Tutoring With Bramble FAQs

Is a computer and mouse good enough?

Yes. If you have a computer or laptop with a built-in microphone and camera, that’s fine. An external microphone and camera can also work. As long as you have a mouse and keyboard to work with, you can draw with a mouse, or type with a keyboard.

It can be advantageous to have an electronic writing tablet. It will enable you to draw, write and scribble away in real-time and amp up the teaching experience.

Can I draw and type?

Absolutely! Draw and type in a number of colours. Erase or undo as you need to.

How do I share resources?

The platform has various ways you can share and work from PDFs or images You can drag and drop PDFs or images directly from your
computer into the Bramble window. You can hold documents up to the camera and take ‘snapshots’, which will appear directly in your Bramble space.

You can upload from your device into Bramble by clicking the ‘Add resource’ icon. Clicking the ‘add resource’ icon will also allow you to add in resources from previous sessions. This is a versatile tool and enables you to type, write, or draw over your resources. You can use it to add in graphics, perfect circles or shapes, documents, images, excerpts and more.

How many 'workspaces' are there?

You can navigate to a ‘next page’ or ‘previous page’ with the respective right and left arrow icons. Each new page will be clear and you can have as many as you need.

Is it in ‘real-time’?

Yes, the session is in real-time. This means you engage over the Bramble whiteboard, can draw, type, talk, without a delay.

Will the camera always be on?

By default, the camera is off. To turn this on, click the camera icon. While the camera is on, you cannot use the workspace. It’s great
to use as a ‘meet and greet’ or ‘hi and bye’ function. After all, not many people like staring at the top of your head!

Is it recorded?

Every session is automatically recorded and stored. This is in order to protect both you and your student.

NOTE – as soon as someone joins the session, it’s recording everything that is covered. Including audio, video, and what appears on the Bramble workspace.

What happens at the end of a session?

The sessions end and emails a copy of the workspace in a PDF to the student, clearing the session.

It’s my first time, how do I approach it?

If it’s your first session with a student, we’d recommend logging in beforehand and setting up what you need to. You can pre-load up resources across as many pages as you need. Just be aware, the session can timeout if you’re idle for too long. It’ll just mean refreshing and loading again. Your resources will be saved.

Can I use my Firefox or Safari browser?

No, you will need to download and use the Google Chrome browser. Bramble will only work with this browser at present. Avoid using a Tablet as your main device if you can. The audio from Apple operating systems doesn’t work as well.

Do I need a good internet connection?

Ideally, yes. If you struggle to get a good connection, use a wired Ethernet connection. Or move your laptop or PC nearer your router.