Blackboard Collaborate

New User Guide

2014 Blackboard Collaborate

The Wait is Over!

Start Connecting Now

Introduction!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!3 Create and Launch a Session...!!!!!!!!!!!!!.4 User Interface Explanation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..9 Using the Whiteboard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.10 Understanding the Audio and Video Panel!!!!!!!!.17 Understanding the Participants Panel!!!!!!!!!!..22 Using the Chat Panel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..27

Table of Contents

Application Sharing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.30 Web Touring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.32 Further Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.34

INTRODUCTION
Blackboard Collaborate is a comprehensive online learning and collaboration platform designed specifically for K-12 education. This guide is for new users that have never been the leader, or moderator, of an online session using Blackboard Collaborate. Read the guide from beginning to end to learn the entire process step-by-step, from making sure the program runs on your computer to learning how to lead the most effective learning session possible. Alternatively, you can choose to use the Table of Contents located at the start of the guide or the index on the last pages to jump exactly to the directions for the particular function that interests you. By the time you have finished reading this guide, you should successfully be able to offer classroom instruction, office hours, or meetings via the virtual world with ease.

CREATE AND LAUNCH A SESSION

To CREATE a Collaborate Session, follow these steps: 1. Ensure that your computer meets the minimum technical requirements for using Collaborate. 2. Go to your organizations URL for accessing Collaborate (provided by your manager). 3. Input your username and password (provided by your manager). Once you log in, you will see the following screen:

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This screen allows you two essential functions: Schedule a Meeting (1) and Display Meeting Schedule (2 & 3). Notice that your log in defaults to the screen that allows you to see and add to your schedule. This is also the same place that you can change your password and access recordings. Please see the complete Blackboard Collaborate Guide for more information about these other options.
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4. To schedule a meeting, you should choose the Schedule a Meeting button (1) from the gray menu on the left side of the page. The next screen will allow you to name the session and choose when the session starts and ends.

If you have a session that will re-occur frequently (such as Weekly Office Hours), it is a good idea to create an ongoing session so that you will not have to go through the process of making a new session each week. To do this, simply input your first sessions start date and time. Then, input a date and time at the end of the semester or year for your session end. By doing this, you can give session participants one link that they can bookmark in order to attend your session rather than accessing a new link each week.

All you need to do to create a Collaborate session is complete the session name and assign start and end times. However, you may wish to complete some of the Additional Settings before leaving this screen. Please see the complete Blackboard Collaborate Guide for full details on each of these sections: Advanced Fields allows you to choose a Time Zone for your session. Default Fields allows you to set parameters regarding session permissions, recordings, and telephone call-in options. Content Preloads allows you to upload teaching materials to your session. Invitees allows you to send automated emails to those you wish to attend your session.
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5. Once you have placed all of the settings to your satisfaction, click the Create the Session button. The following screen will appear, giving you a synopsis of the meeting you have scheduled and a Guest Link to email to your participants.

Some participants will need more than the guest link to successfully access your session. They may be mobile or not have a microphone on their computer, so they might need to call in to your session. Collaborate will send you an email each time you schedule a session. That email will include the call-in information. Since the information about the session is more complete in the email, it is best to send your participants the information you receive via email rather than what is on this screen.

Now that you have successfully created your Collaborate session, you will want to be able to LAUNCH your session. To launch your session, return to the original log-in screen, but this time you will focus on the Display Schedule (2 & 3) portions of the screen.

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In section (2) of the screen, ensure that you have chosen the criteria for the sessions you want to display. Typically, the only settings that are adjusted on this screen are the Start Date and End Date options. Once you have set your parameters, choose Display Schedule (3). As indicated in the image below, your screen will change at the bottom to list the sessions scheduled during the time period you have selected. Notice that each session listed offers options to the right allowing you to see Details, Edit, Delete, or Join each session. You are only able to Join sessions that that have not passed. Click the Join link when you are ready to start your Collaborate session as a moderator.

