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Using the Tutor Room

During a lesson your tutor will guide you in using any tools, if required. However, for your general reference, here is an overview of some of the tools available.

 

Webcam.png Video chat

Your camera and microphone will turn on automatically. You'll be able to see and hear your tutor and any other students in the lesson, and they'll be able to see and hear you.

You can turn your Webcam.png camera or Mic.png microphone on or off during a lesson, if required. If you have multiple cameras or microphones you can select which ones you'd like to use (Settings.png Setup > Device setup).

 

Whiteboard.png Whiteboard tabs

  • View: Your view of the whiteboard will usually be controlled by your tutor, so only they can move the whiteboard around, zoom in or out and change tabs. If you need a different view, simply ask your tutor to change it.
  • Point: Simply move your cursor (or tap) to point within the whiteboard area and this will be shown to the tutor and any other students.
  • Annotate: Use the toolbar buttons to Draw.png Draw, Highlight.png Highlight or Text.png Type onto any uploaded resources (note: your tutor may have disabled these tools for students).
  • Upload.png Upload: You can see any resources uploaded by your tutor, or upload files yourself from your own device (including images, PDFs, PowerPoints and Word files).
  • Snapshot.png Snapshot: You can snapshot any paper based work onto the whiteboard by holding it up to your camera and using the snapshot button (although your live camera image is flipped/mirrored, your snapshot won't be and will display correctly).

 

Document.png Document tabs

  • Point / Select: Simply click (or tap) to select text within the document area and this will be shown to the tutor and any other students.
  • Edit: You and your tutor can edit and annotate text documents together in real time, or create new text documents.
  • Upload: Any text can simply be copied and pasted directly into a document tab.

 

Export.png Downloading

Once a lesson is finished you won't be able to re-enter the Tutor Room, so make sure you download any resources you wish to keep before you leave the Tutor Room.

  • Download all tabs: You can download a copy of all whiteboard and document tabs to your own device at anytime ( Options.png Options > Export.png Export).
  • Download single tab: If you're on a laptop or desktop, you can also right-click on the title of any tab to download only that specific tab.

 

Chat.png Chat

  • Send.png Message: You can send a typed messaged via the chat. Messages are visible to the tutor and also to any other students present.
  • Attach.png Share: To share files and links during a lesson, simply attach the file or paste the link into the chat. To view or download a file or link shared by your tutor or another student, simply click on it within the chat.

 

Video_-_Screen_share.png Screen share

If your tutor or another student shares their screen, you'll see it automatically. To share your own screen, click Video_-_Screen_share.png Share then select just the browser tab or application window you wish to share (rather than your entire screen).

Note: Rather than sharing your screen, we highly recommend uploading work to a whiteboard tab or document tab instead if possible, as this requires less bandwidth, is interactive and editable, and can be downloaded.

 

System requirements

The Tutor Room runs in the web browser so there's nothing to install. All you need is a device with a camera and microphone and a good internet connection.

Note: Phones are supported but not recommended because the screen is too small to provide a high quality online lesson experience.

 

Troubleshooting

If you're having technical issues with the Tutor Room, open the Tutor Room automatic Troubleshooting (Set.png Setup > Set_-_Troubleshooting.png Troubleshooting). Alternatively, see the Troubleshooting article for more information on resolving technical issues.

 

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