Roles in Video Conferences: Moderator and Participant
This page explains in detail what moderators and participants can do in a Sparks video conference.
Sprache / Language: Deutsch
Role Overview
| Role | Who | Rights |
|---|---|---|
| Moderator | Meeting organizer or assigned moderators | All participant rights + controls, recording, breakout rooms, participant management |
| Participant | Everyone else in the meeting | Camera, microphone, screen, reactions, raise hand, chat, Q&A, polls, whiteboard |
All Participants Can
Audio and Video
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| Camera on/off | Enable or disable own video |
| Mute microphone | Turn audio on or off |
| Switch devices | Select camera, microphone, speaker (via More menu) |
| Background effects | Blur background or use custom image (via Video → More → Background effects) |
Screen Share
- Entire screen: Share complete monitor view
- Window: Share only a specific application window
- Browser tab: Share only one tab (web version)
- Stop sharing: "Stop sharing" button
Meeting Toolbar (For All)
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| Chat | Send messages to all (when meeting is linked to Matrix room) |
| Q&A | Ask questions; moderators answer; everyone sees answers |
| Polls | Participate in polls; for an active quick poll, a central dialog appears. Create/start/close only for moderators or room moderators (power level ≥ 50). Polls drawer for everyone unless disabled on the appointment. |
| Participants | Show/hide participant list |
| Raise hand | Raise or lower hand – to get attention |
| Reactions | Emoji reactions (thumbs up, heart, laugh, etc.) – visible to all |
| View | Switch between Gallery (grid of all participants) and Speaker (active speaker large) |
| Whiteboard | Open and use collaborative whiteboard (Excalidraw) |
| Leave meeting | Exit the meeting |
Participant List
- View all participants
- Speaker statistics (who spoke how long), if available
- Pin own video: Fix own video in view (own view only)
- Pin participant (moderators only – see below)
Live captions and live transcription
| Participant | Moderator | |
|---|---|---|
| See live captions (on-screen subtitles) | ✓ when a transcription session is active | ✓ |
| Use the transcript side panel (running/full text) | ✓ when segments or an active session exist | ✓ |
| Start / stop live transcription (server-side STT / transcriber) | – | ✓ (only if org policy and server allow) |
What you see in the meeting
- Overlay: The latest caption lines appear at the bottom of the video. The current line may still change while someone is speaking and then lock in (when the recognition service sends partial results; otherwise lines appear after each finished utterance).
- Transcript side panel: Shows the running text of finalized lines (scrollable). Visible once a transcription session is active or lines already exist.
- Show / hide: Hide captions locally, or turn on Settings → Accessibility → Always show subtitles so they are visible at join. Identify me in live captions shows your name on your lines or a neutral “Speaker” label.
What is saved
Only finalized lines become the stored transcript in Call history. Text that is still changing while someone speaks is live-only.
If captions stall or stop
Short interruptions often recover on their own. If captions stay off for longer, a moderator starts transcription again. On the Starter/Free plan the demo typically ends after the first 10 minutes.
Organization / consent: Depending on policy, recording or live transcription may require confirmation (and sign-in). This is controlled by your organization in team settings, not by a toggle in the client alone.
Shared view
Moderators can present Q&A, questionnaires (shared view), or the whiteboard so that everyone sees the same full-screen view. Quick polls when active primarily use the stage dialog (participants) or the Polls drawer (moderators). Non-moderators usually get a read-only experience (follow along), not moderator controls.
Additionally: Moderators Can
Breakout Rooms
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Create rooms | Create multiple breakout rooms (e.g. "Room 1", "Room 2") |
| Assign participants | Assign participants manually or automatically (e.g. evenly) |
| Open rooms | Send participants to their breakout rooms |
| Close rooms | Bring everyone back to main meeting |
| Switch between rooms | As moderator, join breakout rooms to support |
Typical flow: Group work → Create breakout rooms → Assign participants → Open rooms → Recall everyone after time.
Controls Menu
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| Recording | Record meeting (requires server setup, e.g. recording export pipeline) |
| Meeting timer | Show countdown or stopwatch (e.g. for breaks, time limits) |
| Other controls | Depending on configuration (e.g. lobby, waiting room) |
Lobby (waiting room) — moderators
When lobby is enabled in event options, guests wait in the waiting room until a moderator admits them:
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| View lobby | Lobby (count) in participant list or toolbar — see waiting people |
| Admit | Bring individual guests into the meeting |
| Admit all | Admit everyone waiting at once |
| Decline | Guest stays outside |
With direct join (no lobby required), stale lobby entries are cleared. Guests may see Before entering the waiting room on pre-join.
Participant Management (Moderators)
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Pin | Pin a participant's video for everyone in gallery view |
| Spotlight | Spotlight participant for all – large in center as "speaker" |
| Remove participant | Eject someone from the meeting (disruption or policy violation) |
| Force mute | Mute participant (if supported by setup) |
| Disable camera | Turn off participant's camera (if supported) |
After the meeting (call log)
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| View participant protocol | See all joiners for this meeting instance (not only your own row) — moderators and recipients with a protocol share |
| Share protocol / transcript | Grant selected attendees read access to the participant list and/or stored transcript in Calls → Call Log (when allowed by appointment options) |
| Revoke share | Remove a previously granted share |
The in-meeting UI (toolbar, dialogs, moderator prompts) follows your app language (English or German).
Polls
- Moderators / room moderators (PL ≥ 50): Create quick polls and questionnaires, launch drafts, close, export CSV
- Participants: Vote or submit questionnaires; for active quick polls, stage dialog (no manual share by moderator)
- Chat/channel: Same permission model in the Polls tab
- Pre-meeting: Drafts in calendar (edit appointment → More options)
- Post-meeting: Results from calendar or call log
Q&A
- All: Ask questions
- Moderators: Answer questions; answers visible to all
- Moderators may prioritize or mark questions as answered (per implementation)
Summary: Overview Table
| Function | Participant | Moderator |
|---|---|---|
| Camera on/off | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mute microphone | ✓ | ✓ |
| Screen share | ✓ | ✓ |
| Background effects | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Q&A – ask questions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Q&A – give answers | – | ✓ |
| Polls – participate | ✓ | ✓ |
| Polls – create | – | ✓ |
| Raise hand | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reactions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Switch view (Gallery/Speaker) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Use whiteboard | ✓ | ✓ |
| Show participant list | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pin own view | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pin participant for all | – | ✓ |
| Spotlight participant | – | ✓ |
| Remove participant | – | ✓ |
| Create and manage breakout rooms | – | ✓ |
| Start recording | – | ✓ |
| Meeting timer | – | ✓ |
| Live captions / transcript panel (while transcription is running) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Start/stop live transcription | – | ✓ |
| Leave meeting | ✓ | ✓ |
Who Is a Moderator?
- Default: The meeting organizer (who created/started the meeting) is moderator
- Additional moderators: Depending on configuration, more participants can be designated as moderators (e.g. via calendar invitation or meeting setup)
- 1:1 calls: No moderator/participant role – both have the same rights
Requirements for Specific Functions
| Function | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Chat, Q&A, Polls | Meeting must be linked to Matrix room |
| Recording | Server-side setup (e.g. recording export) required |
| Breakout rooms | Moderator role |
| Transcripts | Server setup for speech recognition |
| E2EE | For 1:1, enabled in Privacy; for meetings depends on setup – recording/transcription not available with E2EE |