Once you click the link to join your session, you will be taken to the page shown below:

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Your Collaborate launch file (1) will automatically download. If you have previously downloaded the Blackboard Collaborate Launcher, you only need to double click on the Collaborate launch file (1) for your session to begin. If you need further instructions to guide you through downloading the Blackboard Collaborate Launcher, please see the complete Blackboard Collaborate Guide. Once you double click the launch file, it will take just a few moments for Collaborate to begin launching. Then, you will see the screen below. Most users will choose Cable/DSL as their connection speed from the drop down menu. Then, choose OK. Your Collaborate session will now launch.

USER INTERFACE EXPLANATION

Once you have successfully launched a session, you will need to know how to navigate your way around the screen to perform tasks. Look at the image below to familiarize yourself with the various parts of the screen.

USING THE WHITEBOARD

The whiteboard is the most commonly used area of a Collaborate Session.
1 Whiteboard Action bar 2 Collaboration toolbar 3 Whiteboard Mode button 4 Scaling menu 5 Page Options menu 6 Information menu 7 Load Content button 8 Record button 9 Navigation bar 10 Navigation bar Option menu 11 Explore Mode button 12 Follow option 13 Page counter 14 Go to Page menu 15 Next Page button 16 Previous Page button 17 Whiteboard Page 18 Properties Editor palette 19 Tools palette
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The whiteboard page (17) is a workspace through which you can communicate with the participants in your session. To ensure that you are currently working on the whiteboard page and your participants are seeing what you do, you need to ensure that the Whiteboard Mode button (3) is selected in the Collaboration toolbar (2). The Whiteboard Action bar (1) is where you manipulate much of what is happening in your session presentation. The New Page button allows you to add more pages to your workspace. The Clear Page button allows you to clear an entire page of work with one button press. The Delete Page button allows you to remove whiteboard pages that you no longer need. The Scaling Menu (4) allows you to scale the whiteboard to whatever working size is most convenient for you. Since the whiteboard can actually be many sizes larger than your content area, you will want to choose the size that you wish to use from your options shown below. Fit page is the most common option chosen for scaling. This option makes the whiteboard the same size as your content area.

Beside the scaling option, there is a Page Options menu (5) that provides the same page manipulation options listed above.

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Continuing to the right on the Whiteboard Action bar, the moderator has more options that allow manipulation of whiteboard pages shown to participants.
10 Navigation bar Option menu 11 Explore Mode button 12 Follow option 13 Page counter

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14 Go to Page menu 15 Next Page button 16 Previous Page button

Should the moderator have multiple whiteboard pages to navigate, this part of the Whiteboard Action bar allows the moderator to do so more easily: The left arrow (16) allows you to move back to a previous whiteboard page. The right arrow (15) allows you to move forward to an upcoming whiteboard page. The Go to Page drop down menu (14) allows you to choose a specific page to navigate to rather than having to click the next and back buttons to progress through multiple pages. The Page Counter (13) shows what whiteboard page you are currently on. The Follow option (12) can be checked or unchecked depending on whether or not you want your participants to see the same screen as you. When the Follow option is checked, participants in the session will see every page you navigate to. When the Follow option is unchecked, you can navigate through the presentation while the participants will stay on whatever the current page is. The Explore Mode button (11) allows you to navigate through other whiteboard pages without moving other session participants to those pages. This is helpful when you want participants to follow you but you need to check other slides of the presentation before moving to them.

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 The Navigation bar Option Menu (10) opens a new menu that allows you to navigate more easily across the whiteboard pages you may have created. When you select the Navigation bar Option Menu, the menu pictured to the right opens. In this menu, you are able to see all pages in your presentation and easily navigate between them. You can also see that many of the same menu bar functions are carried over (navigating between pages, the drop down menu function for page navigation, page number indicator, and the Follow option). Most moderators tend to leave this window open for easy navigation while presenting.

The Collaboration toolbar pictured below (and located just above the Whiteboard Action bar) will be also be important to your successful moderation of a Collaborate session.

