Virtual Classroom | Roles of participants and how to change them
Roles of participants in a meeting via Virtual Classroom are based on the role the user has in Brightspace:
Role in Brightspace course | Default role in Virtual Classroom meeting |
---|---|
Student | Viewer |
Re-exam student | Viewer |
Teaching assistant | Moderator |
Lecturer | Moderator |
Course coordinator | Moderator |
External participants to the meeting in Virtual Classroom do not need a WUR guest account created, if they are only required to participate in that meeting. Once you invite external participants to the meeting they will join as Viewers by default.
Participant roles in Virtual Classroom and their options
Each role has different abilities and options available when participating in a meeting via Virtual Classroom. In the table below you can see an overview of them as provided by Bongo (the developer of the tool):
Options in the Virtual Classroom meeting | Moderator | Presenter | Viewer |
---|---|---|---|
Can start the meeting | ✔️ |
||
Can share their webcam and audio | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Can share screen |
✔️ |
||
Can upload a presentation |
✔️ |
||
Can toggle Recording status |
✔️ |
||
Can private chat with other users | ✔️ |
✔️ |
✔️ |
Can draw with the Whiteboard features (Annotation tools) | ✔️ |
||
Automatically assigned by creating the meeting | ✔️ |
||
Can promote and demote another user to Moderator | ✔️ |
||
Can promote and demote another user to Presenter | ✔️ |
||
Can remove another user from the meeting | ✔️ |
||
Can create Breakout-rooms | ✔️ |
||
Can end a meeting |
✔️ |
Roles and functions of participants are also visually distinguished. In the table below you can see the explanation of the different icons used in the participant list of Virtual Classroom meeting:

How to change roles of meeting's participants
The roles of participants in the meeting can be changed once they have joined. This counts for external participants as well.
As a Moderator you can make another participant a Presenter without promoting them to a Moderator. In case of student presentations, the lecturer can make a student Presenter.
In the meeting click on the icon in the upper left corner User List Toggle. This opens a vertical bar with the list of meeting participants.
Now, in the participants list:
- Click on the participant you want to make Presenter in the meeting.
- Then, from the drop-down menu click on Make Presenter.

Now, with the role of a Presenter the participant has the ability to upload a presentation or share her/his screen, as well as make use of the Annotation tools.
As a lecturer you join the meeting by default as a Moderator and your students as a Viewer. If you want to promote a student to Moderator you can do so.
- Open user list
- Click on the participant
- Select Promote to moderator

In the same way you can demote a participant from Moderator to Viewer if needed.

The participant you promote to Moderator will then have the same options as you, meaning s/he can make someone else a Presenter, can Remove user(s) and Demote other user(s) to viewer.
.
You now know the different roles of Virtual Classroom meetings!
Related topics
Want to know more about meeting via Virtual Classroom in Brightspace?
Please visit: