Levels of Hosting Expertise

To use Adobe Connect effectively to hold classes and meetings, a good amount of practice, planning, and time to prepare is recommended.

Skills and Competencies
The different levels of experience described below should give you some idea of the skills and competencies you need to host at each level and the types of meetings you will feel comfortable hosting.

Level 1: Beginner

Level 1: Adobe Connect Meeting Beginner

A beginner Adobe Connect host is someone who has never used Adobe Connect or attended an Adobe Connect meeting. To get started, the beginner needs to:

Attend an ITS face-to-face orientation seminar (see Learning to Use Adobe Connect under Getting Started and information about ITS seminars at http://meeting.psu.edu/forum/18)
Attend one (or more) open demo meetings to learn how to broadcast audio and video and learn how to use various tools within the meeting room (see the Community Home Page or Announcements in the Forums)
Find out who the appropriate Penn State Adobe Connect Contact is (see Meeting Creator Licenses under Creating/Editing Meetings)
Have a meeting room created
Know the URL of the meeting room and how to enter and leave the room (see Getting Started under the top menu)
Locate documentation on specific topics in the Adobe Connect Community Hub, and work through the step-by-step directions
Understand the three roles Attendees can be assigned and how to change them (see Roles and Permissions under Using Adobe Connect)
Arrange to meet a friend or colleague in an Acrobat Connect room and practice using the tools

Level 2: Intermediate

Level 2: Adobe Connect Meeting Intermediate

In addition to the Level 1 skills, an intermediate Adobe Connect host feels comfortable “popping” into an Adobe Connect meeting room with a friend or colleague on the spur of the moment for informal meetings. A Level 2 host is familiar with most of the material under the Using Adobe Connect and Creating/Editing Meetings sections, and is able to:

Participate confidently in one-on-one and small group meetings
Broadcast audio and video and troubleshoot basic problems (see Camera and Voice Pod: Broadcasting Audio and Video under Using Adobe Connect)
Upload files into the Share pod (see Share Pod: Sharing Files and Whiteboards under Using Adobe Connect)
Start and stop desktop/application sharing (see Share Pod: Sharing Screens and Applications under Using Adobe Connect)
Create customized meeting room layouts and switch between layouts during the meeting (see Customizing Layouts under Using Adobe Connect
Create and display poll questions
Access the basic functions of the Connect Central Web Interface (see Creating/Editing Meetings under the top menu)
Record a meeting and find the URL for the recording in the Meeting Manager Interface (see Recording Meetings under Using Adobe Connect
Edit the participants and their roles using the Current Participants list (see Editing Participants under Creating/Editing Meetings)
Change the meeting room information, including the title of the room and the access setting for the room (see Editing and Deleting Meetings under Creating/Editing Meetings)

Level 3: Advanced

Level 3: Adobe Connect Meeting Advanced

In addition to the Level 1 and Level 2 skills, an advanced Adobe Connect user feels comfortable organizing and hosting more formal small group meetings as well as using Adobe Connect to bring guest speakers into a class or guest presenters into a meeting. An advanced user is able to:

Use the Adobe Connect Web Interface to schedule, organize, and manage meeting rooms (see Creating a New Meeting and Editing and Deleting Meetings under Creating/Editing Meetings)
Use the Penn State Bulk Upload Utility to manage Participants on the Current Participant list (see Bulk Upload Utility under Creating/Editing Meetings)
Help plan and host lecture-style meetings using Adobe Connect to speak to an audience that is at a distance
Help plan, host, and facilitate classes and meetings with six or more participants where everyone is connecting from a distance and broadcasting audio and video
Adjust meeting room settings for better performance and help attendees adjust their connection settings (see Improving Performance under Using Adobe Connect -> Camera and Voice Pod: Broadcasting Audio and Video)
Help others broadcast, upload files, and share applications

Level 4: Expert

Level 4: Adobe Connect Meeting Expert

In addition to the Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 skills, expert Adobe Connect hosts feel comfortable and confident using Adobe Connect for all different kinds of meetings and gatherings, both formal and informal. In addition to being able to help others use Adobe Connect, they are able to:

Help others use the Connect Central Web Interface to change meeting room settings and schedule, manage, and organize meeting rooms (see Creating/Editing Meetings under the top menu)
Plan, host, and moderate Adobe Connect meetings, classes, and events
Plan, host, and moderate large group meetings where a combination of people are meeting both face-to-face and at a distance
Attend to the needs of both the face-to-face audience and the participants at a distance prior to and during an Adobe Connect meeting
Troubleshoot problems and take corrective action while a meeting is in progress