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3 Whiteboard Mode button 6 Information menu 7 Load Content button 8 Record button
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The Whiteboard Mode button (3) should be selected to ensure that you are working with the Whiteboard and that is what participants are seeing. The Information menu (6) pictured to the right provides you with basic information about your Collaborate session. The greyed out information lets you know what is happening in the background of your Collaborate session: how you connected, if your signal strength is strong, if your connection is secure, and how long you have been in the session. This information can be very helpful if you have to troubleshoot connectivity problems while leading a session. Additionally, the timer is located in this menu. As you lead sessions, you will find the timer to be a powerful tool for monitoring conversation length or for keeping you on pace as you present. The Load Content button (7) allows you to upload materials from your computer to the Whiteboard presentation. The most commonly uploaded material is PowerPoint; however, you can also upload image files and whiteboard files. For more information on types of content to upload and how to create whiteboard files from Blackboard Plan, please see the complete Blackboard Collaborate Guide. The Record button (8) allows you to record all or part of the Collaborate session. Once the session has ended, the recording will both be emailed to you and stored in your Collaborate account.
The fact that Collaborate allows you to record all or part of the session is a powerful tool. Because you are able to do this, it is very easy to record teaching sections in a session while still allowing your participants to have meaningful conversation that they might not be comfortable having recorded. When you press the record button, a voiceover states, The recording has started. When you press the button once more, a voiceover states, The recording has ended.

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As you are leading a session or preparing whiteboard pages for the presentation, you and/or your participants will want to be able to create materials within Collaborate on a page. To do this, you will use the Tools palette (shown below) combined with the Properties Editor palette.
1 Selector tool 2 Pointer tools 3 Pencil tool 4 Text editor tool 5 Filled shape tools 6 Empty shape tools 7 Line tool 8 Screen capture tool 9 Clip art tool 10 Highlight tool 11 Simple text tool

The Selector tool (1) is the main tool that you will use when working through a presentation. When this tool is selected, it allows you to click on items on the whiteboard page and move them around the page. The Pointer tools (2) allow you to add emphasis to items on the whiteboard page. To stamp a pointer icon on to the whiteboard, hold the left or right mouse button down while you move. Then, click once to stamp the icon on the page. To just move the pointer around the whiteboard page, click the pointer icon, double click the whiteboard, and then move freely around the whiteboard page. The Pencil tool (3) allows you to draw freehand on the whiteboard page. The Highlight tool (10) beside the Pencil tool allows you the same freedom of motion as the Pencil tool. The Text editor tool (4) allows you to create a text box on the page and type as you would in a word processor. The Simple text tool (11) allows you to input text but only one line at a time and without automatic wrap.
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The Filled shape tool (5) allows you to create a completely filled shape on the whiteboard page. The Empty shape tool (6) allows you to create the outline of a shape on the whiteboard page. The Line tool (7) allows you to draw various lines on the whiteboard page. The Screen Capture tool (8) takes an picture of any portion of your desktop, application, or website and loads it into the whiteboard. The Clip art tool (9) allows you to insert various types of clip art into the whiteboard. For many of the options you can choose from the Tools palette, the Properties Editor palette (shown below in the right side column of the chart) will also appear. The chart below shows you what properties are available for you to choose from for each of the items you may choose from the Tools palette.

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UNDERSTANDING THE AUDIO/VIDEO PANEL

The audio and video capabilities of Blackboard Collaborate are two of its most important features, so it is important to be sure that they are working properly and that you and your participants understand how to use them fully.

1 Expand/Collapse button 2 Options menu 3 Primary video display 4 Preview video button 5 Transmit video button

The Expand/Collapse (1) button allows you to shrink or enlarge the size of the Audio/Video panel. The Preview video button (4) allows you to see the image that your camera will broadcast to participants before your video goes live. It is a good idea to preview video to ensure that the image captured on screen is one you find acceptable and that your camera is working correctly. The word Preview will be printed across the Primary Video Display (3) when you are in Preview mode. To transmit video, click the Transmit Video button (5). When you begin transmitting video, your video button will display a red camera. To turn video off, simple click the Transmit Video button again.
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The Options Menu (2) shown below provides most of the functionality of the Audio/Video panel.

