---
type: entity
title: BigBlueButton
tags: ["software", "web-conferencing", "moodle", "elearning", "e-learning", "video-conferencing"]
related: [moodle, web-conferencing, conference-capacity-planning, digital-teaching, dfnconf-pexip, digitale-lehre, groupware, bigbluebutton-recording-policy]
created: 2026-06-30
updated: 2026-07-01
sources: ["output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_studium_lehre_elearning.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_studium_lehre_elearning_conf.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_studium_lehre_elearning_dienstuebersicht_digitale_l.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_studium_lehre_elearning_streaming_streaming.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_studium_lehre_moodle_bigbluebutton.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_studium-lehre-moodle-bigbluebutton-aufzeichnung-von.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_studium_lehre_moodle_bigbluebutton_aufzeichnung_von.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_webdienste_webkonferenz.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_webdienste_webkonferenz_externe.md"]
---

# BigBlueButton

**BigBlueButton (BBB)** is an open-source web conferencing and video conferencing system integrated into the university's e-learning and teaching infrastructure at the Universität Greifswald. It is specifically designed for digital teaching and is integrated as an activity within [[moodle]] to facilitate the creation of virtual e-learning classrooms.

## Integration and Use Case
- **Integration**: It is primarily used as a learning activity within [[moodle]] courses. To host a session, an instructor or organizer must first request or set up a Moodle course.
- **Use Case**: It serves as the primary tool for large-scale interactive digital teaching sessions. The URZ recommends its use when direct, interactive contact with students is necessary within a Moodle-based course.

## Features
BBB provides a suite of interactive tools for digital instruction:
- **Audio and Video**: Moderated transmission for lectures and discussions.
- **Presentations**: Support for slide decks and screen sharing.
- **Interactivity**: 
    - Full interactivity.
    - Whiteboards, integrated text chats, and shared notes.
    - Polls and breakout rooms for group work.
- **Recording**: 
    - Built-in recording capabilities for asynchronous access.
    - Recordings are hosted and played back exclusively within the Moodle environment.

## Access and Permissions

### Internal Access
- **Creation**: Only users with the **Dozent** (Lecturer) role in Moodle can create BBB meetings.
- **Participation**: All enrolled participants, including guests, can join a meeting.
- **Roles**:
    - **Moderator**: Can start sessions and manage all tools.
    - **Viewer (Zuschauer)**: Restricted access.
- **Guest Restrictions**: To prevent unauthorized session starts, the system automatically downgrades guests to **Viewer** status, overriding any Moodle role configurations that might otherwise grant them moderator privileges.

### External Participant Access
Unlike Jitsi, BigBlueButton requires a more structured setup for external guests (participants who do not have a university user account). The following requirements must be met:
- **Course Setup**: A Moodle course must be requested or created for the specific event.
- **Guest Keys**: The organizer must configure a guest access key (**Gastschlüssel**) within the Moodle course settings.
- **Distribution**: External participants must be provided with both the link to the Moodle course (or the specific BBB activity) and the corresponding guest key to gain entry.

## Capacity
There are conflicting claims regarding participant capacity across different sources:
- One source states it supports up to **100 participants**.
- According to URZ guidelines for digital teaching (cited in a separate source), BigBlueButton is recommended for sessions with up to **225 participants**.
- A third source specifies that it supports up to **225 participants**.
- The version generated from `output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_webdienste_webkonferenz.md` states it supports up to **225 participants**, making it suitable for larger teaching sessions.

### Comparisons
According to the version generated from `output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_studium_lehre_elearning_streaming_streaming.md`, BigBlueButton supports up to **100 participants**, which places it between Jitsi and Adobe-Connect in terms of scale.

## Legal and Procedural Constraints
The use of the recording feature is strictly regulated by the [[bigbluebutton-recording-policy]] to ensure compliance with privacy laws and the protection of personal rights.

## Operational Guidelines

### Performance Optimization
To ensure stability and bandwidth efficiency, the following is recommended:
- **Camera Usage**: Avoid unnecessary camera streams; participants should only enable cameras when contributing.
- **File Management**: Large presentations (>10MB) should be uploaded before participants join to prevent runtime lag.

### Technical Troubleshooting
If a session fails for multiple users, the moderator should:
1. End the current session immediately.
2. Wait approximately 10 seconds.
3. Restart the session, ensuring it is hosted on a different server host (identifiable in the browser address bar as `bbb-xy.rz.uni-uni-greifswald.de`).

Technical issues should be reported via the [[groupware]] ticket system, including the timestamp, the specific host used, and the approximate number of participants.