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University Information Technology (UIT)

Adobe Connect

DESCRIPTION

Adobe Connect is a self-managed web conferencing platform that provides accessible solutions aimed at creating or enhancing an eLearning experience.

This service is available to all York University faculty and staff members who would like to use web conferencing to connect with colleague and students. It is a great way to enhance eLearning within a course, or to facilitate synchronous online meetings and webinars.

Adobe Connect is available anywhere, provided you have a (good) internet connection, and a supported computer or a mobile device.

A valid Passport York (PPY) account is required to host a meeting (instructors). Participants (students) may enter as guests with no need to authenticate. You can force login by PPY to participants when creating your meeting.

FEATURES

The following features are currently available for York University’s Adobe Connect service:

- Passport York (PPY) authentication for Hosts/Presenters (Required to login and manage and/or host meetings).

- Optional PPY authentication for Guests/Participants (each meeting or training session may select if they are open to all, or require PPY authentication for participants)

- Collaborate across desktop platforms with the use of any major browser, and on virtually any device, including iOS and Android with the use of a free app (Note: Wireless data charges may apply when using the system over your carrier’s cellular network. Check your phone plan’s data allotment and/or ensure you are on a Wi-Fi network when using Adobe Connect on your mobile device).

  • Video with integrated audio.
  • Store all your files, documents, layouts, and notes in a persistent manner.
  • Record your meetings and republish to the content library for on-demand access.
  • Real-time collaboration including whiteboard and screen sharing (Adobe connect plugin required for desktop sharing).
  • Deliver interactive, engaging meeting content to colleagues, partners, current or prospective students.

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

For user hardware and software requirements, please refer to the section titled Requirements to attend virtual sessions on various devices at the Adobe Connect vendor website:

https://helpx.adobe.com/ca/adobe-connect/using/user-guide.html/ca/adobe-connect/tech-specs.ug.html

HOW DO I GET IT?

Faculty and staff can request a Meeting Host account which allows users to create meetings, and host/present in those meetings.

To apply, please fill out the request form at https://lts.info.yorku.ca/forms/connect.

Regarding Participant access, Hosts are the ones who select the security of their meetings and training sessions. Access may be granted to:

  1. Anyone who has the URL for the meeting (Guest access. No PPY required); or
  2. Only users with a PPY account.

In either scenario, Participants do not need to request an Adobe Connect account, although they may or may not be required to have a PPY account.

You can find the service at the following domain:

http://connect.yulearn.yorku.ca

Please bookmark this link for future use.

You can also find Adobe Connect as an activity in your eClass courses. Information on how to access Adobe Connect through this method is here:

https://lthelp.yorku.ca/adobe-connect

Learning to use Adobe Connect is quick and easy. For a general overview of how to use the Adobe Connect, refer to the Adobe Connect User Community Learning Center:

https://www.connectusers.com/learning_center/getting_started

Testing your computer’s ability to run Adobe Connect:

The following link will check your computer’s browser to ensure that you have everything installed and ready to go for your meeting:

http://connect.yulearn.yorku.ca/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

The above link also has helpful information on using Adobe Connect, as well as links to other resources you can use to get the most out of using the system.

HOW DO I GET HELP?

First, check the FAQs list below. If you do not find the answer to your question there, the Adobe Connect software has built-in help documentation. You can reference it at any time by clicking on the ‘Help’ icon at the top-right of the Adobe Connect window. If you are experiencing problems with the Adobe Connect software specifically, you can submit a help request through the IT Service Desk portal: askit.yorku.ca. In your request, please provide all relevant information related to your issue(s). Information such as date, time, and location; what computer and web browser(s) you used; the link to your meeting; and any other information will help UIT assess possible issues and/or remedial actions to resolve your issue. The more information you provide at the onset, the faster the issue may be resolved.

For tutorials on using Adobe Connect, go here:

https://www.connectusers.com/learning_center/getting_started

For more detailed information, do a search in the product support guide for Adobe Connect.

WHAT DOES IT COST?

There is no cost to use Adobe Connect for faculty and staff who want to use the Meeting component of the system.