The first option in this menu is the Audio Setup Wizard (which is also accessible by clicking the button to the left of the menu window). The Audio Setup Wizard is a very important part of ensuring that participants are all able to hear each other in the session. Each participant should be encouraged to go through the Audio Setup Wizard as soon as they enter the session. When a participant opens the Audio Setup Wizard, they are guided through a series of screens that ensure their speakers and microphones are functional and configured to work well with Collaborate.

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1. The first window asks participants to check their audio output to be used with Collaborate.

2. Next, participants are asked to listen to a recorded audio message and adjust the slider bar to their preferred listening level.

3. The next window ensures participants were able to set the volume at a comfortable listening level.

4. Next, participants are asked to choose the microphone they will be using during the session.

5. To check microphone settings, participants are asked to record their own message.

6. Then, they are asked to play back their recorded message.

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7. The next window ensures that participants were able to comfortably hear their own recording.

8. The final window gives a few more instructions regarding using audio throughout the session.

You can tell someone is in the Audio Setup Wizard by the icon beside his or her name in the Participant window. It is important that each participant do this setup each time they join a session. It is also the first thing they should do if they begin to have trouble hearing during a session.

Most of the other options from the Audio/Video menu options are fairly straightforward. Most participants leave Microphone Settings, Speaker Settings, and Camera Settings on their default settings. See the complete Blackboard Collaborate Guide for more details about these options. Maximum Simultaneous Talkers and Maximum Simultaneous Cameras allow you to limit the number of people that can talk or show their cameras at one time. Moderators sometimes limit the number of talkers to keep people from talking over each other and to prevent feedback. Moderators sometimes limit the number of cameras to ease the strain on broadband usage.

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Participants can choose to make their speakers louder or more quiet by choosing the adjust options in the Audio/Video menu. Additionally, using the sliders for microphone and speaker located directly below the Primary video display can make these same changes. If your organization has paid for Telephony options, you can choose the Use Telephone for Audio option if you want to call into the session rather than use the audio on your computer. This option is often useful for those who do not have a microphone or working speakers on their computer. Finally, it is important to note that the primary video display follows the person who is speaking by default. If you want the primary video display to remain on your or your presentation, you can choose to Make Video Follow Moderator Focus.

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UNDERSTANDING THE PARTICIPANTS PANEL

The Participants panel provides a list of all Participants and Moderators in the session and information about their current activities such as talking (Audio), transmitting Video, sending a Chat message, using the Whiteboard drawing tools and conducting an Application Sharing session. Above the Participants list is a small toolbar containing buttons for raising your hand and stepping away from the session and menus for selecting polling responses and feedback options.
1 Expand/Collapse button 2 Feedback menu 3 Step Away button 4 Raise Hand button 5 Polling Response menu 6 Participants list 7 Global options menu 8 Status area 9 Toolbar 10 Polling response bar 11 Global permissions 12 Activity indicators 13 Participant options menu

The Expand/Collapse (1) button allows you to shrink or enlarge the size of the Audio/Video panel.
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The Feedback menu (2) shown to the left allow participants to indicate how they are feeling about the activity currently happening in the session. For example, a participant might choose the Smiley Face icon to show that they are content with concepts being discussed. Or a participant may choose the Slower icon if they are having trouble keeping up with the moderators pace of information.
The feedback menu is a powerful tool for checking in with your audience. Many participants are slow to begin talking when logging in to Collaborate sessions. By asking participants to show approval or put a picture of a smiley if all is well, you will be more able to know as a moderator how they are receiving your information (and that they are paying attention!)

The Step Away button (3) is another powerful Collaborate tool. Because of the nature of Collaborate sessions, the moderator can be unsure if people are listening. Additionally, it can cause a commotion when someone needs to step away if they try to interrupt the moderator while they are presenting. By clicking the Step Away button, everyone in the session will be able to clearly see that a participant is currently unavailable by the icon that appears under that participants name in the Participants panel.

The Raise Hand (4) button allows participants to acknowledge that they have a question. When a participant raises their hand, a red icon appears below their name in the participant panel and a ding is heard in the session. Notice that the red icon is also numbered. If more than one participant raises their hand, the numbers will show consecutively. In this way, the moderator will know which participant raised their hand first.

