How to Use Conferences
You can create a conference in a course to hold virtual office hours and speakers. Conference invitations are sent out when the conference is created. To alert invitees about upcoming conferences, you can create course events in the Calendar.
Conferences can be created with as many users as needed, though the recommended guideline is a limit of 25 users per session. You can create multiple conferences, which are listed in chronological order by the date they were created. The most recently created conference will appear at the top of the list.
Notes: Users invited to a conference will not receive a notification in Canvas. However, depending on the user's notification settings, they may receive a notification via email, text, and/or push notifications. To notify users of a conference in Canvas, consider adding an announcement, assignment, or calendar event.
Create a Conference
1. In Course Navigation, click the Conferences link.
2. Click the + Conference button.
3. To create a new conference, type a name for the conference in the Name field [1].
If you want to set a time limit on how long invited members are able to join the conference, enter the number of minutes in the Duration field [2]. The time limit will begin when the presenter starts the conference. Once the duration has expired, new participants will be unable to join and the conference will continue until the last person leaves the conference room or the conference organizer concludes the conference.
If you want to enable recording options for this conference, select the Enable recording for this conference checkbox [3].
If you don't want to set a time limit for the conference, you can create a long-running conference by selecting the No time limit (for long-running conferences) checkbox [4]. This option will remove the time limit in the duration field.
To create a description of your conference, type a description in the Description field [5].
4. You can add any user in your course to your conference. However, once a user has been invited, the user cannot be removed from the conference.
By default, all members in the course will be invited to the conference [1].
To remove all course observers from the conference invitation, select the Remove All Course Observer Members checkbox [2]. When this checkbox is selected all course members except observers are invited to the conference.
OR
If you want to select specific members of your course, deselect the Invite All Course Members checkbox [1]. Select the checkbox(es) for the individual member(s) you would like to invite [2].
5. Click the Update button
View the Conference in the New Conferences section.
Edit a Conference
You can edit the settings of a conference in your course. You can add new users to the conference, but you cannot remove any users who have already been invited.
Notes: When a conference has been recorded and the conference is concluded, you cannot edit the conference recording.
1. Click the conference you want to edit. Click the Settings icon [1] and click the Edit link [2].
2. Edit the fields you'd like to change.
3. Click the Update button.
Start a Conference
You can start conferences that you have created for your course.
1. In Course Navigation, click the Conferences link.
2. Next to the conference you want to start, click the Start button.
Canvas will direct you to the conference room for your conference. Learn how to use the conference interface.
Join a Conference
You can join a conference that has already been started by the conference host. Instructors will be given moderator permissions when they join a conference started by another user.
To use your microphone, you must give Conferences access to your microphone settings. As part of joining the conference, you must verify these settings in your browser.
1. Next to the conference you want to join, click the Join button.
Note: You cannot join a conference until the conference host has started the conference (In Progress.)
2. To use your microphone during the conference, click the Microphone icon [1]. To join the conference without enabling a microphone, click the Listen only icon [2]. You will be able to change your audio preference after you've joined the conference.
To enable a microphone in a Chrome browser, click the Allow button.
To enable a microphone in a Firefox browser, select your microphone in the Microphone to share menu [1]. Then click the Allow button [2].
3. To ensure your audio is working correctly, complete the private audio echo test. Speak a few words and if you hear audio, click the Yes icon. To choose a different microphone and repeat the audio test, click the No icon.
Note: It is recommended that you use a headset with a microphone for the best audio experience.
As part of creating or editing a conference, you can choose to set up your conference to be recorded. Once this setting is enabled, you can start and stop the recording as necessary in the Conferences interface.
After the conference has concluded, you can view recorded conferences in the Conferences Index Page. If you recorded multiple segments in your conference, each segment will be a separate recording.
Recording Restrictions
- When creating your conference, you must select the record option to record the conference.
- Canvas' standard recording feature will store your recordings in Conferences for 7 days and then remove them automatically.
- Recorded conferences cannot be downloaded.
- Recorded conferences can only be viewed inside the course where the conference was recorded; URLs cannot be shared outside Canvas.
For alternative storage and download options, contact BigBlueButton to set up a hosting account.
1. In Course Navigation, click the Conferences link.
2. Click the + Conference button.
3. To turn on the options for recording within the conference, select the Enable recording for this conference checkbox.
4. Click the Update button.
Once you start your conference, you can start and stop the recording as necessary in the Conferences interface.
Note: Completed recordings may take some time to render.
Conclude A Conference
Depending on how you created your conference, your conference may conclude by itself, or you may have to conclude it manually.
Note: A conference can be concluded directly from the logout menu in the conferences interface. However, the Conferences page does not currently update the status and will still show as In Progress. If a new user joins the conference, a new meeting with the same name will be created. To prevent new users from joining the conference, always return to the Conferences page and click the conference End button.
View Time-Limit Conference
Conferences created with a time limit will remain active for the duration of the conference.
Once the conference duration has expired, the conference will automatically conclude once the last member of the conference has left the room. You can also manually conclude (end) the conference at any point during the allotted time.
When a conference concludes, all files and chats are removed from the conference room.
View Long-Running Conferences
Conferences created without a time limit will remain active as long as you (or another conference organizer) keeps the conference running.
End Conference Manually
To end a conference, return to the Conferences page. Next to the name of the conference, click the End button.
When a conference concludes, all files and chats are removed from the conference room.
Once the conference has concluded, the conference will appear in the Concluded Conferences section on the Conferences page. Updating the status of the conference may take a few minutes.
Note: If the conference has not changed status after a significant amount of time, the time limit has passed, and there are no members left in the conference room, edit the conference and update the settings to manually refresh the Conferences page.
Delete a Conference
You can delete new and concluded conferences. Deleting a concluded conference also immediately removes the conference from the server, in addition to all associated recordings.
1. In Course Navigation, click the Conferences link.
2. Click the Settings icon [1] and click the Delete link [2].
3. Click the OK button.