adobe connect training for epa

Presented by: Jean M Balent, [email protected], 7036039934USEPA Technology Innovation and Field Services Division

04/12/23 DRAFT SLIDES 1

Call in: 866-299-3188, code 7036039924#

mailto:[email protected]

Call into the conference line 866-299-3188, code 7036039924#

*6 to mute, #6 to unmute Please do not place the call on hold

Questions can be asked at anytime via phone or Chat Pod

Important links will be shared in the Relevant Links Pod


Technology Innovation and Field Technology Innovation and Field Services Division Services Division (TIFSD) has offered online training and technical support to hazardous waste sites since mid 90’sCLUIN Internet SeminarsHost 100-120 live online events per year to

15,000-18,000 participants annuallyTIP explores resources and promotes explores resources and promotes

their use/applicabilitytheir use/applicability to EPA and other groupsJean helps to host, brainstorm and prepare for

80-100 remote events per year

Information presented in this session has been self-taught self-taught through trialsthrough trials with these tools

I’m not a contractor, I don’t work for OEI, and I’m not an EPA trainer I’m a customerI’m a customer

Mention in this talk does NOT does NOT imply an EPA endorsementimply an EPA endorsement for any particular tool

Quick Poll to determine audience experience/background with online meeting tools

Users/Customers have HUGE range in “IT savyiness”

Hosting Effective Conference Calls and Remote Meetings

Introduction to Adobe Acrobat Connect

Scheduling Meetings with Adobe Connect

Hosting Meetings with Adobe Connect04/12/23 DRAFT SLIDES 8

The multi-tasker: Keyboards clicking, side conversations and phone calls

The teleworker: Dogs barking, Children crying

Ordering food from a drive through window

Flushing toilets Insulting instructors and

presenters Making fun of public

comments Becoming amorous

Technical glitches Online meeting wont start or

crashes IT Security restrictions

prevent people from joining the event

People cant remember the URL or event information to join Presenters have the same

problems! “I cant see anything” complaint Add to the list phone nightmares

from the previous page Presenters have embarrassing,

sensitive or inappropriate pop-ups appear during the session

Chatting


Follow these suggestions and tips to help

Do NOT be overwhelmed! You may not use ALL tips for all calls and

eventsThere are some problems that you

CANNOT control… Technology problems USER ERROR


The more time set out to plan and advertise an event, the better attendance you will see

Schedule an event at least 3-4 weeks before you plan to host Time to spread the word and fit into people’s

schedules Exceptions for a small targeted group

Create an AGENDA for your event Find out how many phone lines you have

access to Some Reservationless Plus accounts are capped at

100-145 phone lines without operator assistance


Never know who will have access to what resources and what could go wrong!

Post slides and make the available to download in case a web conference shuts down

Use a telephone line in conjunction with streaming audio online for easier communication and to reduce phone costs


Try to schedule events mid-week, in afternoon eastern time zone to get turnout from both coasts. Highest Turnout: Tues, Weds, Thurs

from 1-4pm EST. Limit event to 2-3 hours Longer events should

Be scheduled as multi-part events/series

Include breaks04/12/23 DRAFT SLIDES 14

Be prepared for special accommodations for participants who need closed captioning or transcripts For online CC, check with the

http://www.fedrcc.us/fedrcc/ Include language in meeting advertisements “ If

you require special accommodations, please contact… by ….”

Transcripts can be ordered for recorded calls Youtube offers easy closed captioning

Recorded sessions may be subject to 508 compliance if posted on EPA websites


http://www.fedrcc.us/fedrcc/

Recording and making it available for replay/download can increase access to event 100-fold! 100,000 live attendees in 10 years vs 200,000

downloads in 1 year of podcast Consider needs for recording the event

PC mic for online meetings? Teleconference line

▪ *2 to record EPA conference calls (*2 to stop recording)▪ MP3s, CDs can be downloaded or ordered within

minutes of ending call from https://www.tcconline.com


https://www.tcconline.com/

Make sure more than one person knows the code to start the conference call as well as web conference (or have multiple hosts assigned)

Do not SOLELY email files & information People mistype their emails when registering Large attachments may be removed, virus

scanners or email filters will block them Post on website or make available through

online meeting tool04/12/23 DRAFT SLIDES 17

Host at least one short dry-run/demo with speakers ensure they are comfortable with approach

