#1 2009-11-19 18:23:32

**_Shelley_**

What's your favorite ACP extension?

Hi, all --

I remember how cool it was to put Alistair Lee's "MP3 Player" in a meeting lobby. Have you used any other toys (I mean, um, extensions) to make your ACP room more fun or interactive?

Just curious...

Shelley

**_vosh_**

Re: What's your favorite ACP extension?

hm...aven dont know...:)

**_mark2741_**

Re: What's your favorite ACP extension?

I like the map one that uses Google maps. We used to put it in the intro layout (i.e., 'lobby') during our live webinars on ACP, but the problem was that it always crashed the recording playback for some reason. Whenever the users would try to view the recording, the recording would start and instantiate the map in the share pod and then crash while the map was making the call to google maps for the data.

It worked maybe 10% of the time for us, so we ditched it.

**_Shelley_**

Re: What's your favorite ACP extension?

Mark, curious if you started your recording while the map was showing in the lobby. Or did the recording start AFTER you left the lobby, and playback still crashed?

**_mark2741_**

Re: What's your favorite ACP extension?

We started recording while the map was showing the lobby. We have all layouts/everything setup and ready to go with what we need, then hit record right before the presenters start.

Of course, during recording playback, a cool feature of ACP is that the swf's that get loaded into a Share pod are live instances of the swf. In the case of the map widget it's actually a negative though, because:

a. It crashes the playback when it tries to access google maps for the data
b. It's of no value to the one person who is watching the recording asynchronously, since they're not 'part of' a large class

**_thomasattrp_**

Re: What's your favorite ACP extension?

I like "Hands UP" which we use in every meeting as well as the countdown timers.  Alistair's player is great, too.

**_mark2741_**

Re: What's your favorite ACP extension?

Oh yeah I forgot - we use the crystalpods countdown timer all the time.

We have a contract with Skytap so that we have live virtual machine labs online with our proprietary software apps installed and ready to go with data for each student. So it's literally no different (and in a lot of ways, better) than a live instructor-led class -

1. Instructor teaches core concepts/whatever via some slides.

2. Instructor demos software feature via screenshare.

3. Instructor references an activity in a workbook pdf that was pre-delivered to the students and they were told to have it printed out and with them.

4. We display a custom 'pod' that I put together (it's just a custom swf in a share pod) that shows a bunch of computer icons representing each student's virtual machine. They are numbered, and we tell the student to click on the virtual machine number that is next to their name in the Attendee Pod. During this time, we place the timer pod on screen and set the time allotted for the activity.

5. Student completes the exercise and places the 'agree' (i.e., green checkmark) as their status to let us know they are done. If everyone is done early, we can just move on. Otherwise, we wait for the timer to end and then we decide whether to extend time or move on.

More about the cloud-based virtual machines -

When the student accesses their VM, it opens in a new browser window. So they can switch between the ACP window/tab and the VM window/tab freely.

The instructors can login to Skytap and view each students machine by simply clicking on their student number (and the student doesn't know they're being watched unless you tell them), and even take control of their machines at any time.

Switching between student machines is *much* faster and better than trying to facilitate screen shares via ACP.

This setup works really well for us and has made our software training classes 'best of class' in my opinion, as we're able to deliver a real software environment and not just a simulation (which is not possible with our software anyways).

**_Shelley_**

Re: What's your favorite ACP extension?

Wow, Mark, that sounds amazing! We're doing online seminars about different marketing topics, so we don't need anything as sexy as a virtual machine lab... but if we ever do, I'm coming to YOUR house to play! :)

**_mark2741_**

Re: What's your favorite ACP extension?

lol - thanks!

We used to put virtual machines on USB keys and send them out to students.

We still put them on DVD and send to customers who have contracted us for onsite instructor-led training. We update the VM and then send out on DVD in advance of the instructor's arrival. The customer's IT department installs VMWare Player and then copies the vm files off the DVD onto each machine so that everything is ready to go for the class when the instructor arrives. We've been doing that for about 2 years and it saves us having to send instructors out a day early to install on each machine themselves.

**_mark2741_**

Re: What's your favorite ACP extension?

Now that i think of it....I'm gonna write this all up and submit to the Elearning Guild for an article : )

**_Shelley_**

Re: What's your favorite ACP extension?

You should, Mark! Do it. DO IT.

**_flama_**

Re: What's your favorite ACP extension?

Trying installing the Connect 7.5 addin.

[link modified by administrator so it doesn't point directly to an executable file]
http://www.adobe.com/support/connect/updaters.html

Frank Lama
PGI

Last edited by alistairlee (2009-11-20 14:20:14)

**_Shelley_**

Re: What's your favorite ACP extension?

Why, Frank? Is there something special with the 7.5 add-in?

**_mark2741_**

Re: What's your favorite ACP extension?

I would advise *not* clicking on that link. It's never a good idea to click on a url that executes a program directly....

alistairlee

Re: What's your favorite ACP extension?

I agree with Mark.

The link looked genuine - but you never want to click a link that executes a program.

I've modified the post to take you to the updaters page where you can find the add-in for both Windows and Mac.