Google Hangouts On Air
Google Hangouts on Air
Hangouts on Air (HOA) allows you to hold a video conference with your group, record the meeting, and then make the recording available to your instructor. Some of the most important learning activities that you will participate in during this course will involve these HOA sessions, so it is critical that you know how to correctly carry out and record discussions using this service. For those of you who may not be familiar with these features, instructions are provided below.
Google HOA sessions are recorded.The recording will automatically post to the YouTube account of the group leader that hosted the session. The group leader can then share the recording by sending your instructor a link to the video.
Only one member of your group needs to initiate the HOA; the rest of the group needs to accept the invitation to join. Upon finishing your discussion, it will be the group leader's responsibility to post the link to your video as part of the assignment that you submit on the assignment drop box in I-Learn.
HOA Instructions
To ensure that the meeting with your group is successful, you are encouraged to use the instructions provided below. It is critical that you test the technology in advance of your first HOA meeting. Failure to do so could result in your inability to complete an assignment.
Setup Instructions
Note: Follow these setup instructions whether you will be initiating the Google HOA session, or you be joining the session.
Complete each step listed below unless you already have a Google or Google+ account. If you already have a Google account, skip Step 1. If you already have a Google+ account, skip Steps 1 and 2.
- Click here to create a Google account if you do not already have one.
- Upgrade your Google account to a Google+ account. This can be done by accessing your Google account and clicking "Upgrade." If you sign up for a new Google account, it will prompt you at the end if you would like to upgrade to Google+.
- Go to Google's support page and follow the instructions to get started using Google Hangouts on Air.
- You will need to create a YouTube channel and link it to your Google+ account. Directions in the link in Step 3 describe how to do this. Newly created Google+ accounts are automatically linked to YouTube. If you have difficulty linking a preexisting Google+ account to a YouTube account, it is recommended that you simply create a new Google+ account which will automatically be linked to a YouTube account.
- Check the system requirements in the link found in Step 3.
- Install the latest version of the Hangouts plugin.
How to Start a Hangout On Air
To immediately start your HOA session, click here, then click on the link near the top of the page, "Start a Hangout On Air immediately without an event page."
How to Invite Other people to Join:
There are multiple ways to invite others to join session. The simplest way is to do the following steps just a few minutes prior to your scheduled meeting time:
- Complete the step above to start an HOA session.
- Copy the URL in the address bar of the HOA webpage and share it with the individuals you would like to join the session. You can e-mail the link or post it in a discussion board to which your group members have access.
- Wait to click the "Start Broadcasting" button until others have joined and you are ready to begin your discussion.
- Be sure you notify your group members in advance regarding where you will post the link. Also, make sure they understand that the link will not be available until a couple of minutes prior to your scheduled meeting time. When your group members click on the link you send, it will take them right into your HOA session.
How to Join a Hangout On Air:
There are multiple ways to do this as well, however, the simplest is to have the person initiating the session send you the URL, as described in the above section. Simply click on the link and it will take you right into the session.
Note: This will not work if you have not previously completed the setup instructions above.
Recording Options
Hangouts On Air gives you the option to record your session. If you would like to record the session, click the "Start Broadcasting" button and proceed with your meeting. If you would not like the broadcast recorded, just proceed without pressing the Start Broadcasting button. The session will say "OFF AIR" when you are not recording, and will say "LIVE" and "Stop Recording" when you are successfully recording."
While Recording
- The person who initiates the meeting will see the word, "LIVE" at the bottom of the screen when it is recording. Do not stop the recording until you have completed your discussion. Once it is stopped, you cannot resume with the same recording. In other words, it is not possible to pause your recording.
- While recording, make sure anyone who is not speaking has muted their microphone to cut down on background noise. Visit this page to learn how to mute someone. After clicking on this link you will need to click on "Control Room."
- Present in a quiet room where you are not likely to be disturbed.
- If you are presenting in a group, be certain that each group member is close enough to the recording device to be heard clearly and distinctly by your audience. This will also help avoid video feedback.
- If you are having difficulty with your audio, consider using a microphone or a headset. You can also try plugging in a set of headphones to reduce feedback.
After Recording
- After the session, if you chose to record it, the video is automatically posted to your YouTube channel as a public video (anybody can see it and search for it). As a general rule of thumb, you should expect the upload time to be at least the time of your recording. For example, if your recording lasts an hour, you should expect the time it takes to upload the video to be at least an hour as well. You will not be able to see the video in your account until it is uploaded. You may want to change its privacy settings so that only those with a link can view your video. To do so, either click on the link that appears when you close the discussion screen or log into YouTube and find your list of uploaded videos. Change the privacy settings from "Public" to "Unlisted" and click "Save Changes."
- Send the link to your recorded discussion video on YouTube by simply copying and pasting the URL of your video into the assignment that you submit in the drop box.
Questions?
- The HOA common questions page is a very useful tool as well. Browse this if you are having questions regarding the system.
- You can also visit the Troubleshoot Hangouts on Air page for further help.