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BigBlueButton [at the TU]

Web conferencing system for online meetings – alternative to Zoom

BigBlueButton (BBB) is a data protection-approved open source tool for organising web meetings. In comparison to Zoom, it works exclusively browser-based, i.e. the installation of a special client is not necessary. BBB is offered at TU Darmstadt in co-operation with Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (h_da).

You can create BBB meetings from your Moodle course (see Moodle FAQ: Activity BigBlueButton). Only course participants can access the meeting. The real names from Moodle are used in this meeting. It is not possible to rename participants in the meeting. If desired, students can also enter the meeting room without teachers and be assigned the role of moderator. This can be very helpful for group work, for example. Each group has its own BBB online meeting room.

BBB meetings can also be created via a separate web-based administration interface. Information on this can be found on the HRZ information website for BBB (opens in new tab).

  • Computer / laptop / mobile device
  • Browser – unlike other web conferencing systems, there is no client or app application; it is used exclusively via the browser.
  • Stable internet connection
  • USB headset recommended (usually better than using the internal microphone/speaker)
  • USB webcam optional

Because BBB only works in a browser, please note:

  • Group rooms (breakout rooms) open in separate new browser tabs.
  • Do not click the back button in the browser tab where the meeting is taking place.
  • We recommend allowing 1-2 minutes to enter the meeting, as it may take a moment for the microphone (‘echo test’) and camera to be detected and approved.
  • If you access a meeting too early, the meeting room will not start automatically in the browser tab as soon as the meeting is opened by the moderator. You will need to refresh your browser tab.

Features in BBB (different from Zoom):

BigBlueButton (BBB) has all the usual basic functions of a web conferencing system. Below, we have compiled details of the most important functions that differ from Zoom.

Roles and rights

The moderator role is initially assigned by default to the person who created the BBB meeting and can be identified by the square icon in the ‘Participants’ field.

The moderator role has the same rights as the viewer role, but also has the right for some additional administrative settings.

At the start of the BBB meeting, the person with the moderator role also has the presenter role, as long as no other person has been assigned the presenter role.

The presenter role can be identified by the blue presentation symbol in the upper left corner of the participant icon.

The presenter role can be assigned to both viewers and moderators, but only to one person at a time.

The presenter role has the rights to control the presentation functions in the BBB meeting.

The viewer role is the default role for participants in a BBB meeting and can be identified by the round symbol in the ‘Participants’ field.

Presentations & Whiteboard

The following functions relating to presentations and whiteboard use are only available to the person with the presenter role. By activating ‘multi-user mode’, they can also make the whiteboard available for use by all other participants.

Bild 1: Presenter role > blue plus sign > presentation management

Bild 2 & 3: Uploading presentation in the presentation list

Bild 4: Choose a presentation from the list

Bild 5: Viewer role > minimise presentation view

Whiteboard functions & ‘multi-user mode’

Group rooms (Breakout rooms)

Group rooms create additional workspaces for participants in an ongoing conference.

Bild 1: Request presenter role

Bild 2: Echo test when entering the room

Bild 3: Leave conference (not: End conference)

Bild 1: Create group rooms

Bild 2: Settings for group rooms

Bild 3: The ‘Group Rooms’ section appears in the left-hand menu.

Bild 4: End group rooms early

Bild 1: View with random assignment

Bild 2: View when assigning by own selection

Bild 3: View when assigning by manual selection of the moderator

Bild 4: Time display in a group room

People in the moderator role have the option of visiting the individual group rooms.

There are two possible options here:

  • By selecting ‘Start audio’ in the ‘Group rooms’ menu, it is possible to listen in on a group room.
    An echo test is not necessary for this. This is a good way to be available for questions, for example. Selecting ‘Return audio’ leaves the selected group room.
  • If you want to join a group room ‘properly’ with video and audio, select the relevant group room and click on ‘Join room’.
    An echo test is necessary for this.

Bild 1: Blue plus sign > start poll

Bild 2: Creating / Running a poll

Bild 3: Poll results

With the help of the ‘Shared Notes’ function, notes/texts can be written collaboratively in the BBB meeting, similar to an Etherpad.

The notes taken can be downloaded by clicking on the ‘Arrows’ button at the end of the meeting.

This tool is provided centrally by TU Darmstadt and has been checked from a data protection perspective.