Virtual classes

Understand virtual classrooms

A virtual classroom brings together participants and a trainer in real time on the Internet or another computer network to discuss, exchange, deliver and/or receive training content. 

To do this, it is necessary to have a subscription to a virtual classroom tool.

You will be able to position one or more virtual classes within a training module and schedule them in a session, send reminder notifications, track time spent and attendance.

For a better integration of the virtual classroom tool into the platform, it is advisable to set up, in conjunction with the Syfadis teams, a connector allowing, for example, direct access to the virtual classroom without authentication.

Understand Connector Types

Different Connectors are used in the platform:

• Generic Connector

• Adobe Connect

• WebEx Training

• Blackboard Collaborate

• Classilio via

• Microsoft Teams

• Google Meet

For some connectors, it is possible to associate a virtual conference room. A room repository can be used from the Directory menu.

Via Training course > Virtual Class Training > Training Session > Planning tab, a tutor cab select a virtual class connector that is appropriate for the context.

Operation:

Access available from the scheduling page

Via the Connector Type drop-down list:

• Microsoft Teams Virtual Classroom,

• Generic Connector

• Classilio Virtual Classroom,

• Adobe Connect

• WebEx

• Blackboard Collaborate

Additional Information

The choice of connectors is based on role privileges.

Conference rooms are linked to the connector repository.

There are 2 ways to log in : with a presenter OR with a room on the virtual classroom depending on the configuration chosen. For more information, please contact your project manager or the support team.

Understand virtual classroom session design

Setting up a virtual classroom is simple, it's a resource to add to a training path on the design side. Indeed, it is just necessary to add a Virtual Classroom element in a training path so that learners can access it during their training.

In the design of a learning path, a new type of element exists : a virtual classroom session.

This element just has a name of the virtual classroom session, as well as a greeting (possibility to put HTML in this message). This message is displayed on the learner's side in the Player before starting the session, and from the calendar icon of the training plan.

Additional Information

A virtual classroom session that has been created is not visible in the Resource Library. It's not a resource like any other, it can't be inserted into another path.

The connector taken into account for the virtual classrooms of all the training sessions of the platform will be the one that has been configured in the configuration settings.

Schedule a session

Open Administration > Training > Courses

After creating a course with a virtual classroom session, it needs to be planned in time and set up. There are two ways to schedule and set up a session from the session:

1. Go to the Schedule tab.

2. Double click on the session, a window will open and on this page.

3. Fill in the fields:

   • Name of Virtual Classroom – Consultation.

   • Estimated Duration – In Consultation.

   • Virtual Classroom Trainer(s).

   • Connector Type.

   • Virtual classroom label in the third-party tool.

   • Start & End Date.

   • Presenter OR conference room – depending on platform options.

   • The information of the event created on the side of the third-party tool – connector, for information purposes.

Additional Information

This page is reserved for administrator scheduling. They can use the next page as the trainer.

In the My Sessions tab, in the burger menu, there is a Configure virtual classroom button at the session level in the plan (see below). The button redirects the user to the session card in order to schedule it.

The page displayed is linked to the connector that is considered for virtual classrooms.

Depending on the connector, the operation may vary. For more information on a particular connector, do not hesitate to contact your project manager or the platform's support department.

Access a virtual classroom of a training session

Open My Instructor profile > My sessions

Procedure

1. Access the virtual classroom session sheet.

2. Click on the Start Virtual Classroom button in the burger menu.

Access the virtual classroom tool

The trainer can have a Virtual Classrooms Web part, to connect to it, inserted in a home page. This web part is available from a privilege : View Virtual Classrooms.

After you set up a connector, a Launch Virtual Classroom Tool button is available in this web part.

The connector that will be considered for virtual classrooms will be the one that has been configured. If no connector is specified, an informational message is displayed in the Virtual Classrooms Web Part.

Understand a learner's access to a virtual classroom

In the case of a learner registered on a course with a virtual classroom session, the learner receives an email about the virtual classroom session (see the section here: Notifications). Via this e-mail, the learner has access to his training and his session. Access to the virtual classroom can only take place when the class is scheduled (outside this period the session appears greyed out in the plan).

Access is also possible from the My Registrations menu or the personalized My Registrations Webpart, as for any training course.

When the learner starts the session by clicking on the button, this launch information is stored. The progression increases to 100%. The time spent on the session is triggered at the time of launch.

Understand the progression of a virtual classroom

In the platform, a trainer can follow the progress of these training courses from the My Courses Delivered webpart. They can then follow the training courses with virtual classroom sessions. They can also access it from other pages, such as My Learners, etc.

Through these pages, they can see the details of a learner's journey along with the details of a virtual classroom session:

• Time spent e-learning,

• The number of accesses,

• The latest access.

Understand virtual classroom notifications

In the platform, to send emails, you must first create a notification of a well-defined type, then customise it with parameters and finally activate it.

There are 3 types of notification for this feature:

• Virtual Classroom Reminder

• Reminder to facilitate a virtual classroom

• Invitation to a virtual classroom

In order for users to receive these types of emails, notifications must first be created and enabled :

• at the domain level (in the notification repository in the Settings menu) OR

• at the level of a course ( Notifications tab) OR

• at the session level ( Notifications tab).

Virtual Classroom Reminder

• This notification is for users who have virtual classroom sessions to complete. An email of this type is sent to all users registered on a training course or to trainers during the batch notifications, depending on a setting.

• Indeed, a number of days can be entered on the rule to warn the learner N days before the start of the session (by default : 14 days).

• Note in the settings, the options in the Learning Mode and Registration Modality blocks are complementary – this is an AND that we do for the recovery of sessions.

• Several notifications of this type can be configured (invitation : on the day of registration, reminder on D-1, on D-day, etc.) at the level of a given entity/domain, with a specific text for each.

• Then, for a given virtual classroom session, notifications can be customisable in the Notifications tab of the session.

• In the default email content, there is a link to the training and then to the virtual classroom (part of the training path).

Reminder of a virtual classroom animation

• This notification is for trainers who are facilitating virtual classroom sessions.

• Indeed, a number of days can be entered on the rule to notify the trainer N days before the start of the virtual classroom (by default : 14 days).

• If a notification of the same type is activated in all 3 contexts (domain, training, session), the notification taken into account is the one at the lowest level, in this order of priority : 1 session – 2 training – 3 domain. This is valid for the recall of a virtual classroom and the reminder of the facilitation of a virtual class.

Invitation to a virtual classroom

• This notification is for users who have virtual classroom sessions to complete. One appointment per virtual classroom session is sent to all users registered on a course or to trainers during the batch notifications, according to a setting.

• Indeed, a number of days can be entered on the rule to warn the learner N days before the start of the virtual class/session (by default : 14 days).

• The purpose of this notification is to send an appointment to a person participating in a virtual class in order to automatically have the event in their calendar of their external mailbox, without having to click on an ICAL file.

• In the default email content, there is a link to the training and then to the virtual classroom (part of the training path).

• The Event Description tab can be edited. This is a text used for the ICAL file. The invitation to a virtual classroom is only considered at the domain level and is customisable only at that level.

• In the event of a change to the virtual classroom within Syfadis Xperience, the learner is notified by a new notification and their schedule is automatically modified 

  • If the start or end date is updated => Resending the invitation in updated mode in the calendar.

  • If the class is deleted, the registration is cancelled/deleted, or the training session is changed/cancelled/deleted => Resending the invitation in the calendar mode.

• The invitation is also visible in the internal mailbox (= Syfadis Xperience webmail page) but this is just for information, there is no calendar management from the internal mailbox.

See also :

Teams configurator