Leonie Lawson | SpottedLlamaStudio https://spottedllamastudio.com Innovate. Educate. Elevate. Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:43:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://spottedllamastudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/cropped-Favicon-32x32.png Leonie Lawson - SpottedLlamaStudio https://spottedllamastudio.com 32 32 What’s New in BigBlueButton 3.0? Updates You Need to Know https://spottedllamastudio.com/2025/03/15/whats-new-in-bbb-3-0/ Sat, 15 Mar 2025 16:32:00 +0000 https://spottedllamastudio.com/?p=543

What’s new with BigBlueButton 3.0?

If you’ve been using BigBlueButton (BBB) for a while, you’ll know it’s always evolving.

BigBlueButton just got a serious upgrade with version 3.0, and there are a lot of changes that make teaching (and learning) smoother, more interactive, and just better.

I’ve been playing around with the new features, and here’s what’s stood out to me.

Whiteboard Upgrade

The whiteboard was already a decent tool, but this update enables you to more easily use it to be responsive to the groups needs as you teach. All of these features area also available in multi user mode too, so learners can utlise them in breakout rooms or as part of the main session.

These features have always been available on BBB, but they are now smoother to use and customise:

  • Adding post-it notes for activities and session notes (great for brainstorming)
  • Use arrows, tick/cross marks, and shapes to highlight key points or create a diagram
  • Using the pen, annotate as you go, just like in the traditional classroom.

 

You can also now:

  • Highlight text for emphasis
  • Add clickable links, so students can go straight to a website or article from the whiteboard.

Need to break something down further? Scribble on the board, drop in a link, and keep going.

It’s also much easier to move things around, and both you and your students can easy take ‘snapshots’ of the slides with annotations to save for later.

There’s also a new infinite whiteboard feature (currently experimental) that lets you write in the margins and expand the workspace. If multi-user mode is enabled, students can even roam around the whiteboard independently.

Note infinite whiteboard recording isn’t available yet, but it’s on the roadmap.

User friendly public chat

Public chat has had an upgrade:

  • Edit your own messages (goodbye typos).
  • Reply to specific messages so conversations don’t get lost.
  • React to messages with emojis, sometimes a quick 👍 is all you need.
  • Delete individual messages (You don’t have to clear the entire chat just to remove one comment).

It’s a small change, but it really helps with student participation in the chat.

The new away mode

Have you ever had a moment when you direct question a learner and wonder if they have disappeared to make a cup of tea?

Now, there’s a clear away indicator that lets users show when they’ve stepped away.

  • Set yourself to Away, and your video and audio will automatically mute.
  • Switch back to Available, and they’ll turn back on.
  • A public chat message lets others know you’re back.
  • Your avatar updates in the user list to show you’re away.

No more awkward “Hello? Are you still there?” moments, particulary in large group sessions.

More Flexibility with Plugins – Built for Customisation

One of the great things about BigBlueButton being open-source is that contributors can develop and add their own features. This means organisations can customise BBB to fit their specific needs, rather than being stuck with a one-size-fits-all solution.

Some older core features have been removed from the default setup in BBB 3.0, but if you still need them, they’re available as separate plugins. At the same time, new plugins have been made available, giving even more options to extend functionality.

This modular approach means you can pick and choose the features that work best for your setup, whether you need interactive learning tools, better session management, or more accessibility features.

Display a webpage

Display a webpage to all users within BBB without the faff of screen sharing.

Auto-Volume Adjust

Lowers external video volume when someone speaks (so discussions don’t get drowned out).

Media Popout

Pop out webcam or screen shares into a separate window for better multitasking.

Source code highlight

Makes it easier to share and read code inside the chat (great for coding classes).

@ Chat Mentions

Tag users directly in chat.

Select Random User

Great for quiz games or calling on students at random.

Typed Captions

Auto captioning is already embedded within BBB. This plugin allows you to manually type captions for accessibility or live translations to meet specific needs.

Session Share

Let others join a live session by invite link or QR code

Guided Tour

Adds a button to guide new users through BBB’s features.

H5P Integration

This is a big one! BigBlueButton 3.0 now integrates with H5P!

Until now, if you wanted to use H5P activities in a BBB session, you had to send students to another page or rely on screen sharing. Not anymore!

With the new H5P / BBB plugin, these activities can be embedded directly inside the session meaning students stay engaged without leaving the virtual classroom.

For anyone not familiar, H5P is an open-source tool that lets you create things like:

  • Drag-and-drop exercises
  • Timelines
  • Crossword puzzles
  • Interactive videos
  • Image hotspots

For now, the integration supports crosswords and drag-and-drop exercises, but this is just the beginning.

