Switched from ZOOM to BigBlueButton for an Online Classroom Solution: Here's Why

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When it came time to find an online classroom solution, we looked at a few different platforms. We originally chose ZOOM because it was the most popular platform at the time and had great reviews. However, after using it for a while we found that there were some features that we really wanted that ZOOM didn't have. So, we decided to switch to BigBlueButton! In this blog post, we'll talk about why we made the switch and what benefits BigBlueButton has over ZOOM.

What is BigBlueButton?

BigBlueButton is an open-source web conferencing system for online learning. It's used in over 200 countries and has been downloaded more than 40 million times! BigBlueButton enables real-time sharing of audio, video, slides, chat, and screen. It can record and playback recorded sessions too!

You can learn more at this blog: What is BigBlueButton

 

What is ZOOM?

ZOOM is a cloud-based video conferencing platform that allows up to 1000 people to join a meeting at once. It's great for online meetings, webinars, and classes! ZOOM has been used by over 500,000 businesses and educational institutions worldwide.

Attendees do not need a Zoom account to participate, and the software is accessible on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android.

 

Why switched from ZOOM to BigBlueButton?

There are several reasons why we made the decision to switch from ZOOM to BigBlueButton for online learning.

Here are some of the main reasons:

1 . Unlike ZOOM, BigBlueButton is tightly connected to learning management systems (LMS).

When an online classroom solution can be fully integrated with your learning management system, it will save you a lot of time and effort.

In addition, BigBlueButton can be used with any LMS that supports the Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standard.

  • For example, the integration of recordings.

They have a cloud recording solution for BigBlueButton, and after the recording is finished, it will be made available with the course automatically. It makes viewing the playback and, best of all, no additional work is required; recordings will be recorded there at the proper time.

  •  Pre-configuration

For BigBlueButton, you may customize a variety of settings to meet your needs.

Such as you can

  1. pre-upload the pdf presentation for this lesson
  2. configured to lock all users mic and video, except the presenter
  3. have a chat only session
  4. configure recording options.

 

2 . BigBlueButton has more features designed for online learning

The Zoom software is intended for meetings, whereas BigBlueButton is built with online learning in mind. This affects the things it can do.

Here is a list of some BigBlueButton useful features that are not available with Zoom or other video conferencing tools:

  • Multi-user whiteboard

Whiteboards are a standard and required tool in our education programs. When you teach via the internet, having comparable tools or even more powerful ones like whiteboards would be beneficial.

BigBlueButton has it. You can also use the whiteboard as a teaching tool, just like you would with a physical whiteboard. Anything may be drawn or written with ease. You may also pre-submit your presentation, which is very useful for the instructor.

Even better, they include a multi-user whiteboard. It implies that you can join with your students in the virtual classroom and on the whiteboard. This may be useful while completing homework, or adding more students to your class discussion.

  • Learner analytic report

It is crucial to know how your learners are progressing or what feedback they have received in order to teach effectively. You may instantly obtain a report on your student's performance while taking an online class using BigBlueButton.

The report can cover a lot of information, such as when they come and go, whether or not they raise their hand, whether or not they speak, how long they talk for, whether or not they attend your polling...

It really enhanced the instructor performance and provided online learning advantages

 

  • .Moderator has more control over the learner.

Apart from the common control measures to ensure the quality of the online classroom - such as blocking learners from using certain features, audios, videos, and chatting - there are other ways to improve the effectiveness of your online course. The greatest benefit of using BigBlueButton is that the moderator may force all users to utilize a specific layout.

For example, if you want the learner to pay more attention to your presentation, instead of videos or chatting, use focus mode and you can force this mode on all learners.

 

3 .BigBlueButton offers more freedom and openness when it comes to customization.

BigBlueButton is an open-source program, so you may edit the code if you wish. This means you may customize the BigBlueButton to your liking, regardless of the design and feel or some of the features.

You can quickly implement the following changes:

  • Use a domain name and URL of your own choosing to link with your online classroom.
  • Use your own colors and designs for the online classroom
  • You can enable or disable features based on your demands.
  • For bigbluebutton, you can extend the functionality.
  • You may develop your own integration and have it seamlessly integrate with your existing LMS or other IT systems.

MynaParrot, as a BigBlueButton hosting provider leader, offers clients customization options.

You may discover more about the MynaParrot standard re-branding service on this blog.

MynaParrot BigBlueButton Service Rebranding 

 

4 . There are no limits to the number of rooms or hosts you can use with BigBlueButton.

Restrictions on the number of licenses caused two main disadvantages when using Zoom as an online classroom solution.

  • When purchasing the licenses.

You need to buy a number of licenses based on how many teachers you have. If you want to share the licenses with different teachers, you need to consider how many classes need to run at the same time. You also need to think about how many students will join at the same time.

 

  • When creating classes in an LMS,

ZOOM has the plugin for popular Learning Management systems or Content Management systems. But when you are adding a new class, you need to make sure that the licenses match, otherwise the student might go to the wrong classes. If you have a few classes, it is okay to add the Zoom rooms and match their licenses manually. However, if you have many classes running daily, it will be a lot of work to add them manually.

If you are using BigBlueButton, this is not an issue. You can create an unlimited number of rooms and hosts without having to worry about the licenses.

The number of students in your school is the only thing you need to know when purchasing a BigBlueButton server or cloud bigbluebutton service. More specifically, is the maximum number of students in your school who will be online at the same time.

Adding a class activity to the learning management system is easy when you use BigBlueButton. You can add as many classes as you want, and you don't need to worry about licenses.

 

Conclusion:

Overall, BigBlueButton offers more features and flexibility than Zoom, which is why it is a better choice for an online classroom solution. Additionally, the moderator has more control over learners in a BBB class. If you are looking for an open-source program that provides more freedom and openness when it comes to customization, then BigBlueButton is the right choice for you. Finally, there are no limits to the number of rooms or hosts you can use with BigBlueButton, making it a more practical solution for large schools.

Contact MynaParrot today to learn more about how BBB can improve your online learning experience!