Whilst the Online Classroom is really easy to use, we do understand sometimes technical issues can pop up - in most situations, there are a few steps that you can take to easily solve these problems!
The first thing to check is the browser that you're using to access the online classroom. The online classroom works best with Google Chrome as a browser, so if you're using an alternative browser such as Microsoft Edge or Safari and having problems, switching over to Chrome will help to solve them in a lot of cases! Similarly, the classroom works best on a computer or laptop, as tablets and phones often do not support the online classroom.
The next thing to consider when troubleshooting issues with the classroom is internet speed. Sometimes, if the internet speed is just over the threshold needed for the classroom, this will pass the test, however, internet speeds often fluctuate, especially when other devices are using the wifi to stream or download things, and so a dip in internet speed can sometimes be the cause of problems in the classroom! As our classroom has features such as the interactive whiteboard and the ability to upload documents, our classroom does need a higher internet speed than platforms such as Skype or Zoom. Don't worry though, as this link has some further information about how to increase the internet speed: How can I improve my internet connection?
You can easily see if either your or your students' internet speed has dropped in a lesson through the connectivity bars in the top right-hand corner of the classroom. If these drop to either amber or red, you’ll know that one of your speeds has dropped, so you can try some of the tips in this FAQ.
You can also complete an Online Browser Test to double-check your internet speed, as well as your camera, microphone and speakers! You can test your browser by heading to the Demo Online Classroom from your Dashboard and clicking the 'Test My Browser' button as shown below:
If the problem is not the internet speed, it is often caused by the cache needing to be cleared. When browsing different websites, the browser collects information that, over time, can slow the browser down! This is usually the cause of problems such as the classroom freezing, not seeming to load or being kicked out of your lesson. You can test this by opening a tab through Incognito Mode in Google Chrome and logging into Tutorful as usual. If your class works in Incognito Mode, this means your cache will need clearing. You can do this by going to your browser history settings, and you can find information on how to do this on the Google Help Website!