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The Polling Response menu (5) allows moderators to quickly determine how their participants feel about a certain question or their willingness to participate in activities. If a moderator poses a question, the participant can choose Yes, No, or None (no opinion) from the drop down menu. The icon that reflects their response will appear beside their name in the Participants panel. Votes are tabulated automatically and will appear in the Polling response bar (10).

The Participants list (6) shows a list of all participants that are in the session and what they are currently doing through the use of Activity indicators (12). You can see in the image to the left that Ricky has raised his hand (the red icon), is showing his video (the camera icon), has voted Yes for something (the green checkmark), and has been granted Web Touring capabilities (the grey globe). The Participants list is an important window for a moderator to leave open so they can stay in tune with their participants throughout the session.

The Global Options menu (7) offers many important functions for the moderator regarding what participants are and are not allowed to do in a session. The first six options provide global permission (meaning that every participant is allowed to do those things). In the image to the left, you can see by the checkmarks that every participant in the session is allowed to use audio, video, chat, and the whiteboard. No participants are allowed to use application sharing or web tour. This is the typical default setting for global permissions. If a moderator wishes to allow an individual participant certain permissions, he or she can hover over that participants name and click the gray icons (see image to the right) to allow permissions for that participant individually.
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Also in the Global Options menu, a moderator can create breakout rooms for participants. This allows a moderator to separate participants into groups to converse or complete assignments. For more instruction on how to do this, please see the complete Blackboard Collaborate Guide. The Show My Permissions options keeps a participants permissions showing in the Participant panel, which may obstruct their name. The Lower All Hands option allows the moderator to clear the Participant panel of all hand raises. The Invite New Participant option allows a moderator to send an email to someone they may have left off the original invite email list. The email generated will have all information necessary for that person to join the Collaborate session. The Polling Type option allows the moderator to change the Polling choices from Yes, No, None to multiple choice options. This is a convenient feature when a moderator wishes to have participants take a quiz. The Lock Responses option is used when time has ended for participants to make their polling choices. When the moderator checks this option, the participants can no longer change their polling answer choices. The Make Responses Visible option allows all participants to see each others responses within the Participant panel. The Publish Responses to Whiteboard option shows participant responses on the whiteboard rather than just in the Participant Panel. The Detach Panel option allows the moderator to remove this panel from the workspace.

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Just as there is a Global Options menu, there is also an individual Participant Options menu (13). It is in this space that a moderator can also turn off and on individual permissions for participants. Participants are also able to perform certain functions such as editing their profile. A major individual participant option not already covered is the ability for the original moderator to give a participant moderator privileges. If a participant is given moderator privileges, they will also be able to do everything a moderator can do (such as web touring, application sharing, and giving/taking permissions from other participants). Participants can be given moderator privileges briefly in order to share their screen or take over for the primary moderator needing to step away. Or a session may need to be run by more than one person, in which case both people will need to be moderators in the session.

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USING THE CHAT PANEL

The chat panel is an important place for dialogue in an online session, particularly if you have limited the number of participants that can speak verbally at any particular time. The basic functionality of the Chat Panel is outlined in the image to the right. By choosing the arrow beside Chat (1), you can hide the panel from view. Type in the message text box (2) to communicate with other members of the session. If you are holding individual conversations with more than one person, conversation tabs (3) will open at the bottom of the chat panel. Click on each labeled tab to navigate to a particular chat conversation. The options menu (4) will allow you to adjust the functionality of chat in the session. This menu will be discussed in further detail on the next page. The conversation pane (5) allows you to use the scroll bar to read through your entire chat conversation from beginning to end. You can use the emoticon menu (6) to add personality to your conversation by including images that mirror facial expression.
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1 Expand/Collapse Button 2 Message Text Box 3 Conversation Tabs

4 Options Menu 5 Conversation Pane 6 Emoticon Menu

Assigning an assistant to monitor the chat box is helpful. You can continue to focus on teaching the lesson, and the assistant can alert you when there are questions or conversations happening in chat for which you need to pause.

