Documentation:Blackboard Collaborate/Web Conferencing/eLearning

What is it?

Blackboard (Bb) Collaborate Web Conferencing is an online classroom software where you can facilitate classes, meetings, presentations, discussion groups via an interactive web conferencing tool.

Sessions can be part of your online course in Connect where instructors and students can have opportunities for synchronous communications.

External sessions can also be organized, independent of any Connect course, which is ideal for meetings and seminars that may include participants outside of UBC.

Moderators can use several tools during a session such as interactive whiteboards, screen/application sharing, polling and chat rooms.

There are also several participant management features available, including voice and chat restrictions, participant indicators (e.g. raise hands, check marks, etc), and breakout rooms.

Uses and Benefits

Above is an example of a Bb Collaborate Web Conferencing session.

Bb Collaborate Web Conferencing can be used in a diverse range of situations that can support teaching and learning between colleagues, instructors, students and staff.

Conduct Lectures and Presentations
Lectures and presentations may garner the attendance of a handful of participants or by hundreds and hundreds of people. Without the constraints of a physical space, your presentations via Bb Collaborate Web Conferencing can hold as many people who are interested in attending your session. Co-facilitate the lecture with a colleague from another institution. Invite guests from outside the university to participate either via their personal computers or iOS devices. Learn more about participants or gauge their understanding through polls and surveys. Ask your TA to moderate discussions in smaller break out and chat rooms. Share a recording of your presentation with those who were not able to attend.

Facilitate Project Meetings
Collaborative projects require regular communications with colleagues who maybe located locally or abroad. Web Conferencing enables you to hold meetings without worrying about travel arrangements or booking rooms. Take advantage of the interactive whiteboard to brainstorm and work out ideas, share documents and other desktop applications the Application Sharing and enable the session recording to have an archive of your meeting. You can have a maximum of 6 video participants at the same time.

Hold Office Hours
Office hours are opportunities for instructors and teaching assistants to guide students in their learning with activities such as clarifying topics, introducing to important research and answering lingering questions. These are also opportunities for you to get to know your students outside of class. The challenges of conflicting appointments and class schedules as well as commuting in and out of campus become barriers to students taking advantage of this opportunity. Bb Collaborate Web Conferencing can be used to hold online office hours at any time of day. You can hold open discussions or bring students into private, one-on-one sessions by using breakout rooms. Students can access your session via a course on Connect or by sharing an external link to them.

Featured Highlights

Create audio and video presentations anytime and anywhere
Interactive whiteboard designed for collaborative work with text and images
Drag-and-drop functionality when sharing media and moving participants
Easy switching between document, application and web sharing
Small break out rooms for group discussions and private, one-on-one meeting times
Gauge participant understanding or learn more about your audience via online polling and surveys
Record and archive sessions for students to review at a later time
Accessible via your personal computer or iOS device as part of your Connect course or independently as an external session

For more information about features, visit: blackboard.com.

Get Started

Blackboard Collaborate Web Conferencing is available within Connect as part of your course or as an independent tool for external video conferencing or online presentations.

Web Conferencing within Connect

Web Conferencing Outside of Connect

Resources

UBC How-to Guides

General Resources

Web Conferencing in Connect

Web Conferencing Outside of Connect

Blackboard Collaborate Plan

Blackboard Collaborate Plan is a tool that can help you organize your content and activities for your web conferencing session.

How to Create Session Presentations with Blackboard Collaborate Plan

Blackboard Resources

General Resources

For Moderators

For Participants

Tips

Explore the following resources to optimize your experience in Blackboard Collaborate Web Conferencing:

Prepare Participants to Use Blackboard Collaborate Web Conferencing

Prepare Moderators to Use Blackboard Collaborate Web Conferencing