Live Classroom > Views Tabs > Class Share

Overview

This article introduces the "Class Share" view, accessible via the Views Tabs section. When selected, it will load the currently-active classwide screenshare into the main panel. This tab will only appear if a classwide screenshare is taking place. Below is a visual example of the Class Share view:

The image above is seen from the perspective of a participant who isn't the user sharing their screen. You'll notice the view is minimal:

• The "Class Share" tab itself will include the name the person who is doing the sharing.
• The entirety of the main panel is occupied by the video of the screenshare. If you need an even bigger view of the screenshare, you can double-click this video to make it fullscreen.

Below is an example of the view from the perspective of the user who is doing the sharing:

As with the earlier perspective, the "Class Share" tab continues to include the name of the user doing the screenshare (i.e. you). The contents of the main panel, however, are entirely different. Below, we'll go over the controls found in the sharer's main panel:

• Open Overlay Gallery - Clicking this button will open the overlay gallery.
• Annotate Screen / Stop Annotate - Clicking this button will allow you to annotate your screenshare (or stop the annotation). We'll go into more details about this later in the article.
• Stop Class Share - Clicking this button will immediately stop your class screenshare.
• Screenshare Content Panel - This small, collapsible panel anchored to the bottom of the main panel screen shows the content that you are currently sharing. There are some additional controls found within this panel available to you. Below is a close-up highlighting this panel:
  
  Note: The screenshare content panel will persist at the bottom of your main panel, even if you switch to another tab (e.g. Class Gallery, File Share, etc).
  We'll now describe the various controls seen within the screeenshare content panel:
  • Screenshare Mode - This dropdown allows you to change your screenshare video quality to one of three options:
    • Default mode - This mode balances quality and framerate.
    • Video mode - This mode will prioritize a higher framerate over quality. It is ideal for sharing animations or videos.
    • Text mode - This mode prioritizes quality over framerate. This is ideal for sharing items that are static and high in detail, such as a text document or a graph.
  • Collapse / Expand - Use the arrow in the top‑right corner of the content panel to toggle its view. Since the panel remains visible across all tabs, collapsing it helps keep it out of the way while you navigate other tabs.
  • Open Overlay Gallery - Similar to the same button found outside this panel, clicking this will open the overlay gallery.
  • Annotate Screen - Similar to the same button found outside this panel, clicking this will allow you to annotate your screenshare.
  • Stop Class Share - Similar to the same button found outside this panel, clicking this will immediately stop your screenshare.

Annotate Screen

When a class screenshare is active, the presenter can enable annotation on the shared content. This feature enables both the sharer and participants to draw on the screenshare, making it easier to highlight and communicate ideas during discussion.

To start annotating, first make sure you are sharing your screen, then click the "Annotate Screen" button. Engageli will pause the screenshare and display a snapshot of the last shared view in the main panel. A toolbar will appear on the left side of the panel, allowing you to draw directly on the image. Lastly, the "Class Share" tab is temporarily renamed to "Annotated Screen" to indicate that annotation mode is active. All annotations will be visible to every participant. Below is a short animation demonstrating the process:

Below, we'll describe the items available within the toolbar:

• Select Object - Selecting this tool will allow you to select annotations on the canvas and interact with them, such as moving, resizing, and deleting them.
• Add Shape - Selecting this will expand a menu, offering several shapes you can select to be added to the canvas.
• Drawing - Select this to expand a menu, offering either a Brush or Pencil option for freehand drawing on the canvas.
• Highlighter - Select this to activate the highlighter tool.
• Add Text - Select this to add text to the canvas.
• Add Formula - Select this to add formulas to the canvas. You can key in the formula directly or use the on-screen keyboard to look for specific symbols.
• Add Note - Select this to add a sticky note to the canvas.
• Color - Select this to set the color associated with any annotations where color is applicable, such as drawing and highlighting.
• Remove Object - To delete an annotation object, select it and then click this. Alternatively, you can hit Delete on your keyboard.
• Undo My Last Action - Click this to undo your last action.
• Clear Board - Click this to delete all annotations. This tool is only available to Instructors, TAs, and the user currently sharing their screen.
• Settings - Click this to open the settings menu. This menu is only available to Instructors, TAs, and the user currently sharing their screen. Below are the settings options available:
  • Restrict Editing to Staff - Enable this to limit annotation to Instructors, TAs, and the user currently sharing their screen. The rest of the class participants will still see the annotation activities, they just won't be able to participate in it. When starting a screenshare annotation, this option will be enabled, by default.
• Download Screenshot - This will take a screenshot of the annotated screenshare and download it to your computer.

Finally, at the top-right of the page is a "Stop Annotate" button that can be clicked to exit the annotation and resume the screenshare video. This button is only available to Instructors, TAs, and the user currently sharing their screen.

Below are some important notes to be aware of regarding screenshare annotation:

• When annotation mode is active, the live screenshare video is replaced with a screenshot of the last thing seen in the video. In effect, the screenshare is paused while annotations are active. Because of how Engageli handles annotation, it is not possible to draw directly on a live video. Additionally, since the same view tab manages both screensharing and annotation, only one can run at a time--meaning you cannot annotate the screenshare and watch its live video simultaneously.
• If you are using a small display, some of the toolbar buttons may be consolidated into other buttons. If you feel there should be tools available to you, but you are not seeing them, please look for any buttons that expand into a dropdown to see if they are nested within there.