must be a licensed Zoom user or the class will not save. A class can be created without any instructor added, but you will receive a warning and the meeting in Zoom will not be scheduled until an instructor is added. Students will still see the Enter Classroom button 15 minutes before class but will receive an error if they select it prior to a licensed instructor being added to the class.

• Pre-class and post-class access to the virtual classroom defaults to allowing the instructor to enter the meeting 60 minutes before the class session begins and students to enter 15 minutes beforehand. The default is set to zero minutes after the session ends for the instructor and students.

• The first licensed Zoom instructor to enter the meeting becomes the host, any other instructor enters the meeting directly as a participant. A host in Zoom can promote any other participant to be Host. By doing this, the original host loses the privileges, and the new host gains them. Prior hosts can always take back hosting duties.

• Once a student selects the Enter Classroom button, they may need to load software prior to entering the meeting.

• Students and Instructors may not be identified with their Skillable TMS username when they enter a Zoom meeting. This depends on how Zoom identifies them; different factors include if they have attended a Zoom meeting before, the username on their devise, or using multiple instructors in a class.

• If the host exits or is bumped out of the meeting without ending it, someone else will be promoted to host. The new host is set with no regard for whether or not the user is an instructor.

• Instructors need to save the recording to the cloud to make it available to the TMS. The recording is available as soon as it is compiled in Zoom after the meeting has ended; the instructor is emailed a notification when the recording becomes available. Recordings are not available until after the meeting ends, regardless of if the recording was stopped before the meeting ended. The recording ends when the session ends; the instructor should end the session when class is over otherwise the session ends itself after 24 hours. Recording length may be limited based on your contract with Zoom. If the storage limit is reached during a recording, the meeting will continue to record until it is ended.

• Students have access through their enrollment for each recorded class session. Class recordings are available for 180 days after the last day of class. You cannot impersonate a student to access recordings only users associated with the class as students or instructors can watch recordings.

Webex Virtual Meeting Host Integration

Once you have a Webex contract, you can send information to our help desk to implement an integration. Once in place, your Webex VMH is the default selection for virtual delivery. Scheduling a class using Webex as your virtual delivery automatically creates a meeting in Webex.

• When the class is in progress, the Virtual Meeting Host cannot be changed from WebEx to Zoom or Adobe Connect.  A new class will need to be created to accommodate this scenario.

• You can customize pre-class and post-class access to the virtual classroom. If you do not specify these settings, they default to allowing the instructor to enter the meeting 60 minutes before the class session begins and students to enter 15 minutes beforehand. The default is set to zero minutes after the session ends for the instructor and students. Your settings apply to all classes.

  When setting the pre-class access, consider how much time instructors may need to set up the meeting and load materials; and how soon you want students in the meeting. When deciding on the post-class meeting access, consider the amount of time that the class may still be discussing after the scheduled session end time. This time setting does not end the virtual meeting session, it will continue while the host is there, however, if someone is bumped out after the schedule end time, they cannot re-enter the virtual meeting.

• The Primary Instructor is assigned as the meeting Host by default (this is determined by the Instructor during the initial meeting setup/creation process).

  • There can only be one active Host per meeting session; one Host is needed at all times for once a session is in-progress.

  • If an additional instructor joins a meeting that is in-session, then they are automatically assigned as a meeting Co-Host upon entering.

  • If a Co-Host joins a meeting before the primary Host arrives, then the Co-Host is assigned the Host privileges temporarily, until the primary Host arrives. After the primary host arrives, the Host privileges are then automatically transferred to the Primary Host and the Co-Host will be reassigned as a meeting Co-Host.

• A Co-Host does not have recording privileges.

  • While actively recording, if a Host needs to leave the session, then they must assign a Co-Host to be the new Host, prior to exiting the meeting in order for the recording to resume. If a recording is stopped/paused as previously mentioned, then a new recording file is created and saved (multiple recording files would/could then exist for a single session).

• Recordings are available for each recorded class session. Class recordings are available for 180 days after the last day of class to students through their enrollment. Webex makes the recording available for as long as you maintain your contract.

Additional Resources

Integrating Virtual Meetings

How to Find Meeting URLs from your Virtual Meeting Provider

Streaming Adobe Connect

Streaming Google Meet

Streaming GoToMeeting

Streaming Teams

Streaming Webex

Streaming Zoom