WizIQ Blog

Virtual Classroom Embeds are Back!

Virtual Classroom embeds are now back on WiZiQ. Teachers can now start promoting their classes by displaying their classes on their own websites/blogs with the embed code provided on their class detail (logged in) and class info pages (public) on WiZiQ.

How are Virtual Class embeds useful?

Apart from enhancing the look-and-feel of your website/blog, virtual class embeds enable your visitors to:

1. Register for your upcoming classes right from within your site/blog
2. View your upcoming classes’ schedules
3. View session recordings by clicking on the links provided on the Virtual Classroom embed
4. Use and display your Virtual Classroom embed on thier own websites/blogs

What can you do to promote your classes with Virtual Class embeds?

There are many ways to promote both your Virtual Classroom sessions and website/blog. Here are some suggestions:

• Display your classes on your own website/blog
• Get student registrations through Virtual Class embeds on your website/blog by
  -promoting your website/blog and classes by sharing their links on different social networking sites
  -bookmarking your website/blog on various bookmarking sites

• Improve visibility of your website/blog in search engines by linking to WiZiQ through the Virtual Classroom embed

Here are some examples that show you where to get the embed code:

Embed-code on your class detail page

Click on the 'Get Class Link' as shown in the image above. A pop up opens up with code in it. Just copy and paste the code as shown in the image below.

Similarly, you can get embed code from your class info page as well:

On clicking the link a pop up opens up with code in it. Just copy and paste the code as shown in the image below.

Here's an example of an embedded class. We picked the code from the class and simply added it to the HTML code in this post:

WiZiQ: Now for Organizations! by WiZiQ Support

Get your own Virtual Classroom

Note: Currently virtual class embeds are not available for paid classes. Also, the embed code for private classes is available on the detail pages of teachers but not on info pages. However, teachers can embed the code in their websites/blogs.

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Known Issues and Fixes for the New Virtual Classroom

The launch of the new Virtual Classroom has been very exciting for us with the team working last Sunday to deliver better technology to our teachers and students. We know that there have been some teething troubles and we are aware of the issues reported. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We are sure that our teachers do understand that we want to upgrade our technology for the better - to make classes on WiZiQ the best ever that can be. We are working on all known issues on an urgent basis and will keep you posted on the status of the fixes. Here are some of the technical problems reported by users for the new Virtual Classroom. If you are facing a problem listed here and resolution is in progress, you can check back on this post to see if the status has been updated to "Fixed":

Issue: Delay in uploading content from your desktop in an online class
Status: Fixed.

Issue: Problem in accessing past class recordings
Status: Fixed.

Issue: Problem in pausing and resuming class recordings
Status: Fixed.

Issue: The error message “you are already signed into the session on another browser or system. Please sign-out from there and refresh”.
Status: Fixed.

Issue: Screen size is too big
Status: Fixed. Now PowerPoint, whiteboard, etc. will auto-fit to your screen size.

Issue: Problem in downloading class recordings
Status: Fixed. You can now start downloading your recordings.

Issue: Play/Pause button not working in SWF files
Status: Resolution in progress.

Issue: Missing embed code for classes
Status: Resolution in progress.

As you can see, most of the issues have been resolved and the remaining two issues will be fixed soon. If you encounter any other technical problems while using the new Virtual Classroom, please write to us at support@wiziq.com.

Also, some of the issues we see our users facing is because of lack of familiarity with the new Virtual Classroom. Although we have been informing our users to test out the new Virtual Classroom repeatedly over the last 6 weeks, we realize there are many out there who haven't. So we urge you to schedule a free demo of the new Virtual Classroom with one of our support personnel so you can give the best experience to your students, as we want to give to you.

We thank you for your patience.

Besides resolving the present issues, WiZiQ has been adding new features at the same time to enhance the quality of the new Virtual Classroom. So, keep visiting this blog post for new feature updates. Below are some features that are added recently:

• A new Eraser button has been added to the objects’ panel of your new VC
• The arrow has been replaced with ‘+/-‘ symbols to expand or collapse your folders in the content library
• Next/previous buttons added in your pdf/doc/xls files, just as in ppt
• Upload content directly to the Virtual Classroom in MAC systems up to 500 KB

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WiZiQ is one of Jane Hart's Top Tools for 2009

Jane Hart, a reputed e-Learning blogger has included WiZiQ in her list of Top Tools for 2009. Read more about the same in her post Top Tools for 2009.

Jane has also written about WiZiQ Virtual Classroom Embed and WiZiQ Virtual Classroom for Moodle too.