(not to mention their materials!) Test audio in conference rooms to

ensure participants will be able to hear speakers and vice versa

Ask remote speakers to find quiet rooms to speak from (office

background noises can be disruptive when they speak)

participate from LAND lines04/12/23 DRAFT SLIDES 18

Use enrollment/sign up features get early headcounts of who will attend have contact info for emergencies and followup Reservationless plus use operated assist to

collect names of participants Provide links to test their system in

advance for participants when using online meeting tools

Host demo meetings with online meeting tools to let participants test their systems


Think about if/when/how you will handle questions

Consider interactive options for online meetings Polling Web Cams Transitioning control between speakers

Allow for transition time between/among speakers Add 2-5 mins to total delivery time for EACH speaker in a

session:▪ 1 speaker with 30 mins of material = 32-35 min talk (excluding Q&A)▪ 2 speakers with 30 mins each of material = 66-70 min talk (excluding Q&A)

Add an extra 5-10 mins to your agenda for instructions, closing comments and other delays


Open the conference call line 5-10 minutes before scheduled start time Let people get situated and provide friendly

reminders so event can start on time Turn off entry/exit tones for large public

events to minimize disruption (same for entry messages on web conferences) *3 will lead you to menu to disable entry/exit

tones Once you open the call, state why you are

on the lines, keep repeating a welcome message, title of call, and that you will get started soon


Open web conference 15-30 mins ahead of scheduled start time Will give people a change to work out

last minute glitches and start live event on time

Set up an automated slideshow the runs during the early start time Congratulate them on joining the web

conference, remind of call in #, and that event will start soon, etc


Tell presenters to call in at least 5 mins early

Confirm presence of speakers by phone Make sure they sound loud and clear

Reservationless Plus offers operated-assisted pre-call conferences to group presenters together before a conference call Need phone #s for all speakers


Separate out the role of speaker and moderator or host Let the speaker focus on providing

delivery of talk Moderator watches time, reviews

comments that are submitted online, deals with technical difficulties

For web meetings, may need 2 PCs (one to present and one to host)


Prepare an introductory script covering all the key reminders in advance Ask everyone to mute their lines Ask them NOT to put the call on hold Specify how you will handle questions Remind participants of instructor contact info to follow up

with questions after event

See the sample one used for CLUIN seminars at https://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/instructor/Cl

uin-webcast-speaker-text.pdf


https://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/instructor/Cluin-webcast-speaker-text.pdf

https://www.clu-in.org/conf/tio/instructor/Cluin-webcast-speaker-text.pdf

Have a phone number to provide for people to call with have technical problems A colleague who will help you? Your cell? Reservationless Plus: 888-876-3081 EPA Call Center: 1-866-411-4EPA or email at

[email protected] Adobe Connect: Leanne Willett or Deb Seal

▪ https://epa.connectsolutions.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm


mailto:[email protected]

Host should remind people to mute lines *6 = local mute, #6 = local unmute If audio interruptions become a problem

▪ globally mute lines, let speakers unmute ▪ *5 globally mutes all lines but leader, #5 globally

unmutes all lines▪ Use *5 to mute everyone, have speakers then hit

#6 to continue talking▪ *51 globally mutes all except leader and NO ONE can

UNMUTE until leader hits #51 Do NOT let people place call on hold!


Keep track of time and provide verbal reminders to speakers if they are going too slow, speaking too softly etc

*# will tell you number of people on the phones

Watch/listen for in-room disruptions such as people leaving/exiting, rustling of papers near phones, etc

State slide # or title if system doesn’t allow for real-time screen-sharing

Stick to the schedule!04/12/23 DRAFT SLIDES 28

Ask participants to identify themselves or organization Alternate questions between phone and online

participants For online meetings, allow people to TYPE questions in

chat or Q&A form Let them type questions at anytime so people can type them

up in time to be answered Host MUST read these questions to speakers (don’t read names

of submitters, instead use location or organization) Remind instructors to repeat questions before

answering Provide instructions for anyone with questions not

answered by referring them to speaker contact information


Ask for feedback Create custom polls (eg use Survey Monkey or Google

docs to create free online forms to capture basic feedback)

