In this article, we will discuss how to organize and run your Yondo Live Group Sessions.
To start your Session, go to the Group Sessions tab in the navigation bar on the left.
Here you will see all of the sessions that you and your team have created. Find the session you would like to start and click on the Play icon on the left side of the listing. You will only be able to start a session if you are the designated host.
A window will appear with a button that says "Launch the Session as a Host". Click the button to begin your Group Session.
When the Session starts, you will need to allow your browser to access your microphone and webcam. Click “Allow” to give Yondo access to share your video and audio feed with your participants.
The session begins with all participants disconnected, to ensure that you, as the Host, have total control of your sessions. You will see three buttons on your screen that will allow you to change your settings and decide when you would like to start your session.
The Start Now button will begin your session immediately and connect you with all participants who have already joined the Group Session.
The Start Automatically button will ensure that your session is started right at the scheduled time allowing all participants to connect at the intended time. You will know that the button has been clicked as it will show a small check mark if your session is set to start automatically.
Your Camera and microphone will automatically be detected by the platform, however, if you would like to configure your settings differently, you can do so by clicking on the Setup Camera/Mircophone button.
This button will allow you to select what camera and microphone your video and audio feeds are coming from. If you have an external microphone or webcam that you would like to use, simply select the device from the drop-down of options provided.
You are also able to test your audio output by clicking on the 'Test Speakers' button in the Audio window. This will ensure that your speakers or headphones are working properly.
Whether you have started your session or have decided to set up your Session first, you will be able to configure your preferences within the platform through a set of tools at the bottom of your Yondo Group Session window. These options include (from left to right)
- Share Screen
- Sharing Dropdown
- Mute/Unmute
- End Session
- Stop/Start Video feed
- Chat
- Participants List
- Menu
The Screenshare Icon will allow you to share your screen with your participants. You can use this function to share a power-point presentation, hold a software demonstration, or go through particular documents with your customers. When sharing your screen, the session view will automatically change to the Focus View to ensure that your screen share is easily visible to your participants.
You can share either your full screen or just a single window depending on how you would like to display your content.
The Sharing Dropdown is where you will be able to select how you would like to allow you would like to interact with your participants. Participants will also be able to choose their own sharing settings here in their participant windows.
- Share with Everyone: This will allow you to share your screen with all hosts and participants in the session to share their video, audio, and screen with each other.
- Share with Host: This will only allow you to share your feed with only the host, who will be able to see the video and audio you have shared in the session. Other participants will not be able to see or hear each other.
Note: If you are the host, choosing this option will only allow you as the host to see your own streams. You will need to be in Share with Everyone to share your video with participants. - No Sharing: This means that you will not share your video, audio, or screen share with any of the other participants or the host.
The Mute and Stop Video Icons appear on either side of the end connection button and will allow you to turn off and on your video and audio feeds depending on what you would like to share with your clients.
As the host, the End Session button will allow you to end your Group Session or Class for all participants. After clicking the icon, a box will appear confirming that you would like to end the session with your participants.
As a participant, this button will simply allow you to leave the session.
In the Chat function, you will be able to communicate with your customers via text chat. These chats will be where everyone in the session would be able to chat with each other.
Participant list
When clicked, the Participants Icon will open up your Participants List. The list will show each participant that has signed up for your sessions and let you know who has joined your sessions. You will also be given control over the video and audio sharing capabilities of your participants in the Participant List.
You will first notice that next to each participant's name there is a status icon showing whether the participant has connected or not. A red connection icon with a slash will appear if the participant has not yet joined, while a green connection icon indicates that the participant has joined.
If the participant has joined, they will also have Video and Audio icons displaying whether or not their Video or Audio is being shared. When the Camera or Microphone Icons appear normal, it means that the participants are sharing their Video and Audio, while if the icons have a slash through them it means that they are muted or are not sharing their video.
Clicking on the participants' name will also give you control over their sharing capabilities.
When you select a particular participant, the participant information box will appear where you will be able to see the Participant’s Role and Share Dropdown, as well as the Focus, Mute, Stop Video, and Remove buttons to give you complete control of your session.
The Participant Roles will show who are the sessions Hosts and who are the Participants.
Each Participant also has a Sharing Dropdown that will allow you as the host or your participant to change the sharing capabilities for each individual participant. You can choose from No Sharing, Share with Host, and Share with Everyone.
As the host, you will be able to change these settings and override your customers' settings depending on how much contact and visibility you would like your customers to have with each other.
The Focus button will allow you to highlight a certain participant who is speaking. When clicked, the focused participant will appear larger than any other participants in the session. This feature is great if you are presenting a screen share presentation, or would like to give certain participants the opportunity to share their insights. To have you or another participant focused in the session you will need to make sure you change your window layout view to the ‘Focus View’ which we will discuss later on in the article.
If you do have any customers that are becoming a distraction to your other viewers in your group sessions, there are 3 ways that you can maintain control over your session and limit the participant’s distractions.
You are able to disable a particular participant's microphone by clicking on the Mute button in their participant information box. This is a great tool if there is a participant that has any background noise or interference going on when they are not speaking themselves. When it is their turn to speak once again, you can click the Unmute button to enable their microphone once again.
The Stop Video function is similar in that clicking the button will disable your customers' video feed to ensure that there are no distractions going on in your Live Group Session. Once again to allow your participants the ability to share their video simply click Start Video.
If you do find that you have any participants that are getting a bit too out of control, as a last resort you are able to remove the user from the group altogether by clicking the Remove button.
The Menu button next to the Participant button will be where you and your participants can:
- Edit your Device Settings to change your webcam or microphone.
- Edit your Profile, which will include the name that you would like to appear as in the session
- The Invite option will allow you to invite additional participants to your online session.
- Exit the session
Clicking the Devices Settings icon will allow you to select what camera and microphone your video and audio feeds are coming from. If you have an external microphone or webcam that you would like to use, simply select the device from the drop-down of options provided.
You are also able to test your audio output by clicking on the 'Test Speakers' button in the Audio window. This will ensure that your speakers or headphones are working properly.
By clicking on the Profile tab you will be able to adjust the name and email of your profile so you and your participants will be able to see the names of each contributor. If you would not like to share your name you can leave this section blank.
By clicking on the Invite option, you will be able to add additional participants to your group session. An Email field will appear and prompt you to enter the new participants' email address in the field provided. Simply click the submit button and a joining link will be sent to your participant.
If you would like to leave your group sessions, simply click on the Exit Sessions tab in the menu to leave the session.
There are two views that your session will be visible in; A Gallery View that will allow all participants to appear equally in size and a Focus View which will allow you to highlight yourself or another participant, making the focus video feed much larger than the other participants. The Focus view will also automatically occur when a participant or the host shares their screen.
Gallery:
Focus:
For more information on how to create a Group Session, Please visit our article on How to Create A Group Session Listing for Your Online Store
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