BigBlueButton

BigBlueButton is open-source software for running live online classes, designed around teaching rather than general business meetings. The project started in 2007 in a technology programme at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. It is available in more than 65 languages and can be installed on an organisation's own servers or used through commercial hosting partners.

What BigBlueButton offers

• Presentation tools — upload of PowerPoint, Word, PDF and image files, a whiteboard several people can draw on, and screen sharing.
• Class activities — polls, breakout rooms, hand raising, shared notes and both group and private chat.
• Engagement tracking — live analytics and visual checks that show which students are struggling or doing well.
• Video — webcams with custom backgrounds, and playback of shared videos to the whole class.
• LMS integrations — the default virtual classroom inside Canvas, Moodle Cloud, Sakai, Jenzabar, D2L and Schoology.

Who it works with

It serves K–12 schools, colleges, universities, tutoring services and training teams. Users quoted on its site include Activate Learning, Kids' Club Spanish School and the French Ministry of Education.

Key facts

• Origin: Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, in 2007
• Licence: open source
• Languages: more than 65
• Co-founder: Fred Dixon