Not subject to ICRs if distributed at time of live event! Remind people how they can access

materials If event was recorded when it will be

available to replay Advertise future sessions or related events THANK THEM FOR THEIR TIME


Review feedback consider options to improve for next event

▪ Longer, shorter▪ More interactive

Review recordings and modify as needed eg cut out breaks, dead-air, pre-air, etc

Review meeting page and update to reflect “archive status” eg remove text with instructions to register and

replay with language to replay event


Check in with “no shows”? Get accurate head count if people

shared the lineSend follow up emails with access to

materials, instructor contact info, recording links etc

Advertise future events or related resources


Reservationless Plus can provide reports of phone participants by email

Operator assisted calls may also yield participant rosters


Regardless of approach, the true secret to any event, whether online or in person is planning!

The more time you have to plan, the more successful your event will be!


Deployed Agency-wide in 2011EPA POCs :

Leanne Willette Deb Seal

WCF charges associated depending on use case and deployment

Will replace other meeting tools such as Webex and Oracle Web Conferencing


Commercially- available Software used to create information and general presentations, online training materials, web conferencing, learning modules, and user desktop sharing.

Commercial Adobe Pagewww.adobeconnect.com

EPA’s pagehttps://epa.connectsolutions.com/



Adobe Acrobat Connect is part of the Adobe Acrobat family.

• Adobe Acrobat Connect is entirely Adobe Flash based• “no” downloads or installations

required• Works on any platform, browser etc

• All meeting workspaces are organized into ‘pods’• Each pod performs a specific role/function

(e.g. chat, share, webcam, Q&A etc)

The host can completely control the layout & function for every meeting. Can be set up in advance or on the fly

Meeting attendees can perform different roles: host, presenter, participant

You can assign meeting roles in advance or on the fly as well as have multiple hosts

Audio can be streamed online through Adobe shared from PC mics AND/OR telephone lines



Participant View:

Controlled by host

Can be completely different depending on meeting


Host View:

Extra panels visible only to host (presenter only area)

Host set up a meeting, invite guests, add content to the library,

share content, and add or edit layouts in a meeting room. promote other participants to the other roles, give

enhanced permissions Presenter

share content already loaded into the meeting room from the library and share content from their computer

share the screen, can chat, and broadcast live audio and video

Participant view the content that the presenter is sharing, hear and

see the presenter’s audio and video broadcast, and use text chat


No scheduling No “hard” start or end times Instead users create meeting ROOMS

that are perpetual and can be used over and over again Just like a real physical meeting space

Custom URLs or Vanity URLs can be created for easy reference https://epa.connectsolutions.com/<INSERT

ANYTHING>


Staff can create unlimited meeting rooms Each meeting room can hold 50

connections (including host) External partners can be given accounts

to create and host meetings Contact Leann Willette in OEI

Document upload turned on in Jan 2012 Recording – disabled File share pod – disabled


Menu varied depending on roleUsed to interact and control meeting


Hosts can enable the following pods in a meeting room in the public area OR presenter only area : Share – visually share files or screen Notes – type text based notes Attendees – view list of attendees & roles Video – share webcam Chat – type 2-way text messages between

attendees Files – make files downloadable/accessible Web Links – share URLs Poll – ask questions and collect data Q&A – private question and answer submission


All Pods can be •Renamed•Resized•Moved around

Some Pods can have multiple instances open (ie multiple shares or notes)



Some pods may load upon joining a meeting i.e. All previous pods and content from last

time meeting room was usedTo open a new pod, click the Pods

menuSelect Pod typeClick arrow to open new pod if others of that type are already open


From Pods menu, “manage pods” will let host rename or quickly remove pods


Menu in upper right corner of Pod will provide additional options


Host/presenter can visually share: application, entire

desktop, or portion of screen

a specific document (eg word, PPT, PDF, excel etc) ▪ Preloaded or on the fly

white board04/12/23 DRAFT SLIDES 50

Screensharing NOT recommended Screensharing NOT recommended

Used to make files accessible for download during a meeting

Files limited to 102 MB in size


Files on Adobe CM

Common/Shared Files on Adobe CM

Upload live from PC

Files currently “shared” in

meeting

Two ways to let participants interact with text messages


Q&A Pod•Private submission of questions/comments•Host can respond directly to participant, respond to all participants, assign question to others

