In this article, we'll cover two ways to use your video conferencing software with Off2Class.
Related articles:
- How can I enrol my students/class in a synchronous lesson?
- How can I browse a lesson on my own? (without enrolling a student)
- How can I link my video conferencing link to my Off2Class profile?
- How can I learn more about the interactive tools (canvas, draw, and write) in the classroom?
- How can I assign homework to my students?
For those teaching online, Off2Class runs in conjunction with a video conferencing software application of your choice. Off2Class provides for student management and lesson content, while the video conferencing system gives audio-visual interaction with the student.
The easiest way to teach online with Off2Class is to meet up with your student using your favourite video conferencing application - Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Skype etc all work with Off2Class!
These are the steps -
- Give your student the link to your meeting room (A google search will help, as every app is slightly different)
- Both of you meet in your online 'room'
- Have an introductory chat and warm-up
- You both log in to your Off2Class account (the student uses the username and password you gave them when you created their Off2Class account)
- You open the lesson and enrol the student
- The student clicks the 'Join Lesson' button
- You both minimize your video, using the settings in your video-conferencing application
- Now you both have Off2Class, front and centre, with the student/teacher still visible in a minimized floating window
For the second way to teach online using your favourite video conferencing software, please first follow the instructions in this article on how to link your video conferencing software application to your Off2Class account.
Launch a lesson and enrol your student/class
In the classroom chat, you can see your students are enrolled but have not yet joined the live lesson.
Your student will also log in to their Off2Class account using the name and password you set up for them. Once they log in they will be able to click the 'Join Lesson' button, because you've already enrolled them into the lesson (see the student view below) - 
The classroom chat will let you know that the student has joined the lesson
The student and teacher can now communicate in the classroom chat. Write a short welcome note and tell your student to click 'Start Video'.
Both teacher and student will click the 'Start Video' button
The video conferencing application that you linked in your settings will launch for both you and the student.
Once the video launches, you and your student can see and hear each other in that application.
To see Off2Class lesson content and your student
- Following the instructions of your video application, you will both minimize the conference window
- You will now both appear in a smaller video window
- This floating window can be moved to a place on your screen so as to keep the Off2Class lesson content front and centre.
Benefits
- The Teacher notes are not visible to your student
- You have control of moving the slides forwards/backwards
- You can activate the pen and text box for increased student interactivity
Note: If you're teaching a large class, it is generally better to restrict access to the pen feature, as you will not be able to identify which student is writing on the screen.
To finish the lesson simply click the purple 'close classroom' button, assign homework if you'd like to, and end the video meeting with the student.
It is also possible to join your students on the video conferencing application and teach them by means of screen sharing, without actually enrolling them in a lesson. You can meet them in the video conferencing application, share your screen and teach using the Off2Class slides.