With H5P’s huge library of interactive content types, I fully expect to see more interactive content types added in future updates.

Imagine being able to run interactive quizzes, fill-in-the-blanks, timeline exercises, and even interactive videos, all inside BBB.

For educators, trainers, and anyone running virtual learning, this is a huge step forward. I don’t believe that any other platform offers these all in one features.

Other notable mentions…

Alongside the major updates, BBB 3.0 comes with a few smaller tweaks that might not steal the spotlight, but definitely improve the overall experience.

The “Leave Session” Button Has Moved
It used to be way too easy to accidentally end the session for everyone with a misclick. Now, the “Leave Session” button is tucked away in a more deliberate location, reducing the risk of unintentional classroom evacuations.

Improved Poll Formatting
Poll results are easier to read. Shared results now display more clearly on-screen and in public chat.

Private chat ‘read receipts’
Private chat messages now have read receipts so you know when someone has seen your message.

Final thoughts

BigBlueButton has always been built for educators, by educators, and BBB 3.0 really reinforces that. The updates aren’t just cosmetic changes, they genuinely improve how online learning works, making sessions more interactive, seamless, and engaging.

With a more powerful whiteboard, smarter chat tools, better muting controls, plugin support, and H5P integration, it’s clear that BBB is continuing to evolve into the best virtual classroom platform out there.

And this is just the start. With more H5P content types and other enhancements likely on the horizon, I’m excited to see what comes next.

If you’re already using BBB, I’d love to hear what you think of the updates. Which new feature are you most excited about? Drop a comment!

And if you haven’t tried BigBlueButton 3.0 yet, now’s the time!

BigBlueButton® is a registered trademark of BigBlueButton Inc. This blog post is an independent review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by BigBlueButton Inc. All trademarks, service marks, and company names are the property of their respective owners.

]]> Why BigBlueButton is My Go-To for Online Teaching (And Why It Should Be Yours Too) https://spottedllamastudio.com/2025/03/15/why-big-blue-button/ Sat, 15 Mar 2025 12:37:11 +0000 https://spottedllamastudio.com/?p=480
Trademark notice

BigBlueButton® is a registered trademark of BigBlueButton Inc. This blog post is an independent review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by BigBlueButton Inc. All trademarks, service marks, and company names are the property of their respective owners.

Why BigBlueButton?

Anyone who has worked with me knows I’m a huge advocate for BigBlueButton (BBB). It’s not just a platform I use, it’s one I genuinely believe in.

I’ve been in the online learning space for years, long before it became a necessity for just about everyone. Back then, web conferencing tools weren’t exactly built with educators in mind. If you wanted to run an online class, you were either cramming your lesson into a corporate meeting platform (hello, GoToMeeting and Zoom) or battling with clunky workarounds that made even the simplest tasks a nightmare.

And then COVID hit. Suddenly, every educator, trainer, and facilitator had to figure out how to teach online overnight. Platforms that had been slowly evolving were thrown into the spotlight. Some adapted, some panicked, but one stood out for all the right reasons.

That’s when BigBlueButton really came into its own.

Built by educators, for educators

Because teaching online should be about learning, not just meeting.

Unlike other web conferencing tools that were built for businesses and retrofitted for classrooms, BBB was designed from the ground up for education. It’s open-source, meaning it’s constantly improving with input from the people who actually use it, educators.

While other platforms were focused on breakout rooms and “mute all” buttons, BBB was busy building a virtual classroom that actually makes sense for teaching and learning.

What Makes BigBlueButton Stand Out?

Interactive Teaching Tools
  • Multi-User Whiteboard & Annotations → Interactive whiteboard tools let educators and students collaborate visually in real time.
  • Shared Notes for Collaborative Learning → A built-in notepad allows students and instructors to take and edit notes together, creating a dynamic shared resource.
  • Live Polls & Quizzes → Engage learners with multiple-choice, true/false, and short-answer polls, allowing for quick feedback and deeper discussion.
  • Breakout Rooms Done Right → Easily split students into groups for discussions, problem-solving, or collaborative work, with the ability to monitor and jump between rooms.
  • Real-Time Chat & Reactions → Public and private chat, emoji reactions, and hand-raising features make participation easy and natural.
Reactions Bar
Polling
Multi user whiteboard
Smart Features for a Seamless Learning Experience
  • Seamless Presentation & Multimedia Sharing
    Upload slides (PDF, PPTX, etc.), annotate them in real-time, and share videos directly within the platform, no awkward screen sharing needed.
  • Smart Slides for One-Click Polling
    BigBlueButton automatically detects poll questions within your uploaded slides, allowing you to launch polls with a single click, perfect for quick engagement.
  • Smart slide video playback
    It also detects YouTube or Vimeo links embedded in slides, enabling one-click video playback with full audio inside BBB. No need for screen sharing or external tabs.
  • Engagement Tracking & Learning Analytics
    Monitor student participation with live engagement metrics and post-session reports.
  • Integrated Closed Captioning & Accessibility Features
    Live captions, screen reader support, and customisable interfaces ensure an inclusive learning experience.
  • Session Recording & Playback
    Record classes with indexed playback, so students can revisit key moments without scrubbing through hours of video.