Both are excellent modes of facilitating enhanced learning and development opportunities. Which one you choose will depend on whether you need live, real-time, ‘web conferencing’ or collaboration; or if you are looking to provide an on-demand learning environment.

For peripheral software such as Adobe Presenter and Captivate, costs will be equal to the educational pricing of the software as provided by the vendor. Opportunity costs associated with self-managed learning through the vendor-supplied training and help documentation would be subject to the time and attention any user allocates to support their mastery of Adobe Connect.

Other functioning elements in the Adobe Connect system will be pay-for-use once they are properly developed and deployed. Future elements that fall under this structure will be seminars and managed events. Both offerings will require administration and technician-support, as well as hardware and (ancillary) software resources. Information related to these services will be posted on this page, once the services are ready for consumption.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why am I being told that I need to install the latest Adobe Connect add-in?

You will be told that you need to install the Adobe Connect add-in as you are using enhanced capabilities of the meeting that rely on the use of the add-in. Things such as screen sharing, offline recording, and file sharing.

The add-in is a user-level addition, and therefore should not require any extra administrator-level security clearance. Adding the add-in should be as simple as clicking the buttons as you’re prompted to do so by the browser.

To ensure you have the add-in, and/or to install it, you can use the Adobe Connect Diagnostic Test:

http://connect.yulearn.yorku.ca/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

If you do not have the add-in, you will be able to do so from the above test page, when prompted. The add-in test is #4.

I am not currently using Adobe Connect in my course. How can I request this service?

Go to the How do I get it? section of this website for links to the request form.

Can Adobe Connect presentations/meetings be recorded?

Yes, Adobe Connect records meetings at the content and event levels, rather than capturing the entire meeting as one long, unsearchable video. Viewers can navigate to the most relevant content quickly — so they don't have to waste valuable time watching content that may not be relevant to them.

Can I save a copy of the meeting for ‘offline’ use?

Yes, you can. To do this, you go to the meeting from the Web portal. Once in the meeting, go to the ‘Recordings’ tab, and then look for the ‘Actions’ column. In the row of whichever recording, you choose to make Offline, click the ‘Actions’ name, in the ‘Actions’ column. Two options appear: Edit Recording; and Make Offline. Choose ‘Make Offline. You can then choose either MP4 or FLV. We recommend you always choose MP4, as it is a global standard format. Next, choose the quality of your video. If you plan on sharing the video, we recommend you use HD, and not Full HD. Leave the Advanced Options unchecked, unless you are comfortable with manually adjusting these settings. When you’re ready, you can click the proceed with Offline Recording button.

Due to the nature of how Adobe Connect meetings are made, and replayed, the recording is a real-time replay of the meeting. It is key for you to know the meeting’s duration, so you can set a timer and come back to the computer closer to the end time, so that you can stop and save the video.

Can students host their own meetings?

No. Students are not able to host an Adobe Connect meeting, but if they are in the meeting room the host may enable a student user to become a presenter during that meeting.

Can I upload and share rich content?

You can upload any of these content types: Microsoft PowerPoint slides (PPT and PPTX), audio (MP3), PDF, Adobe Captivate® demonstrations and simulations (SWF), prerecorded Adobe Presenter courses, images (JPG and PNG), and compressed packages (ZIP) containing valid content.

In addition, live screen sharing allows you to share any content you have on your screen regardless of file type.

Can Adobe Connect give me insight into the effectiveness of my meeting?

Adobe Connect for eLearning provides an intuitive, web-based user interface that enables you to generate reports and analyze the effectiveness of each course or curriculum. For example, training managers can see how a particular user scored on a test, how all learners scored on a test, or even how users responded to a particular survey question. Similarly, instructional designers can view the trends in performance for specific questions or courses to determine whether course material updates would be beneficial.

Does Adobe Connect support both live and on-demand training?

We recommend using Zoom (https://yorku.zoom.us) if you plan to incorporate live and on-demand training. York University’s deployment of Adobe Connect does not have training functionality enabled.

Does Adobe Connect provide reporting and tracking of my meeting?

Adobe Connect does provide reporting and tracking for your meeting. You can access the reporting by clicking on the meeting, and then by going to the “Reports” tab. You will see information by: Summary; By Attendees; By Sessions; and By Questions.