Chat Pod•Public submission of questions/comments•Anyone can read and type messages•Private chats can be opened with the Chat Pod menu


Type your questions

here

Click here to submit

Question queue

Toggle between participant and presenter views

Reply directly to participant

Reply to ALL

participants


Type chat messages here

Chat modifie

rs

Start private chats

Chat with particular groups or

people

Simple approach (separated) Audio teleconference line Visuals Adobe Connect Meeting

Audio can be shared THROUGH an Adobe Connect Meeting (integrated) PC Microphone VOIP (intergrated phone line) Lets participants listen via headphones

or computer speakers04/12/23 DRAFT SLIDES 55

Only the host can start audio sharing using the Audio menu

Cannot broadcast PC mic & Phone simultaneouslyVOIP needs to be set up In advance in Adobe

Connect Portal


http://epa.connectsolutions.com Portal is signal website for event,

room, account, and file managementDepending on your account and role

you may have access to different features


Click new meeting

Enter information on form


Adobe Connect will automatically generate invitations for you Uses your own mail client


Test your connection/Troubleshooting page: http://epa.connectsolutions.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

Get a quick overview: http://www.adobe.com/go/connectpro_overview

Adobe Connect Help: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/connect/8.0/using/index.html


Host completely controls layout & function Can be set up in advance or on the fly

Meeting attendees can perform different roles host, presenter, participant assign meeting roles in advance or on the fly can have multiple hosts

Audio can be streamed online through Adobe shared from PC mics AND/OR telephone lines


Host set up a meeting, invite guests, add content to the library,

share content, and add or edit layouts in a meeting room. promote other participants to the other roles, give

enhanced permissions Presenter

share content already loaded into the meeting room from the library and share content from their computer

share the screen, can chat, and broadcast live audio and video

Participant view the content that the presenter is sharing, hear and

see the presenter’s audio and video broadcast, and use text chat


No scheduling No “hard” start or end times Instead users create meeting ROOMS

that are perpetual and can be used over and over again Just like a real physical meeting space

Custom URLs or Vanity URLs can be created for easy reference http://epa.connectsolutions.com/<INSERT

ANYTHING>


Hosts can enable the following pods in a meeting room in the public area OR presenter only area : Share – visually share files or screen Notes – type text based notes Attendees – view list of attendees & roles Video – share webcam Chat – type 2-way text messages between

attendees Files – make files downloadable/accessible Web Links – share URLs Poll – ask questions and collect data Q&A – private question and answer submission







Participant View:

Controlled by host

Can be completely different depending on meeting


Host View:

Extra panels visible only to host (presenter only area)

https://epa.connectsolutions.comOR Intranet


To create or start Adobe Connect meetings you must have an Adobe Connect account

Visit https://epa.connectsolutions.com Click forgot password, a temporary one

will be emailed to you



https://epa.connectsolutions.com


Username: your EPA email address

Password: selected by you



No EVENT scheduling… Instead create “perpetual” online

meeting rooms to reuse over and over again

Use “vanity” URLs (custom meeting address) for easy reference

Screen sharing NOT recommended… Instead use pods for all activity and file

sharing


Once your username and password have been verified you will be taken to the Connect Pro Central Homepage.

Portal is place for managing meetings AND content


Can upload content for easy access within meeting rooms as well as to share viewing URLs


Adobe Connect will automatically track how and when content is accessed

Adobe Connect will automatically track how and when content is accessed

Easy access for viewing outside the meeting room

Easy access for viewing outside the meeting room


File types ok to upload:

*.ppt, *.pptx, *.flv, *.swf, *.pdf, *.gif, *.jpg, *.png, *.mp3, *.html, *.mp4, *.f4v or *.zip.



