Trainer Guide

Using DaDesktop Virtual Desktops for easy course training

DaDesktop Virtual Desktops make it easy to run online courses anywhere in New Zealand.

Please note : DaDesktop (DD) now supports one or more trainers per course.

Each trainer will have their own login to DaDesktop, and can control the ‘Trainer Desktop’ as if it were their own. 

The idea is that both trainers join the audio conference, swapping over at intervals as needed, but can take control of the Trainer Desktop when required. This is especially handy for longer courses, or those that benefit from having two subject-matter experts working with participants.

Before creating a new course

• The trainer(s) should contact the course organiser with the following information:

1. Course details (title, schedule, number of participants)
2. Location of trainers and delegates (so the nearest datacentre in New Zealand can be advised)
3. Trainer's email address(es)

• Recommended browsers for training

1. Chrome
2. Firefox
3. Microsoft Edge

• Network

1. DaDesktop users need a solid internet connection
2. Using Wi‑Fi in a coffee shop isn’t advisable – it’s often unstable
3. Before training, keep in mind that DaDesktop is a web-based training portal
4. Internet speed should be faster than: "10 Mbps download & 1 Mbps upload"
5. A dual‑screen setup and a camera are preferred if at all possible
    

First step: How to set up your course                                                                                                    

1. Course organisers will help when creating a course
2. Add trainer(s) to the course by sending the registration invitation link
3. The trainer receives an email with course details and a login link
4. The trainer(s) can log in with their account via https://dd4t.dadesktop.com 
5. Next, send course invitations to participants (the pink one)
6. Note: If more than one trainer is taking the course, only one Trainer machine is ever used
    

Second step: Prepare your "DaDesktop" in the course                                                                                      

1. Click "Create from OS template" for the Fresh Start desktop. The Fresh Start is the machine that the trainer develops the course content on, then when ready, clones it to their Trainer Desktop and to the Participants desktops. If you already have a 'Standalone' machine with your course content, click the dropdown arrow and select the Standalone from there.
2. Choose the OS template, select the nearest datacentre, and the configuration you require for course training. Click 'Create Desktop'.
3. Connect to the desktop and prepare your course inside the DaDesktop VM

• If you need multiple machines for your course, install Virt Manager (preferred when using Linux) or VirtualBox inside DaDesktop, and you can set up several desktops at the same time.  The entire setup will be cloned to each participant and to your Trainer machine.
• We recommend converting documents to PDF if you plan to use Windows 10 Pro, as MS Office isn’t included in DaDesktop
• Download and prepare everything just as you would on your own desktop 
• Please only use automatically supplied DHCP IP addresses for Fresh‑Start machines. DO NOT use Static IP addresses or change MAC addresses or DNS settings on your FreshStart machines, as this will cause problems when cloned to Course Desktop VMs. Also, do not change the computer name – this can also cause issues within DaDesktop.
  
  Please get in touch with Tech Support if you need any help with the above.
   

Third step: Clone desktop to all participants

1. Finish preparing the "Fresh Start desktop", then exit and stop the desktop
2. Click "Create from Fresh Start desktop" in the Trainer section to clone a machine identical to the Fresh Start
3. If delegates are in other regions, click the dropdown on "Create from Fresh‑Start Trainer desktop" to clone to a delegate’s region
4. Other options are also available from the dropdown, including Clone from Standalone and Create from OS Template
    

Final step: Join the Training Room

1. The trainer(s) and participants need to click Training Room and join the session
2. Once you join the Training Room, the system automatically clones the FreshStart desktop for all participants
3. Inside the Training Room, you can record audio and video automatically.
4. Each delegate sees two desktops – the Trainer’s desktop and their own – so there’s no need for screen sharing
5. In the Training Room, the trainer can view all participants’ machines as well as their own, and can take control of any individual machine to help a participant when needed. Each participant can see their own machine and only the Trainer’s Desktop.