Adobe Connect’s Pods Help Create Unique Virtual Learning Spaces
Setting up Adobe Connect to serve as a virtual classroom was surprisingly easy in our testing. Instructors simply define windows — which the platform calls pods — within the working space on their screen. Once they have defined the size and location of a pod, they use a dropdown menu to configure and set up its function. For example, they can get one pod ready to play a video while another shows a camera feed.
Other pods can support chat rooms for discussion or act as display windows for pictures or text. Pods of the same type can be used in clever ways, such as having multiple chat windows open for a debate, or to discuss different aspects of the lesson in a collaborative learning environment.
The layout for a page filled with pods can be saved as a template, and educators can switch out different templates at the touch of a button. For example, they can shift the focus of a lesson by switching from a large collaborative learning environment with several chat pods to one where the entire screen is dedicated to a single pod playing a video, encouraging everyone to really focus on it. Once the movie ends, they can switch back to the collaborative template for more discussion.