Can I use Adobe Presenter with Adobe Connect?

Yes. You can use Adobe Presenter 10, or Adobe Presenter 11 with Adobe Connect. Note that Adobe Presenter (any version) is not supplied by or supported by York university. You are free to purchase and download a copy of the software from the vendor through your own funds, and use any standard Adobe Connect integration between the two systems. Any connectivity issues between the two systems are also not supported. Whenever uploading Adobe Presenter content to the server, ensure you choose MP4 content.

Does Adobe Connect integrate with eClass?

Yes, it does. You can now use Adobe Connect through your course by creating an Activity.

I’m unable to connect with my Web browser. What can I do to fix this?

Adobe Connect works with all popular, contemporary Web browsers.

I don’t see my issue anywhere in the FAQs. What do I do now?

Please reach out to us at: askit@yorku.ca. We value your input and will do our best to address your issue as soon as we can.

How long will recordings be available?

Should you choose to record your meetings, currently the recordings will exist in the meeting space you recorded them in for as long as you keep the meeting. Note that meetings are not automatically captured. The meeting host must invoke the recording from inside the meeting space.

Any policies that govern long-term storage, archival and deletion of user’s meetings and/or recordings, once in-place, would apply retroactively to any content on the Adobe Connect server(s). At such a time where any new policies are enforced, the Adobe Connect user community at York University, will be notified of the changes and any advising on best practices for archiving, deletion, etc., will be given, along with a grace period before policies go into effect. While every effort to communicate to the whole community on service updates and changes, those who exist in the system as Authors or Meeting Hosts specifically, will be notified via their valid PPY username/email.

For information on how to proactively save your content, please refer to the above FAQ entry titled: Can I save a copy of the meeting for ‘offline’ use?

What do I do when a meeting fails, or if students report problems, etc.?

If you find yourself in a position where, for some reason your meeting is not allowing you to connect; or that students report that they can’t either get into a scheduled meeting, or view a previously recorded meeting, then please submit a ticket.

Here are some steps to take when going through this process:

  • Your patience and understanding while experiencing the disruption; and
  • A ticket submission through askit@yorku.ca, with detailed information on the following:
  • Who you are (include your Passport York username, and Faculty, etc.)?
  • What time the issue(s) happened.
  • What meeting you were using.
  • Where you were (In an office on campus; at home; at a conference, etc.).
  • What network you were connected to (Physically connected via LAN cable at York (was it a blue or red jack); AirYork PLUS; a coffee shop Wi-Fi, etc.).
  • What you were using (An Apple laptop running OS 10.15, or a PC Desktop running Windows 10, etc.); and
  • Any other supplemental information that you believe would help us target the issue(s) and hopefully communicate an effective resolution to you in the shortest possible time.
  • REMEMBER: The more structured and detailed the information you supply in the ticket; the faster we can respond and provide proper guidance.

DISCLAIMERS

EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE SYSTEM (OR ABOUT THE SYSTEM), TO END-USERS

Users who are not using; or do not have forwarding properly configured; or any other myriad of configuration (or lack thereof) changes to their email management system(s), possibly may NOT receive communications and will therefore be outside of any capability to challenge post facto changes to how the Adobe Connect system performs, in relation to their account; meetings; recordings, etc. This includes: Access rights; data destruction and/or archival processes; or loss of access that directly affect said user.

CAPACITY AND LICENSING FOR THE ADOBE CONNECT SYSTEM

York University’s current licensed deployment of Adobe Connect can accommodate a fixed amount of concurrent connected users. This threshold is a system wide number. Given that Adobe Connect can not only be used as a stand-alone solution from the service’s main Web page, but also in eClass, it is possible that the total concurrent users connected could hit this threshold. Should you find you have any issue(s) with the Adobe Connect system, while in a meeting, please refer to the final entry in the FAQs, titled What do I do when a meeting fails, or if students report problems, etc.?

COPYRIGHT AND LEGAL

Please be aware that all meetings are subject to copyright requirements. This applies to (but is not limited to) any graphics, audio or video media used. Please visit the Copyright Office website for information: copyright.info.yorku.ca.

 

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