What about Word? Excel? Text files?•Show in live desktop mode•Convert to PDF


Click new meeting

Enter information on form


Name: Custom URL: http://epa.connectsolutions.com/

(Leave this field blank for a system-generated URL, or include a unique URL path. Please use only ascii alphanumeric characters or hyphens. For example: "product-demo" will result in http://epa.connectsolutions.com/product-demo/)

Summary: max length=1000 characters

Start Time: Duration: Select Template: Language: Access:

Only registered users may enter the room (guest access is blocked) Only registered users and accepted guests may enter the room Anyone who has the URL for the meeting can enter the room

Audio Conference Settings Do not include any audio conference with this meeting. Include this audio conference with this meeting:



This is the ONLY way

to get Adobe to

“hear”/dial into a

conference call line to

stream audio from

a phone


Text Instructions ONLY for emails and help screens

Text Instructions ONLY for emails and help screens

This is what Adobe does to dial a conference call line

This is what Adobe does to dial a conference call line


Now Audio can be added to a meeting from the meeting tab

Now Audio can be added to a meeting from the meeting tab


Adobe Connect runs on Flash… you MUST have flash installed to attend Adobe Connect Meetings

On some EPA machines, users may have limited/”light” versions of Flash installed they may see warnings but can STILL ATTEND MEETINGS

Test your connection/Troubleshooting page: https://epa.connectsolutions.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm




EPA Intranet Page on Adobe Connect http://workplace.epa.gov/

webconferencing.html FAQ’s Tip Sheets etc

OEI hosting live Adobe Connect Webinars each month Current Schedule

http://intranet.epa.gov/otop/ittraining/Training_Calendar.pdf


Thank you for your participation!Feedback may be submitted at

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDNLZXo3YWE4ZnlHZjhqMEtXOUtQenc6MA..

Questions or follow-up comments, please contact Jean M Balent, [email protected],

703603992404/12/23 DRAFT SLIDES 96

Deployed Agency-wide in 2011EPA POCs :

Leanne Willette Deb Seal

WCF charges associated depending on use case and deployment

Will replace other meeting tools such as Webex and Oracle Web Conferencing


Staff can create unlimited # of meeting rooms Each meeting room can hold 50 connections

(including host) External partners can be given accounts to create

and host meetings Contact Leann Willette in OEI

LIMITED Document upload turned on in Jan 2012 Recording – disabled File share pod – disabled Telephone streaming – disabled Document share - disabled


Need an EPA Adobe Connect Account Others contact Leanne Willette or Deb

Seal in OEILog into Adobe Connect

http://epa.connectsolutions.comCreate Meeting Room or Access

Existing Meeting RoomEnter Meeting Room to StartSet up Pods, Assign Rights


No EVENT scheduling… Instead create “perpetual” online

meeting rooms to reuse over and over again

Use “vanity” URLs (custom meeting address) for easy reference

Screen sharing NOT recommended… Instead use pods for all activity and file

sharing



Portal is place for managing meetings AND content


Click the Create New Meeting button to begin the Meeting Wizard.

Remember you do NOT schedule events with Adobe Connect (although you can)

Instead you create a meeting room that can be used over and over again


Fill in a meeting name and an easy to remember custom URL

Optionally fill in the rest of the fields and click finish. Your meeting room has been created.

If you are the host (created the room or assigned as a host), you can enter the room by: Logging into the Adobe Connect Portal, navigate to

meeting list, click on URL, Open or Enter Meeting Room button

Go directly to meeting URL and LOGIN with your Adobe Credentials▪ DO NOT ENTER AS A GUEST

Otherwise, you must enter as a participant and be given host rights


You can enter your meeting room by clicking on the meeting room URL on the confirmation page or by typing the URL into your browser.

• If you have never hosted or presented in a Connect meeting before, you will be prompted to install the Acrobat Connect Add-In• Auto install prompt or accessible at

http://www.adobe.com/support/connect/updaters.html

• Meeting participants are only required to have the Adobe Flash Player installed


In order to HOST or PRESENT a meeting, you have to have an Adobe Connect Add On installed.

