Participating in Class Live presentations

ClassLive is an interactive graphical presentation tool that allows instructors/presenters to communicate with students in real time for synchronous learning activities.

Important:

If you have never participated in a ClassLive session before it is highly recommended that you try out a session a few days prior to the start of your scheduled session. This way if there are any problems with loading the session tool there will be time to interact with Tech Support to resolve any issues you may have encountered. It is not necessary for an active session to be open to test your computers setup by joining a session. You will just enter a blank un-moderated session if successful.

Also read through this document thoroughly as answers to some common issues are contained within.

Before you begin...

  • Ensure your computer meets the specific technical requirements to use ClassLive. ClassLive is powered by Java and you will need to make sure that Java Virtual Machine is installed and enabled. If you are not sure, use the following link to test if it is enabled on your computer.
  • Join ClassLive 5 – 10 minutes prior to the start of your session and set your Connection Speed to match your Internet connection.
  • Close all applications running on your computer that you don't intend to use with your ClassLive session. Running other applications slows down your connection to ClassLive.

To open ClassLive:

  1. On the Tools menu, click Live.
  1. Click ClassLive.

  1. Click Join Session to join a session as a participant.
  1. You will be prompted to save or open the file LaunchJoinSession.ed. Select Open. A small file will be downloaded and opened to start the ClassLive application, which may take a few minutes depending on the speed of your Internet connection and computer.
    Note: Depending on your browser you may only have the option to save the file. If this is the case choose a location to save the file on your computer. In some cases your computer may not recognize the .ed file extension and you will be prompted to choose a program to open the file with. If this occurs renaming the file with a .jnlp file extension will provide a quick temporary fix. TO PERMANENTLY ASSOCIATE THE FILE TO OPEN WITH JAVA REGARDLESS OF BROWSER:
    Note: If you have participated in a previous session do not try to reuse that file to join your next session. It is best to delete the LaunchJoinSession.jnlp file once your ClassLive session is over.
  2. Once the application opens you will be prompted to select your internet speed.

Make sure your Audio and/or Video tools are configured properly:

Audio and or Video participation is at your instructors discretion. If you have been informed that student participation will be via chat only this step is not necessary.

  1. Once the application window has opened click the Audio Setup Wizard link in the Audio & Video panel

  2. Follow the on screen instructions to complete the process.
  3. Alternatively you can access the Audio Setup Wizard by clicking Tools > Audio > Audio Setup Wizard from the main menu at the top of the application window.

Participating in ClassLive:

  • The instructor or moderator will have full control over the session and can enable or disable features such as a participant’s microphone or video, chat tools and access to the whiteboard.
  • There are 4 main regions to the interface:
  • The whiteboard takes up the bulk of the interface on the right side and can be used for sharing information in a visual way such as PowerPoint presentations, videos, screen sharing, and drawing/ annotation tools. The main controls are along the left side and hovering your mouse over each of the icons will display a tooltip.
  • The Upper left is the audio & video controls. When invited by your instructor to use either the microphone or video they can be toggled on or off by using the Talk and Video buttons respectively. Note: Once you have finished talking click the button again to release the microphone to other speakers. Between 1 and 6 participants at a time can use the microphone depending on how the session was set up.
  • The Middle left portion contains the participant window. It will display a list of all participants in the session and allow the moderator to set permissions for participants by toggling the icons for functions such as microphone and chat access. A participant can also “raise their hand” by clicking the hand icon, participate in polls, or communicate using emoticons.
  • Lower left is the chat window and participants can send both public and private chat messages.

Tips and tricks:

  • A headset with microphone is recommended for participating in ClassLive sessions but not required. Using a separate microphone and speakers often results in echoing unless your microphone utilizes echo suppression technologies. Using headphones or ear buds with your computers built in mic should also prevent echoing.
  • Phone headsets may or may not work with your computer and it is recommended that you test them out ahead of time to be certain.
  • If others report echoing when you are speaking and you are using a headset make sure your computers speakers are turned off.
  • Some users may have a slight delay due to bandwidth constraints. To avoid talking over other, slightly delay your responses to be sure others are done speaking.

More Information:

  • More information and FAQ’s can be found by clicking the Help tab in the course shell. If you are currently in the ClassLive section of the course shell it will take you directly to the section on ClassLive in the Help interface, otherwise look for Live under the tools section of the Help Menu.
  • Technical support is available by clicking ht Tech Support tab in the course shell, by callingToll Free: 1-877-7RUTGER (1-877-778-8437), or by emailing .
  • Detailed tutorials and addition training materials can be found on the Blackboard Collaborate website by following this link:

If you cannot connect:

  • Make sure you have the most recent version of Java. Use the following link:
  • As of Spring 2014, this is 1.7.0_51(Mac users: Upgrade to OS X if you cannot get this version: )
  • For some users, when they attempt to launch programs that rely on Java, their computer will not know to use Java to open the .ed file. A quick fix is to change the extension type from *.ed to *.jnlp. (This is not needed when using Safari or Internet Explorer. However, with Safari you may need to go into Preferences>Privacy> and set block cookies to ‘never’ to access your course.)
  • To correct this issue permanently, please follow the steps on this page:
  • The program associated with Java should now launch. If it does not, your session may have timed out. If this occurs, close your browser, re-open it and try to access the program again.
  • Your virus or firewall may block some features and may need to be temporarily disabled.