By: Maha Ansari, TLS staff writer
BigBlueButton is a dynamic learning tool that makes it possible for instructors and TAs to host live online classes and virtual office hours. The system boasts a wide variety of features, including a live chat window and an interactive whiteboard.
Erika Caceres is among the many students enrolled in courses that use Carleton’s BigBlueButton system. Caceres, who is studying Technology Innovation Management (TIM), says the system has provided easy access to her classes when she has been unable to access them live. For example, when her visa did not arrive on time, Caceres was able to begin taking the first few classes for her degree using BigBlueButton.
She says her own experiences highlight the usefulness of web-based courses and online learning tools and that even students who physically attend their classes can benefit from the system by using it to review course material.
“When I do not understand something from the classes, I can always come back and check through the system,” she says. “It’s really good when I need to review notes from the class, because I can go back … and check the videos and presentations.”
Another benefit Caceres says she has experienced with the BigBlueButton system is better communication with her instructors. When corresponding with her instructors online, Caceres says she is able to have “straight conversations,” in which complex subjects are made easy to understand.
Looking toward the future, Caceres says she hopes to continue taking courses that use the BigBlueButton system so that she can benefit from convenient online access to her course material and instructors to help her achieve academic success.
If you’re interested in learning more about how BigBlueButton can be incorporated into your classroom, register for our upcoming workshop BigBlueButton: Online Classes and Virtual Office Hours on Feb. 10. You’ll discover how other instructors are using the tool as well as best practices and implementation steps.