Trainer’s Handbook

Leveraging DaDesktop Virtual Desktops for Smooth Course Delivery

DaDesktop Virtual Desktops make it simple to set up online courses from any location in Hong Kong.

Keep in mind: DaDesktop (DD) now supports having one or more trainers per course.

Each trainer gets their own DaDesktop login and can take charge of the ‘Trainer Desktop’ just as they would their own machine. 

The plan is for both trainers to join the audio conference, switching roles at convenient intervals, while retaining the ability to control the Trainer Desktop whenever needed. This is particularly helpful for longer sessions or courses where two experts can each bring their unique insights to participants.

Before You Set Up a New Course

• Trainers must reach out to the course organizer with these details:

1. Course information (title, schedule, number of participants)
2. Locations of the trainers and delegates (so we can recommend the best datacentre in Hong Kong)
3. Trainer email addresses

• Browsers we recommend

1. Chrome
2. Firefox
3. Microsoft Edge

• Connectivity

1. All DaDesktop users need a reliable internet connection.
2. Using Wi‑Fi in a coffee shop isn’t advisable because it can be spotty.
3. Just a reminder: DaDesktop is a web‑based training platform, so a stable connection is key.
4. Your internet speed should exceed: "10 Mbps download & 1 Mbps upload"
5. If possible, a dual‑screen setup and a camera are recommended.
    

Step One: Setting Up Your Course                                                                                

1. Course coordinators will assist you in creating the course.
2. Invite trainers by sending them the registration link.
3. Each trainer receives an email containing course details and a login link.
4. Trainers log in using their account at https://dd4t.dadesktop.com 
5. Then, send out the course invitations to participants (the pink button).
6. Remember: Even if multiple trainers are facilitating, only one Trainer machine is used at a time.
    

Step Two: Prepare your "DaDesktop" for the course                                                    

1. Click "Create from OS template" for the Fresh Start desktop. This Fresh Start is where the trainer builds the course materials, and once ready, it is cloned to the Trainer desktop and then to each participant desktop. If you already have a 'Standalone' machine set up with your course content, just use the dropdown arrow and pick it from the list.
2. Choose the OS template, select the nearest datacentre, and the configuration you need for training. Click 'Create Desktop'.
3. Connect to the desktop and set up your course within the DaDesktop VM.

• If you require multiple machines for your course, please install Virt Manager (if using Linux, this is preferred) or VirtualBox inside DaDesktop, and you can set‑up several desktops inside DaDesktop at the same time.  The whole of this machines 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 is not included inside DaDesktop.
• Download and make preparations as 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 for your FreshStart machines, as this will cause problems when cloned to Course Desktop VM's. Also please do not change the Computer name as this can also cause issues within DaDesktop.
  
  Please get in touch with Tech Support if you require any help with the above.
   

Step Three: Clone the desktop to all participants

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

Final Step: Join the Training Room

1. Both trainers and participants need to click Training Room and join together.
2. When joining the Training Room, the system will automatically clone the FreshStart desktop to all participants.
3. Inside the Training Room, audio and video can be recorded automatically.
4. Each delegate can see two desktops (the Trainer's desktop and their own); there is no need for screen sharing.
5. Using the Training Room, the Trainer has a view of all the Participant's machines as well as their own, and can take control of each machine individually to help a participant if required. Each participant can see their own machine and only the Trainer's Desktop.