Live virtual classrooms, built for education, inside your Open edX platform
BigBlueButton is the open-source virtual classroom that was designed specifically for teaching and learning. We integrate it natively into Open edX so your instructors can launch live sessions, run breakout rooms, share whiteboards, and record everything, all without leaving the course environment.
What is BigBlueButton?
BigBlueButton is an open-source video conferencing platform built specifically for teaching and learning, developed by Blindside Networks. Used by schools, universities, and training organisations worldwide, it offers a cost-effective solution with no per-user fees or vendor lock-in.
Classroom Features
Everything an instructor needs in a live session
Breakout Rooms
Split learners into small groups for discussion, exercises, or collaborative work. Instructors can visit each room, set timers, and bring everyone back together.
Shared Whiteboard
A multi-user whiteboard that instructors and learners can draw on together. Upload slides as background and annotate in real time during lectures.
Live Polls & Quizzes
Launch quick polls to check understanding, gather opinions, or run formative assessments. Results appear instantly and can be shared with the class.
Session Recording
Every live session can be recorded and published automatically inside the Open edX course. Learners who missed the class catch up at their own pace.
Screen Sharing
Share your entire screen, a specific application window, or a browser tab. Ideal for software demos, code walkthroughs, and live document editing.
Chat & Hand Raising
Public and private chat channels alongside a hand-raising system that lets learners signal questions without interrupting the flow of a lecture.
How It Works
Seamless integration with Open edX
Transform your Open edX learning platform into a dynamic, real-time virtual classroom. By integrating BigBlueButton directly into Open edX, you can deliver high-quality web conferencing specifically designed for education.
LTI-Native Connection
BigBlueButton connects to Open edX through the LTI standard. Configure once, and every instructor can launch sessions directly from their course without any additional setup.
Automatic Room Creation
When an instructor schedules a session, BigBlueButton creates the virtual room automatically. Learners join with a single click from inside the course unit.
Role-Based Access
Instructor and learner roles are passed automatically via LTI. Instructors get presenter controls. Learners get participant access. No manual configuration needed.
EU Data Sovereignty
Deploy BigBlueButton on EU-based servers under your own control. Combined with Abstract Technology s EU-hosted Open edX infrastructure, your entire learning stack stays within European jurisdiction.
Ready to build your learning ecosystem?
Talk to an us about how this fits your institution. No slide decks. No pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about BigBlueButton and Open edX
You have two options. You can self-host BigBlueButton on your own infrastructure for full control, or we can provision a managed BigBlueButton instance hosted on EU servers. Either way, the integration with Open edX works the same.
BigBlueButton comfortably handles up to 150 participants in a single room with video and audio. For larger events like webinars, you can scale up to several hundred with some participants in listen-only mode.
Recordings are stored on the BigBlueButton server and linked inside the Open edX course. Learners access them directly from their course page.
When hosted on EU infrastructure, yes. BigBlueButton is open-source, so you have full control over where data is stored and processed. No data leaves your servers unless you configure it to.