The Chat Panel Options Menu (above) allows you to personalize both your own panel and what participants are able to do and see while chatting. Send Announcement allows you to create a message that will pop up automatically in the center of each participants screen. This is different from simply sending a chat message to all participants because a participant must actually click Dismiss in the box that appears in the center of their screen, while a group chat can easily be missed in the continued conversation.

The Increase and Decrease Font Size options allow you to make the text of the chat panel smaller or larger to accommodate your audience. Should you choose to supervise the chats of your participants, the Show Supervised Messages option allows you to monitor what participants are saying in the session even if it is a private chat to another participant.

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If you choose to check the option Show My Private Chats in Rooms, this will ensure that participants will see messages you send them even if you have broken the session into breakout rooms. Finally, Show Event Messages gives you the option to turn off the greyed out notifications of when participants are leaving and entering the session. Some moderators find that showing when participants are entering and leaving a session clutters the window and makes chat more difficult to follow, particularly when the session has many participants.

Event Messages

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APPLICATION SHARING
Application Sharing enables participants to share their applications or entire desktop with others in the session. Application Sharing can be turned on through the Collaboration toolbar (1). You can tell that a participant is Application Sharing when you see the double window icon beside their name in the Participant panel (2). 1 2

To start Application Sharing, click the Application Sharing icon (1) in the Collaboration toolbar. From the menu bar that opens (shown below), choose if you wish to share your entire desktop or one of the applications currently running on your computer.

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When you are Application Sharing, be certain to move the window of the application you are sharing to the front of your screen. This will ensure that your participants will be able to see it without obstruction. To make certain of what your participants are seeing, use the Preview option (accessible by going to Tools > Application Sharing > Show Preview Window). This will open a tiny window such as the one below, which will allow the moderator to make certain his or her participants are seeing the portion of the screen necessary.

When the moderator is sharing an application, the application being shared is highlighted in a yellow border and the toolbar showcased below is available. The Hosts Action bar (1) allows the moderator to pause or stop sharing as necessary, a functionality also available through the more mobile Hosts controller (3) attached to the shared window (2 & 4). Should the moderator decide that he or she would like to capture something occurring in the screen share, the Send Snapshot to Whiteboard button (5) is available.

1 Hosts Action bar 2 Stop Sharing button 3 Hosts controller 4 Pause/Resume button 5 Send Snapshot to Whiteboard button

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WEB TOURING
The Web Tour feature enables session participants to share web pages with others in the session. Web Touring can be turned on through the Collaboration toolbar (1). You can tell that a participant is leading a Web Tour when you see the globe icon beside their name in the Participant panel (2). 1 2

The Web Tour interface has the following components:

1 Collaboration toolbar 2 Navigation bar 3 Back button 4 Forward button 5 Address text box 6 Follow Me option 7 Options menu 8 Web Tour Mode button
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To begin a Web Tour, the moderator should click the Web Tour Mode button (8) in the Collaboration toolbar (1). To navigate while in the Web Tour, the moderator should use the Address text box (5) to put in the website they wish to navigate to. If the moderator leaves the Follow Me option (6) checked, the participants will only be able to go where the moderator goes. Should the moderator leave the Follow Me option unchecked, participants will be able to navigate wherever they wish in the website they have been taken to. It is important to note with Web Tour mode that participants will not be able to follow the moderator into websites that are password protected. To see these sites, the moderator will need to choose Application Sharing and have participants follow them to the website in that fashion.

Moderators often choose to use Web Tour over Application Sharing because Web Tour saves on broadband usage. Additionally, Web Tour allows the Participants to navigate around websites in a way that Application Sharing does not. For example, if a moderator wanted to take participants to a website and then allow them to roam within the realm of the Collaborate session, they could do so by checking and unchecking the Follow Me option. This is not something that would work within the Application Sharing method of showcasing a website.

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FURTHER HELP
This guide is only intended to provide a basic start to using Blackboard Collaborate. There are many features that have not been covered in this guide. It is recommended that you utilize the complete Blackboard Collaborate Guide once you have a basic grasp of manipulating the system.

Additional help can be found at http://support.blackboardcollaborate.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=8336

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