Important information for users transitioning from Adobe Connect to Zoom.
Important information for users transitioning from Adobe Connect to Zoom.
ACU is consolidating online videoconferencing for learning and teaching into Zoom and will be retiring Adobe Connect.
If you are and academic or professional staff member who uses Adobe Connect for teaching purposes, and/or is in charge of maintaining Adobe Connect recordings in LEO units, you will be required to make updates to your units. Please keep reading for more information.
From Monday, 1 February 2021:
Until Thursday, 2 December 2021:
After Thursday, 2 December 2021 all remaining Adobe Connect meeting rooms and recordings will be deleted and ACU's Adobe Connect server will be shut down.
In late January and early February 2021, we will run weekly drop-in sessions for teaching staff who may have questions about the process.
All ACU staff have access to the videoconferencing tool Zoom for online classrooms, workshops and webinars. Staff may also run meetings with ACU colleagues in Zoom, or use Microsoft Teams if they wish.
Zoom meetings may be recorded and stored locally or in cloud storage to use as required. When saved to the "cloud", recordings are automatically uploaded to Echo360. All staff also have access to Echo360 to manage and share recordings.
All existing recordings will be available to download from Adobe Connect until 2 December 2021. Before this date, you should download any recordings you wish to keep and upload them into Echo360, where you may store these recordings to use in LEO units and for other purposes in the future. See below for more information.
As part of the transition, staff will be required to update their LEO units to remove any Adobe Connect recording links and replace them with the Echo360 version.
Adobe Connect recordings currently being linked to from LEO units or elsewhere will continue to function until Adobe Connect becomes unavailable on 2 December 2021, however we encourage staff to replace required recordings as soon as possible.
No new Adobe Connect meeting rooms will be able to be created in LEO using the External Tool from 1 February 2021. For Summer 2021 units staff may continue to use Adobe Connect for teaching if they wish, however Semester 1, 2021 units and beyond will be required to use Zoom instead.
Existing recordings will be accessible to play and download until the shutdown date 2 December 2021.
Online classrooms, meetings and webinars
Zoom allows for most of the functions of Adobe Connect, such as video, audio and text chat, screen and document sharing, whiteboards, breakout rooms, polls, plus participant management options. Zoom is also a more stable and user-friendly tool for staff and students.
Other functions, such as many of the other "pods" available in Adobe Connect are not available in Zoom. The layout of Zoom can also not be customised in the way Adobe Connect can.
Recordings and storage
Zoom meetings can be recorded and saved to your local computer or online in "cloud" storage. Recordings saved to the cloud are automatically uploaded to Echo360, where they can be accessed and shared indefinitely.
Use in LEO units
Meeting links in Zoom can be added into LEO units using the URL tool. Recordings can be linked to or embedded in LEO units using the Echo360 link, which users may create in their Echo360 library or using the Add Echo360 Media button in the LEO text editor.
The following guides can show you how to access Zoom and make use of its features:
The following guides can show you how to access Echo360 and make use of its features:
You can provide these links to your students that explains how to upload and submit a video assignment in LEO:
Yes, online webinars and drop-in sessions will begin in January 2021. View details of upcoming sessions on the Teaching online workshops and drop-ins page.
Please keep an eye on the Staff Bulletin, ACU Workplace and Staff Notices on the LEO home page for schedule sessions.
Please contact the Learning and Teaching Centre for professional development, resources and advice for your learning and teaching needs at ACU.
Available 8am-10pm Sydney time, Mon to Fri,
9am-5pm Weekends and public holidays
Closed Good Friday and Christmas