Everything about BBB is designed to make online learning interactive, structured, and easy to manage, all without the distractions of clunky interfaces or unnecessary features.

BigBlueButton is packed with even more features designed to make online teaching and learning smoother, more interactive, and more engaging. I’ll be covering some of these additional features in future posts, diving into how they can be used to enhance virtual classrooms and training sessions.

I’ll also be looking at the latest updates in BigBlueButton 3.0, covering the new features that have just been released and how they can improve the virtual classroom experience.

It Plays Nicely with Moodle

One of the reasons I use BBB so often in my LMS development and consultancy work is its seamless integration with Moodle. In fact, it’s not just an add-on, it’s a core feature of Moodle.

If you’re running a Moodle-based learning platform, you don’t need to install anything extra, BigBlueButton is already there, ready to go. You just need to activate it within your Moodle settings.

This means:

  • No need to send external meeting links—students can join directly from their course page.
  • Sessions can be recorded and accessed later within Moodle.
  • Educators can set up virtual classes and group discussions without leaving the LMS.
  • Better student experience, everything happens within Moodle, keeping learning seamless.

For organisations already using Moodle, this integration makes BBB a no-brainer. It keeps everything in one place, eliminates the need for third-party conferencing tools, and ensures a smooth, fully embedded learning experience.

And if you’re not using Moodle, don’t worry, BigBlueButton integrates with other major LMS platforms too, including Canvas, Docebo and Sakai. So whether you’re running a university-wide system or a smaller-scale learning platform, there’s a way to bring BBB into your workflow.

Free Version & Restrictions

Moodle’s default free integration with BigBlueButton allows educators to get started straight away, but it does come with some limitations:

  • Session recordings are only available for seven days.
  • Maximum of 60 minutes per session.
  • The maximum number of concurrent users per session is 25
  • Viewers’ (student) webcams are only visible to the moderator.

For organisations needing longer sessions, permanent recordings, and more robust hosting, upgrading to a premium BigBlueButton hosting plan is an option. Alternatively, since BBB is open-source, institutions can self-host their own BigBlueButton server for full control over features and performance.

Who Should Be Using BBB?

If you’re an educator, trainer, tutor, or running any kind of online learning experience, you should be looking at BigBlueButton.

It’s especially good for:

  • Universities and schools running remote or hybrid classes
  • Vocational and professional training
  • Online tutoring
  • Webinars and workshops

And because it’s open-source, it’s not tied to expensive licensing fees or restrictive contracts. It’s built to work for educators, not against them.

Should You Switch to BBB?

If you’ve struggled with platforms that feel like they were made for board meetings rather than classrooms, then yes. If you tried BBB a few years ago and weren’t convinced, I’d urge you to take another look, it’s grown a lot.

I’ll be looking into some of the latest updates that make BBB even better in my next post.

 

Explore BigBlueButton here

]]> Mastering Anatomical Terminology: A Microlearning Approach https://spottedllamastudio.com/2024/11/04/mastering-anatomical-terminology-a-microlearning-approach/ Mon, 04 Nov 2024 16:22:11 +0000 https://spottedllamastudio.com/?p=315 Interactive Tools and Real-World Practise

In designing this microlearning module, I focused on breaking down key anatomical planes and directional terms into bite-sized, manageable pieces.

My approach was to combine clarity with interaction, using visual aids and activities that made learning feel less like memorisation and more like exploration.

One of the core elements of this lesson is its interactive anatomical planes tool. By turning the dial, learners can explore different views of the horse and relate theoretical terms to practical anatomy.

Another element of this lesson is the scenario-based ‘putting knowledge into practise’ section. Learners are presented with a real-world scenario where they must apply the anatomical terms they’ve learned to correctly describe specific situations. This hands-on approach helps solidify understanding by challenging learners to use their knowledge in a practical context, which is essential for retaining and effectively using anatomical language.

