How to create a Thinkzoom Live Virtual Classrooms Session

In order to host and stream a Thinkzoom Live Virtual Classroom, we need to go into Thinkzoom and create the Classroom Session that will allow us to eventually broadcast to our campus members.

 

Creating a Classroom Session

To start this process, navigate to the Course Builder options off the lefthand side, and when presented with your options, select "Instructor Led Course"

A number of fields will be presented for you to fill in with information. Provide a name for the Course and at least one correlating topic to be able to create this Course. You can also feel free to upload a thumbnail for the Course if you do not desire to use our default image.

Once satisfied, click the Save Course button to continue.

You'll now be brought to the builder wizard for the Session itself. The two required pieces to proceed here are a Start Time/Date - End Time/Date and having the Virtual Classrooms check-off enabled:

Additionally, you can add a Signup Deadline, a minimum/maximum # of registrants, whether the Session has a Waitlist or Open Enrollment or not, who the Instructor is (if applicable), an optional Session Code, and any Prerequisites you want members to do before the Session.

 

Once this screen is filled with your desired options, click the Next button to advance to the next section, where you can add any new or existing handouts you want tied to the Session.

Click the Next button one more time to come to the final screen of the wizard, where you must set a Location for this Session. 

Once you have your desired location populated, click the Save Session button, and you now have a Classroom Session tied to the course you created at the start of the first step.

 

Navigating Session Options

From this screen, you have a number of administrative options you can perform. Starting at the top, you have the ability to organize your Sessions by start time (default view) or by Name. Session start time will show you the Sessions for the current week, starting on Sunday. If you wish to see past Sessions, check the "Show All Past Sessions" box.

As you see above, a Classroom can have multiple Sessions tied to it, Live or otherwise. If you want to add another Session to an existing Classroom, simply click the Add Session button to repeat the Session wizard steps from earlier in the article. 

 

Sessions also have admin options that you can access if you need to:

The options work as follows:

1. Edit Session - Allows you to edit details of the Session from the first screen of the Session Wizard
2. Copy Session - Copies the Session and starts you at the back of the Session Wizard to provide new information where necessary
3. Delete Session - Deletes the current Session
4. Manage Registrations  - Allows you to manage registrations for the Session
   
   You have a few additional options from this screen: You can choose to add campus members to the Session that have not already signed up. You also have the ability to take current registrants and either remove them from the Session or move them to the Waitlist, and vice versa.
   
   
5. Submit Session Results  - This will list off session results so you can update the list of users why actually attended vs. those who didn't register. If a registered user did not attend the session, you can deselect the button to the left of their name. If the session had an exam attached with it, check the Add Score field and enter in the completed exam score. Click the Mark Complete button to submit the session results and close it.

Entering the Session and Creating the Channel

Once you are ready to proceed, click the Show Session Button. If you show the Session before the specified time, you'll be shown a timer counting down to start time.

However, if you join a Session in progress, but the stream has not started yet, you'll just be shown that the stream will start soon.

Finally, the last step in creating your Session is to create the streaming channel. Click the Create Channel button to do so, and you'll be presented with two options:

As the option box describes, if you wish to have this Session viewable by campus members at a later time, select the With Recording option. If you do not care about members viewing this Session later, select Without Recording.

 

You are now able to proceed to the next and final step: setting up your stream software and conducting your broadcast. You may find the steps for that procedure here.