BigBlueButton Integration
Host virtual classrooms with open-source video conferencing, whiteboard, and breakout rooms
Overview
Integrate BigBlueButton (the leading open-source virtual classroom platform) with OpenEduCat for a fully open-source education stack. BigBlueButton is purpose-built for education with features like interactive whiteboards, breakout rooms, shared notes, polling, and presentation mode. Self-host it on your own servers for complete data sovereignty, or use a hosted BigBlueButton service. The integration creates virtual classrooms from timetable entries and syncs attendance data back to OpenEduCat.
Key Capabilities
Virtual Classroom Creation
Create BigBlueButton rooms directly from OpenEduCat timetable entries. Each class gets a dedicated virtual room with persistent settings.
Interactive Whiteboard
Teachers use BigBlueButton's multi-user whiteboard for real-time collaboration. Upload presentations, annotate slides, and share drawings with students.
Breakout Rooms
Divide students into smaller groups for discussions or group work. Teachers move between rooms and bring everyone back to the main session.
Session Recording
Record classes for students who missed the session. Recordings include video, audio, whiteboard content, and chat, all linked to the course in OpenEduCat.
Attendance Sync
Student join and leave times are captured from BigBlueButton and automatically recorded as attendance in OpenEduCat.
Self-Hosted Data Sovereignty
Run BigBlueButton on your own servers. All video, audio, and chat data stays within your infrastructure. No third-party cloud dependency.
Setup Guide
Deploy BigBlueButton Server
Install BigBlueButton on a dedicated Ubuntu server (or use a hosted provider like Blindside Networks). Ensure the server has adequate CPU, RAM, and bandwidth.
Obtain API Credentials
Locate the BigBlueButton API URL and shared secret from your BBB server's configuration (bbb-conf --secret).
Install BBB Module in OpenEduCat
In OpenEduCat Settings > Integrations, install the BigBlueButton module and enter the API URL and shared secret.
Configure Room Settings
Set default room configurations, maximum participants, recording enabled/disabled, mute-on-join, welcome message, and presentation upload.
Link to Timetable
Enable automatic room creation for timetable entries. Optionally, let faculty manually create rooms for ad-hoc sessions like office hours.
Use Cases
- Institutions committed to open-source software that want a fully FOSS education technology stack
- Universities in countries with data residency requirements that need to self-host all student data including video recordings
- Schools with limited budgets that cannot afford per-user licensing fees for commercial video conferencing
- Distance learning programs that need purpose-built classroom features like whiteboard, polling, and shared notes
Technical Requirements
- BigBlueButton server (self-hosted or managed service)
- Ubuntu 20.04 or later (for self-hosted deployments)
- Minimum 8 CPU cores and 16GB RAM for BBB server (scales with concurrent users)
- OpenEduCat 4.0 Community or Enterprise Edition
- Network connectivity between OpenEduCat and BigBlueButton servers
Related Features
Timetable Management
Build conflict-free schedules across departments, optimize classroom and faculty allocation, and push timetable changes to all stakeholders without manual re-distribution.
Attendance Management
Automated attendance tracking for registrars and administrators — reduce manual entry, flag chronic absentees, and give department heads real-time reports without chasing registers.
Learning Management System
Cloud-based learning management system for schools and universities. Build courses with video, quizzes, and forums. Track student progress in real time. Issue certificates. One LMS platform connected to your student records, gradebook, and enrollment. No syncing or duplicate entry.
Examination System
Schedule hundreds of exams across multiple rooms without conflicts. Generate hall tickets, assign invigilators, and publish verified results in days — not weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Enable BigBlueButton Integration
Connect BigBlueButton with OpenEduCat and simplify your institution's digital ecosystem.
Try it free for 15 days. No credit card required.