The design process also involved crafting activities that reinforced these concepts, such as click-through visual diagrams and drag-and-drop quizzes.

]]> Distal limb dynamics https://spottedllamastudio.com/2024/11/04/distal-limb-dynamics/ Mon, 04 Nov 2024 16:03:15 +0000 https://spottedllamastudio.com/?p=296 Exploring the Tendons and Ligaments of the Distal Limb

With this interactive module, I’ve aimed to make learning about these structures more engaging and accessible.

In this interaction, learners can explore the various tendons and ligaments by clicking on different areas of the limb. Each click highlights a specific structure, while also providing concise information about its origin, insertion, path, and function. These details help learners not just memorise but also understand the interconnected roles these structures play in movement and stability.

By seeing each tendon or ligament light up in relation to its position in the leg, learners can better visualise how injuries or conditions might impact an animal’s mobility.

]]> Gatekeepers of the heart https://spottedllamastudio.com/2024/11/04/gatekeepers-of-the-heart/ Mon, 04 Nov 2024 15:29:29 +0000 https://spottedllamastudio.com/?p=288 A journey through cardiac valves

This project is a heart valve interaction, which is part of an online course for veterinary nurses studying the circulatory system. The goal was to take complex textbook information about the heart and make it more accessible and interesting. So, I created an interactive module featuring a realistic multimedia GIF image of a heart cross-section, complete with clickable markers that provide detailed information.

]]> Veterinary Radiography https://spottedllamastudio.com/2024/11/04/veterinary-radiography/ Mon, 04 Nov 2024 15:10:58 +0000 https://spottedllamastudio.com/?p=249 Veterinary radiography is an essential skill for both students and professionals in the field, requiring not only theoretical knowledge but hands-on experience to master. For this project I designed simple yet effective radiography interactions that can seamlessly blend into a lecture activity or be embedded as part of a comprehensive online lesson.

These interactive learning experiences are crafted to enhance understanding of radiographic positioning, image interpretation, and safety protocols. Whether used as standalone training or part of a larger curriculum, they offer flexibility for instructors and students alike to explore radiography concepts interactively.

Introduction to X-Ray Basics

This first interaction introduces the basics of x-ray imaging, incorporating visual cues and interactive elements to explain how x-rays work and the varying levels of absorption by different tissues.

Click the play button to view.

Exploring Exposure Settings

This next interaction focuses on understanding how adjusting exposure settings affects x-ray quality. Learners are introduced to a simple slider control that adjusts the milliamperage (mA), allowing them to visualize how changes in exposure impact the resulting x-ray image.

The use of the adjustable slider encourages active experimentation, which helps to solidify learners’ understanding of how different exposure parameters—like mA—affect the visibility and clarity of structures on an x-ray. By simulating these adjustments, learners can see firsthand how underexposure or overexposure can impact diagnostic accuracy, making this concept more tangible and easier to grasp.

Understanding Collimation

The next interaction introduces learners to the concept of collimation, which limits the area of exposure during radiography. Collimation not only improves image quality by reducing scatter radiation but also enhances patient safety by minimising unnecessary exposure.

In this interaction, learners can use the adjustable dials to modify the collimation field and see how these changes affect the highlighted area on the screen. By providing a hands-on way to adjust the collimator, learners gain a better understanding of how to properly frame the area of interest, reinforcing best practices in radiographic technique.

Radiographic Positioning

This interaction focuses on positioning the patient for a lateral pelvis radiograph, emphasising the importance of centring and collimation. Learners are guided step-by-step on where to place the x-ray beam, with a clear visual of a dog’s pelvis positioned on the table.

The interaction includes clickable elements where learners can indicate the correct point to center the x-ray beam, reinforcing accurate positioning. It also shows the final radiographic image, allowing learners to compare their choices with the correct positioning outcome. This active learning approach helps solidify best practices for obtaining a diagnostic-quality lateral pelvis radiograph, ensuring that all key anatomical structures are appropriately included.

]]> Interactive Animal Dentition Module https://spottedllamastudio.com/2024/06/22/interactive-animal-dentition-module/ Sat, 22 Jun 2024 18:05:03 +0000 https://spottedllamastudio.com/?p=218

Visual Learning for Animal Care Students

This interaction was designed for animal care students to compare the dentition of different animal species. Understanding the differences in animal dentition can be complex, especially when relying solely on textbook descriptions. To make this information more accessible, I created an interactive module that uses hover effects and clickable navigation to reveal detailed pop-up content for each species.

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