BigBlueButton Deprecation and Crosswalk to Zoom
The BigBlueButton Crosswalk document was created to aid Carleton users in transitioning to Zoom. In May 2023, BigBlueButton (BBB) reached end of life in Brightspace at Carleton.For more information see the support page on BBB end of Life. Brightspace users are no longer able to create and host new BBB sessions in their course. Instructors are encouraged to transition to Zoom for their online classes and meetings.
→Watch the Self Migrate Content video tutorial for an overview of how to migrate videos from BBB to Zoom.
TLS is here to help! If you are interested in booking a consultation, or have any questions regarding this change, please open a support request via the TLS Support Portal. For additional resources on using Zoom in Brightspace, please visit our Zoom in Brightspace support page.
Tips for Saving BigBlueButton Content
- Saving the In-meeting Chat: For recorded meetings, the Public Chat appears in both the Video and Presentation versions of the BBB recording. You can highlight and copy the Public Chat window and then paste it in a word processing document.
- Saving Shared Notes: When the Shared Notes tool is used in a recorded meeting, a Formal Notes Html link appears on the joining page alongside the link to the recordings. Clicking this opens up the Shared notes in a new tab as an html document that can be copied or downloaded.
- Naming Recordings: BBB recordings all save with the same generic name. As such, we recommend renaming the files at the time of download with the following information:
- Course code (e.g., PSYC3000A)
- Date of recording (e.g., Fall 2022, or 22-09-30)
- Topic (if known) (e.g., Lecture 1, or Week 7)
| NOTE: For privacy reasons, classroom recordings that include students’ images or names should be shared only with the participants enrolled in the originating course. |
Crosswalk Feature Table
BigBlueButton users can use the crosswalk document below to help understand the transition to Zoom and what features the tool supports. The table below shows the most used BigBlueButton features, as well as their Zoom equivalents. Additional resources for each use case indicated below are available in the Resources column. A more detailed explanation of each feature equivalence is located below the table in the Zoom Equivalents in Detail section.
| BigBlueButton Feature | Zoom Equivalent | Resources |
| Scheduling meetings
Create meetings in the course page. |
Create meetings using the Zoom LTI. | TLS: Zoom in Brightspace |
| Security
Only students enrolled in the course can access the BigBlueButton meeting. |
The Zoom Authentication security setting requires a user to be signed into their Carleton account to join the meeting. |
TLS: Zoom privacy and security |
| Recordings
Meetings can be recorded. Recordings appear on the joining page for that meeting. |
Zoom Cloud Recordings are simultaneously sent to your Kaltura MediaSpace. From there, recordings can be embedded into any area of a course page. | TLS: Embedding media into Brightspace |
Roles
|
|
Zoom: Roles in a Meeting |
| Scheduling meetings for others to host
Instructor can create meetings for others (TAs or students) to host by themselves. |
Instructors,TA’s, and students can all create their own meetings. | TLS: Zoom account provisioning |
| Breakout Rooms
Create up to 24 additional spaces in a meeting for small-group discussions/activities. |
Create up to 50 additional Breakout Rooms in a meeting. | Zoom: Creating Breakout Rooms |
| Communication
Users can activate their microphones and webcams, participate in and download the Public Chat, and engage nonverbally using Reactions. |
All these interaction features are available in Zoom and can be toggled by users from their icon tray. Permissions for many of these features are tiered and can be restricted by Hosts and Co-Hosts. | Zoom: Controls in a meeting
Zoom: Chatting in a Zoom meeting |
| Sharing Content
The Presenter can upload a document, share their screen, or share an external video. |
Hosts and Co-Hosts can use the Share Screen option from their icon tray for presenting content. | Zoom: Screen Sharing and Annotation |
| Polling
Presenters can create multiple choice and text box quizzes on the spot. Results can be displayed for all participants. |
Hosts and Co-Hosts can create quizzes on the spot in a meeting, and can create polls in advance when scheduling a meeting. Results can be shared with participants after the poll is closed. |
Zoom: Using the polling feature |
Zoom Equivalents in Detail
This section includes the most used BigBlueButton features, their Zoom equivalents, and an explanation of how the equivalent features function. Additional support resources for every feature are listed within each feature topic.
Scheduling meetings
In BigBlueButton, scheduling meetings works by creating meetings in the course page. Meetings have a capacity of 100 participants.
Zoom meetings work using LTI’s. Zoom LTI is accessible via Tools in the Brightspace navbar, and it can also be inserted directly into a Module. Zoom LTI in Brightspace syncs with your account in the web portal and Zoom Desktop Client. Zoom meetings have a capacity of 300 participants.
For more information on creating Zoom meetings in Brightspace, please see our support page TLS: Zoom in Brightspace.
Security
In BigBlueButton, only students enrolled in the course can access the meeting. Users’ registration info is used for accurate attendance.
In Zoom, each Zoom LTI dashboard is particular to a course; it verifies that the user is enrolled in the course and signs them into their Carleton Zoom account.
