Overview
This article explains the "Distribute Doc" option found in the Present menu, available to instructors within the Live Classroom. The screenshot below highlights where this option is located:
The "Distribute Doc" feature allows instructors to share cloud-hosted documents with the entire class. It is especially valuable in collaborative settings where participants are expected to actively edit the same document during the session.
Upon clicking the "Distribute Doc" button, a dropdown menu will appear, where you are prompted to select between "Class" and "Per Table" options. We'll briefly describe each of these below:
- Class - Share a single cloud-hosted document with the entire classroom. This option is best when everyone is expected to work together on the same document.
- Per Table - Share a separate cloud-hosted document with each table. This option is ideal for group projects where each table collaborates independently on its own document.
Because the screens that follow each choice differ significantly, we’ll cover them separately in the remainder of this article.
Class Document
To distribute the same cloud-hosted document to the entire classroom, select the "Class" option. Doing so will bring up the following window:
The screen is split into a left-hand panel of tabs and a right panel, which displays the tab's corresponding content. We'll describe each tab below:
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Engageli - The Engageli tab is selected by default when the window opens. This tab provides access to Engageli's own cloud-hosted document tool. While it may not offer the same advanced features as third-party providers, it avoids potential complications such as access issues or security restrictions. Within this tab, you can choose from two options:
- Share New Document - Share a new blank document. Simply enter a name in the "Enter document name" field and click "Share".
- Share Document from Content - If your classroom's Content area includes Engageli Document Templates created ahead of time, they will be listed here. To share one, click on the desired template. Hovering over an entry will reveal an eyeball icon, which you can click to preview the document before sharing.
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Google/Microsoft - This tab allows you to share Google and Microsoft cloud documents. Within this tab, you can choose from two options:
- Share New Document by Link - If you'd like to share a cloud document that hasn't already been saved to the classroom's Content, then paste its link into this field, then hit "Share".
- Share Document from Content - Any Google/Microsoft documents that have already been saved to the classroom's Content area will appear here. To share one, simply click on it.
- History - This tab will display documents that were previously shared classwide. This is useful if you distributed a document that wasn't saved to the classroom's Content area, but need to reference it again.
Below are some important notes about classwide document distribution:
- When an Engageli Document is selected for classwide distribution, a new "Engageli Document" view tab will be created for all class participants.
- When a Google or Microsoft document is selected for classwide distribution, a "Class Shared Doc" view tab is created for all class participants.
Per Table Document
To distribute a different cloud-hosted document to each table, select the "Per Table" option. Doing so will bring up the following window:
We'll describe the elements that appear in this window:
- Add New Set - Click this "+" button to create a new document set. Once created, it will appear under the document set dropdown.
- Choose a Set - Use this dropdown to view and select from all document sets that currently exist for the classroom.
- Document Set Details - This main table displays details of the currently-selected document set. It consists of rows containing each table by name along with its associated cloud-hosted document URL. You can edit the URLs for each table as needed. Note: If a table has no document URL provided for it, then no document will be distributed to that table.
- Load Set - Click this button to distribute the documents using the selected set. If any document URLs were modified, the button will change to "Save and Load Set", ensuring your edits are saved before the set is loaded.
Below are some notes regarding table-level document distribution:
- When a Google or Microsoft document is shared at the table level, a "Table Shared Doc" view tab is created for all participants seated at that table.
- As participants move between tables, the content of their "Table Shared Doc" tab automatically updates to display the document associated with the new table.
- If a participant moves to a table without a distributed document, the "Table Shared Doc" tab will disappear for them; if they return to a table with a document, the tab will reappear accordingly.
Notes
Below are a few notes regarding the overall Distribute Doc feature:
- Engageli Documents cannot be used for table-level distribution. They are only supported for classwide distribution.
- Engageli Documents shared with the class are automatically viewable and editable by all classroom participants. No permissions need to be set.
- For Google or Microsoft documents, any access restrictions you set on the file will carry over when distributed in Engageli. To avoid issues for participants, we recommend granting the broadest reasonable access.