Overview of the Classroom Lobby

Overview

The Classroom Lobby is the page users are presented with just prior to joining the classroom. From here, users can accomplish quite a number of things, including:

• Join the Live Classroom.
• Join the Playback Room.
• Confirm that their preferred webcam, microphone, and speakers are selected.
• Change their name.
• Change their user avatar/profile picture.
• Configure their webcam's background effects (e.g. select an image, blur the background, etc).
• Test their system to ensure compatibility with Engageli.

Below is a screenshot of the lobby of an example classroom:

In this article, we'll cover all the features seen on the class lobby page.

• Webcam Preview - The majority of the page will be occupied by a preview of your webcam. If you are using any background effects, it will also be reflected here. 
• Name - At the bottom-left corner of your webcam preview is the name our system has stored for your user account. To update your name, click the pencil icon that appears next to it. If Engageli doesn’t have a name on file for you, a text field will appear, instead, prompting you to enter it manually.
  Note: If no pencil icon appears next to your name, then your organization is likely using a learning management system (LMS) to synchronize data with our platform. In this case, if you need to change your name, you must change it in your LMS.
• Class Role - Your assigned role for this classroom will appear next to your name. If you're set as an Instructor, you’ll have the option to click this label and switch between Instructor and TA roles. This selection determines how you’ll join the current class session, and you can also change it after entering the classroom.
• Webcam and Microphone Toggle - In the bottom-right corner of your webcam preview, you'll find two buttons that let you turn your webcam and microphone on or off. These settings determine how you enter the classroom and can be adjusted again after you've joined.
• Microphone Audio Indicator - Located to the left of the Webcam and Microphone Toggle buttons, this indicator reacts to your voice by moving in response to the volume it detects. Before each class session, use it to confirm that your microphone is functioning properly.
• Media Device Settings - At the top-right corner of your webcam preview is the Media Device Settings button. This button allows you to change your audio and video device selections. We'll go more into details about this button later in the article.
• Background Settings - At the top-right corner of your webcam preview is the Background Settings button. You can use this to customize your webcam background. This will be covered in more detail in the corresponding section of this article.
• Class Name - You'll see the name of the classroom you’re about to join displayed to the right of your webcam preview. This is the official name Engageli uses to identify the classroom. If you ever reach out to Engageli Support about a classroom-related issue, sharing this name exactly as shown will help the team quickly find the correct classroom.
• Join Class - This button can be found to the right of your webcam preview. Click this to join the live session for the classroom (i.e. Live Classroom).
• Join my Playback Room - This button can be found to the right of your webcam preview. Click this to join the Playback Room for the classroom.
• Copy Invite Link - At the bottom-right of your webcam preview, this link can be selected to copy the link to the classroom to your clipboard.
• Manage Class - This link can be found to the bottom-right of your webcam preview. Click this to be taken to the Class Portal for this classroom, where you can manage its settings. This link will only appear if you are rostered as an Instructor for this classroom.
• My Classes - At the very top-left of the page is the "My Classes" button. Clicking this will take you to the My Classes page, where you'll be able to view all classrooms to which you have access. This button may not appear if your organization uses an LMS, as such users should log into their LMS if they need to navigate classrooms.
• User Settings - At the very top-right of the page is your User Settings button, which allows you to modify your profile and other personal settings. This is covered in more details later in this article.

Media Device Settings

At the top-right of your webcam preview from the class lobby is a button that looks like a gear icon. Clicking this "Media Device Settings" button will open a side panel, as shown below, where you can modify your audio/video settings.

Below are the options you'll see:

• Camera - Use this dropdown to select your preferred webcam. When you choose a different camera, your preview will immediately refresh to show the updated video feed.
• Microphone - Use this dropdown to select your preferred microphone. As you change your microphone selection, we recommend speaking and checking that the microphone audio indicator is picking up your voice.
• Speaker - Use this dropdown to select your preferred speaker. You can click the "Test Speaker" button next to the dropdown to play a sound to help you confirm that your selected speaker is working correctly.
• Test Your System - Clicking this link will walk you through a test to check whether your device will work properly with Engageli. Please see the Test Your System article for more details about this.
• Noise Reduction - Toggle this to enable or disable background noise reduction. By default, this will be enabled.
• Mirror my Video Preview - Use this toggle to turn webcam mirroring on or off. By default, Engageli enables mirroring, which flips your webcam preview to resemble a mirror image. If you'd rather view your video exactly as it's being captured, you can disable this setting. Keep in mind, this only affects your personal preview--other participants will always see your video as it's actually recorded.

Background Settings

At the top-right of your webcam preview from the class lobby is a button that looks like the silhouette of a person. Clicking this "Background Settings" button will open a side panel, as shown below, where you can customize your webcam's virtual background image.

Below are the options you'll see:

• No Effects - Selecting this will turn off virtual background effects.
• Blur - This option will blur your background.
• Select Color - This checkerboard-looking option will allow you to set your background to a solid color. Once you click it, a color palette will appear, where you can select from a wide range of colors.
• Upload Image - Selecting this option will prompt you to upload an image from your computer to be used as your background. Image formats we support are JPG, JPEG, and PNG.
• Existing Images - In the same area where the "Upload Image" options appears will be additional existing virtual backgrounds from which you can select. These will be a collection of those provided by Engageli, by your organization, and any you previously uploaded.

User Settings

Beyond your webcam preview, at the very top-right of the class lobby page is a button with a picture of your user avatar/profile picture. This is your User Settings button. Clicking this will expand a dropdown with several options, as shown below:

We'll now go into details for the options seen in the dropdown menu:

• Settings - Clicking this will open your user settings page. We've provided a screenshot of this page below:
  
  On this page are several tabs along the left-side panel, which you can select to load its corresponding content in the main panel. When you are done making your changes, remember to hit the "Save" button at the bottom of the page. We'll describe each tab and its corresponding contents below:
  • Profile - This is the default tab that is loaded and allows you to change your avatar/profile picture, as well as your name. We'll specify the options that appear here:
    • Avatar - Engageli offers several options for customizing your avatar. Your avatar/profile picture is what others will see when your webcam is turned off. The below options are offered for your avatar:
      • Upload photo - This option allows you to upload a picture from your computer. If this option is missing, it is likely because Interaction Controls is enabled for the classroom.
      • Generate avatar - This option creates a fun, randomized cartoon avatar to represent you.
      • Use initials - This option will use your initials as your avatar.
      • Use default avatar - Clicking this button will load the default avatar we found for your account, if one exists.
    • Name - This is your display name and is what other users will see for you. This is an editable field. Note: If you find that you are not able to edit your name, then your organization is likely using a learning management system (LMS) to synchronize data with our platform. In this case, if you need to change your name, you must change it in your LMS
  • Appearance - Selecting this tab will allow you to change how the application appears. Below are the options that are provided on this tab:
    • Application Theme - Toggle between "Light" and "Dark" mode.
    • Application Language - Select your primarily language from the dropdown. This will have the effect of changing the language of messages and labels throughout the system to the one you selected.
• Logout - Click this to log out of the system.