More information on Security settings in Zoom can be found on our support site: TLS: Zoom privacy and security.
Recordings
BigBlueButton meetings can be recorded. Recordings appear on the joining page for that meeting.
Zoom cloud recordings are simultaneously sent to your Kaltura MediaSpace. From there, recordings can be embedded into any area of a course page. Zoom recordings will also appear under a different tab in the course’s Zoom LTI.
More information on Zoom recordings in Brightspace can be found on our support pages: Uploading Zoom and BigBlueButton Recordings to MediaSpace. For instructions on how to migrate your BigBlueButton recordings to Kaltura MediaSpace, visit the Migrating BigBlueButton Recording Files page. For help using Kaltura Mediaspace, please see our support page: Using Kaltura MediaSpace.
Roles
The table below outlines the roles available in BigBlueButton and the equivalent roles in Zoom. A brief overview for each role is also included to compare capabilities.
| BigBlueButton Role and Description | Equivalent Zoom Role and Description |
|
Presenters: able to initiate activities, manage meetings, and share content |
Hosts and Co-Hosts: can initiate the presentation, manage the meeting and engagement features |
|
Moderators: able to present and manage meeting; exempt from restrictions |
Use Host or Co-Host |
|
Viewers (Up to 75-100): able to participate in activities; subject to restrictions |
Participants (up to 300): can participate in activities initiated by a Host or Co-Host, but are subject to meeting restrictions |
More information about roles in Zoom and their capabilities can be found on the Zoom Support page: Zoom: Roles in a Meeting.
Scheduling meetings for others to host
Instructors can create BigBlueButton meetings for others (TAs or students) to host by themselves.
In Zoom, TAs and students can create their own meetings. All faculty, staff, and students with active MC1 credentials are provisioned fully licensed Carleton Zoom accounts.
For more information of how Zoom account provisioning works at Carleton, please see our support page, TLS: Zoom account provisioning.
Breakout Rooms
In BigBlueButton meetings Instructors can create up to 24 additional spaces in a meeting for small-group discussions/activities.
Zoom allows Hosts and Co-Hosts to create up to 50 additional spaces in a meeting (also called Breakout Rooms). Hosts also have the option to assign participants randomly or manually into Breakout Rooms, as well as the option to let users choose their own Rooms. Rooms can be created in the meeting by any Host or Co-Host, or in advance through the Zoom LTI.
For more information on using Breakout Rooms in Zoom, please see the Zoom support page, Zoom: Creating Breakout Rooms.
Communication
In BigBlueButton, Users can activate their microphones and webcams, participate in and download the Public Chat, and engage non-verbally using Reactions.
All of the Big Blue Button interaction features listed are available in Zoom, and can be toggled by users from their icon tray. Permissions for many of these features are tiered and can be restricted by Host and Co-Hosts.
For more information on Communicating in Zoom, please see the Zoom support resource pages: Zoom: Controls in a meeting, Zoom: Chatting in a Zoom meeting, Zoom: Nonverbal feedback and meeting reactions, and Zoom: Meeting configuration settings.
Sharing Content
In BigBlueButton, the Presenter can upload a document, share their screen, or share an external video. The default slide deck and uploaded documents can be annotated.
In Zoom, presentation documents cannot be uploaded to a meeting. Hosts and Co-Hosts can use the Share Screen option from their icon tray for presenting documents and other content.
Basic screen sharing options in Zoom:
- Share monitor display(s)
- Share application views
- Share Whiteboard
Advanced screen sharing options in Zoom:
- Share a portion of your monitor
- Share an audio or video file from your computer
Annotation tools are available for the presenter, and permission to use them can be extended to all participants. Any Share Screen materials can be annotated.
For more information on Screen Sharing in Zoom, please see our support page Zoom: Screen Sharing and Annotation.
Polling
In BigBlueButton, Presenters can create multiple choice and text box quizzes on the spot. Results can then be displayed for all participants.
In Zoom Hosts and Co-Hosts can create quizzes on the spot during a meeting. Hosts can create polls in advance when scheduling a meeting. Zoom meeting Hosts have the option to save questions to a library for use in other meetings.
In Zoom, Polls fall into two categories: Basic and Advanced.
Basic Poll Types in Zoom:
- Single Choice
- Multiple Choice
Advanced Poll Types in Zoom:
- Matching
- Order/Rank
- Written Answer
Several questions can be asked in a single poll. Results can be shared with participants after the poll is closed. A record of participants’ responses can be accessed through the Zoom LTI after the meeting.
For more information on using polls in Zoom, please see our support site Zoom: Using the polling feature.
FAQ
Below is a List of some Frequently Asked Questions regarding the BigBlueButton Deprecation. For a complete list of FAQ’s please visit the BigBlueButton Deprecation FAQ page.
Additional Support
Teaching and Learning Services (TLS) is here to help! Consultations are available to assist with this transition. If you are interested in booking a consultation, or have any questions regarding this upcoming change, please open a support request via the TLS Support Portal. For additional information about Zoom and its features, please see our Zoom Support Site.
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