Guide for Trainers

Making Course Training Easy with DaDesktop Virtual Desktops

DaDesktop Virtual Desktops make it simple to launch online courses across Germany and beyond.

Keep in mind: DaDesktop (DD) now supports multiple trainers for each course.

Each trainer gets their own DaDesktop login and can take over the ‘Trainer Desktop’ just like their personal workstation. 

The idea is for both trainers to be on the audio conference, switching roles as needed while having the ability to take control of the Trainer Desktop at any time. This setup is especially valuable for longer courses or when two subject-matter experts can enrich the participant experience.

Before setting up a new course

• The trainer(s) should get in touch with the course organizer to supply these details:

1. Course details (title, schedule, number of participants)
2. Where the trainer(s) and delegates are based (to recommend the most suitable datacentre)
3. Trainer email address(es)

• Browsers recommended for training

1. Chrome
2. Firefox
3. Microsoft Edge

• Network

1. DaDesktop users need a reliable internet connection
2. Avoid using coffee shop Wi-Fi, as it tends to be unstable
3. Please note: DaDesktop is a web-based training portal
4. Your internet speed should be better than: "10 Mbps download & 1 Mbps upload"
5. We recommend using dual monitors and a webcam if possible
    

Step one: Getting your course set up                                                                                

1. Course coordinators will assist you in creating the course
2. Add trainers to the course by sending the registration invitation link
3. Trainers receive an email containing the course details and login link
4. Trainers can sign in with their account via https://dd4t.dadesktop.com 
5. Next, send course invitations to participants (the pink invitation link)
6. Note: Even with multiple trainers, only one Trainer machine is used at a time
    

Second step: Prepare your "DaDesktop" for the course                                                    

1. Click "Create from OS template" for the Fresh Start desktop. This Fresh Start machine is where the trainer develops the course content. Once ready, clone it to your Trainer Desktop and to the Participants’ desktops. If you already have a 'Standalone' machine with your course setup, click the dropdown arrow and choose Standalone.
2. Pick the OS template, choose the datacentre nearest to you, and the configuration needed for training. Then click 'Create Desktop'.
3. Connect to the desktop and get your course material ready inside the DaDesktop VM

• If your course requires multiple machines, install Virt Manager (recommended for Linux) or VirtualBox inside DaDesktop, and you can run several virtual desktops at the same time. The entire setup will then be cloned to each participant and to your Trainer machine. 
• Since MS Office isn’t included in DaDesktop, we suggest converting documents to PDF if you’re using Windows 10 Pro
• Download and prepare materials just as you would on your own computer
• Only use automatically assigned DHCP IP addresses for Fresh-Start machines. DO NOT use Static IP addresses or change MAC addresses or DNS settings for your FreshStart machines, as this will cause issues when cloning to course desktop VMs. Also, avoid renaming the computer, as that can cause problems within DaDesktop.
  
  Please contact Tech Support if you need help with any of this.
   

Third step: Clone the desktop to all participants

1. Finish preparing the "Fresh Start desktop," then exit and stop the machine
2. In the Trainer section, click "Create from Fresh Start desktop" to clone a machine identical to the Fresh Start
3. If participants are in other regions, use the dropdown next to "Create from Fresh-Start Trainer desktop" to clone to their region
4. Other options are also available from the dropdown, such as Clone from Standalone and Create from OS Template
    

Final step: Join the Training Room

1. Both trainers and participants need to click Training Room to join the session
2. When joining, the system automatically clones the FreshStart desktop to all participants
3. Inside the Training Room, audio and video can be recorded automatically
4. Each participant sees two desktops — the trainer’s and their own — so screen sharing isn’t necessary
5. Inside the Training Room, the trainer can view all participant machines alongside their own and can take control individually to offer help. Participants see only their own desktop plus the trainer’s desktop.