Click the affirmative option: yes, allow, install, ok…

You will removed and then immediately re-enter the meeting room

As a host, it will be your responsibility to set up the meeting room: Open and arrange pods Upload contentYou may want to do this IN ADVANCE

of your live session You will also have to assign rights to

presenters and other hosts (If not previously defined)



Host View:Extra panels visible only to host (presenter only area - POA)

Use for staging content, viewing private pods etc

Some pods may load upon joining a meeting i.e. All previous pods and content from

last time meeting room was used

To open a new pod, click the Pods menu Select Pod type Click arrow to open new pod if others of that type are already open


From Pods menu, “manage pods” will let host rename or quickly remove pods


Host/presenter can visually share: application, entire

desktop, or portion of screen

a specific document (eg word, PPT, PDF, excel etc) ▪ Preloaded or on the fly

white board04/12/23 DRAFT SLIDES 120

Screensharing NOT recommended … by Adobe

Screensharing NOT recommended … by Adobe


Select “share my screen”

Pick from the 3 options:

•Desktop,•Application, •Windows

When done, be sure to go back into meeting room to click “Stop Sharing”


•Open Video Pod•Click Share my webcam•Allow the meeting to access your AV equipment•Click “start sharing”•Click stop sharing when done

Open Links Pod Click menu in upper right Select “Add Link” Fill out info for link, click ok When you click “browse” to, it

opens that page locally on everyone’s PC


Two ways to let participants interact with text messages


Q&A Pod•Private submission of questions/comments•Host can respond directly to participant, respond to all participants, assign question to others

Chat Pod•Public submission of questions/comments•Anyone can read and type messages•Private chats can be opened with the Chat Pod menu


Type your questions

here

Click here to submit

Question queue

Toggle between participant and presenter views

Reply directly to participant

Reply to ALL

participants


Type chat messages here

Chat modifie

rs

Start private chats

Chat with particular groups or

people

Remember, depending on your settings, participants can join your meeting AS SOON AS they know the meeting URL Think about what they should see if they enter

early, right before you begin etc To begin meeting:

Enter meeting room, ensure right content is displayed

Start audio, open teleconference Assign rights to those that need them


Only the host can start audio sharing using the Audio menu

Cannot broadcast PC mic & Phone simultaneouslyVOIP needs to be set up In advance in Adobe

Connect Portal


Do in advance from Adobe Portal (only for Adobe Connect Account holders)

Do live in session using Attendee Pod

Hover cursor over participant, select role OR click and drag participant to role list of interest


Hosts can “demote” themselves to lower rights

They will perpetually be able to promote themselves back to hosts

Hosts can remove or block people from joining a meeting



Adobe Connect runs on Flash… you MUST have flash installed to attend Adobe Connect Meetings

On some EPA machines, users may have limited/”light” versions of Flash installed they may see warnings but can STILL ATTEND MEETINGS

Solution: Ignore error, try to enter meeting, if that does not work update AdobeSolution: Ignore error, try to enter meeting, if that does not work update Adobe


Solution: No log in needed. Enter as a Guest!Solution: No log in needed. Enter as a Guest!


Solution: Update Adobe, Exit Meeting and Re-Enter. Have host reload content, open new pod, or make file downloadable

Solution: Update Adobe, Exit Meeting and Re-Enter. Have host reload content, open new pod, or make file downloadable

If Adobe has been set up to stream audio from a phone line, participants will enter meetings with audio enabled automatically

They need to pick one form of audio: Phones Streaming Audio

Need to close other audio Hang up phone Mute meeting audio or PC speakers


Solution: Mute PC speakersSolution: Mute PC speakers

Do they have speakers or headphones? If yes, are they turned on? If yes, is the volume up?

Make sure they have dialed in by phone Are they on the right conference line?

Do they have the right meeting URL? Do they have internet access? Do they have Adobe Flash? Are they using a projector?

If yes, is it turned on, plugged into PC, set up to show PC display


Solution: Do some basic detective work to determine problemSolution: Do some basic detective work to determine problem

Meeting room will remain open indefinitely (regardless of duration selected when creating it)

Host MUST end meeting to close room to participants

Exiting meeting just removes host, meeting is still open for others


Test your connection/Troubleshooting page: https://epa.connectsolutions.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm




EPA Intranet Page on Adobe Connect http://workplace.epa.gov/

webconferencing.html FAQ’s Tip Sheets etc

OEI hosting live Adobe Connect Webinars each month Current Schedule

http://intranet.epa.gov/otop/ittraining/Training_Calendar.pdf


Thank you for your participation!Feedback may be submitted at

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDNLZXo3YWE4ZnlHZjhqMEtXOUtQenc6MA..

Questions or follow-up comments, please contact Jean M Balent, [email protected],

703603992404/12/23 DRAFT SLIDES 140