Embedding Virtual Classroom from WiZiQ on Blogger/ Blogspot, Wordpress or Typepad

WiZiQ Virtual Classroom Embed on Blogger/ Blogspot.com by Sarvinder Sandhu

Upload and Share your Documents Online

WiZiQ Virtual Classroom Embed on Typepad by Sarvinder Sandhu

Upload and Share your Documents Online

WiZiQ Virtual Classroom Embed on Wordpress by Sarvinder Sandhu

Upload and Share your Documents Online

Virtual Classroom Embed : How to Use on Typepad

WiZiQ, amongst a host of other reputed companies using Typepad for blogging. It is very simple to use Virtual Classroom Embed [what is a virtual classoom embed?] on Typepad [see here for How to Embed WiZiQ Virtual Classroom on Blogger/ Blogspot and How to Embed WiZiQ Virtual Classroom on Wordpress].

All you need to do is sign in to your Typepad Account, click on New Post or New Page.

Next, you can type in the blog content for your blog. Once you reach the place where you want to place the Virtual Classroom Embed, go to Edit HTML and place the Virtual Classroom Embed Code. You can get the Virtual Classroom Embed code by going to the session details page [How to get Virtual Classroom Embed Code for Public Classes and How to get Virtual Classroom Embed Code for Private Classes].






Once this is done, you can Preview the Post to see if everything is in order. 

 

Once, this is done, just edit the post or click on Save and Publish the same.

Now, let us place this embed for an upcoming session by Sarvinder here:

Scheduling and Conducting your Online Class by Sarvinder Sandhu

Get your own Virtual Classroom

WiZiQ Virtual Classroom Embed for Wordpress

Wordpress, is arguably one of the most popular blogging software. Its Alexa Rank of 27 and hundreds and thousands of blogs on Wordpress as well as ones using the Wordpress software, tells you of its reach. Many of our teachers also have their blogs on Wordpress [for instance, Agile Blog and Smart Teaching Online]. A lot of teachers have asked us how they can embed our virtual classroom [what is a virtual classoom embed?] on their Wordpress Blog [see here for How to Embed WiZiQ Virtual Classroom on Blogger/ Blogspot]. If you have a self hosted Wordpress Blog [that is you have downloaded Wordpress and use it on your own server], then you can embed the Virtual Classroom straight forward. Go to the post, place your cursor where you want to place the embed, click on HTML tab, place the embed code, preview and then edit or publish. However, if you have your blog on Wordpress [like the blogs mentioned above], then Wordpress does not allow you to post the embed straight forward. You will embed the code and publish and the code will just vanish. This is because, Wordpress only allows the embed from websites like YouTube. However, there is an easy workaround. The answer is in a website called Vodpod. You will need to add a simple Post to Wordpress button on your browser [similar to adding a Bookmark] and thats it. This would not only allow you to post the WiZiQ Virtual Classroom Embed to your Wordpress Blog, but virtually any embed code from any website.

For Firefox Users : The steps to install Vodpod Button and post the Virtual Classroom Embed on Wordpress Blog:

• Go to http://www.vodpod.com/wordpress

• Now drag and drop the Post to Wordpress button to your Firefox Toolbar

• Thats it, Vodpod is installed - it is absolutely free of cost too. Now, all you need to embed the Virtual Classroom on Wordpress is to go to the session details page [How to get Virtual Classroom Embed Code for Public Classes and How to get Virtual Classroom Embed Code for Private Classes]. Once you are on this page, just click on "Post to Wordpress" Button. If you notice the Click a Video or <embed> vode to select it - yellow bar, just press the "Post to Wordpress" button again.

• A pop-up window would appear. This is almost similar to writing a blog. Just enter the name of your Wordpress Blog [URL], your username, password and some text for the post [don't worry, you can edit this once this is posted, by going to the admin area of your Wordpress Blog].
  

• Thats it, you have posted the Embed on your Wordpress Blog.
  

For Internet Explorer [and other Browsers] Users : The steps to install Vodpod Button and post the Virtual Classroom Embed on Wordpress Blog:

• Again, go to http://www.vodpod.com/wordpress/

• You can read the instructions on "How to Install and Use". Just right click the "Post to Wordpress" button and "Add to Favorites"

• Thats it. Vodpod is added to your browser. Now go to the session details page [How to get Virtual Classroom Embed Code for Public Classes and How to get Virtual Classroom Embed Code for Private Classes]. Once you are on this page, just click on "Post to Wordpress" Link.
  

• Once you click on the link, you may see a Pop-Up Blocker appear. Click on the same to Allow Pop-Ups from WiZiQ.com.

• Now, the page will refresh and if you click on Post to Wordpress link again, you will see a pop-up. This is almost similar to writing a blog. Just enter the name of your Wordpress Blog [URL], your username, password and some text for the post [don't worry, you can edit this once this is posted, by going to the admin area of your Wordpress Blog]. You will notice two videos [see the highlighted area below]. Just keep the first video [it seems like I.E. picks the video from both the URL as well as the embed code].
  

• Congratulations! The Embed Code is working on Wordpress.

Once you get the embedded code to work on Wordpress, you can go a given post and edit the post. If you have any questions, comments or issues, please do write to us.