Collaborate sessions
- Getting started
Get Started with Collaborate Ultra for Moderators - Session Settings overview
An overview of settings and how to choose the right ones for your session
The Collaborate Ultra link under Module Tools can only be accessed by staff. You need to create a link for students in the module menu if you want them to join online sessions.
This video shows you how to create a link for students to access Collaborate.
The participant settings can be controlled from within a session from the ‘My Settings’ panel.
- Blackboard Collaborate – Session Settings overview
An overview of settings and how to choose the right ones for your session
Change the settings for all Participants during a live session
- Click on the ‘My Settings’ icon on the control panel
- Click on the ‘Session Settings’ section to expand the options
- Select which options you wish to turn on or off
If you want your students to share content in the Collaborate session, you can grant them Presenter rights during a session which will allow them to share files and their applications.
Grant an attendee Presenter rights
- Click on the Attendee icon on the control panel
- Click on the ‘Attendee options’ icon on the right side of the attendees name
- Select the ‘Presenter’ option from the options menu
Session attendance reports can be used for monitoring student attendance at online session. The reports show the name of the attendee, how they accessed the session (thorough a Weblearn module or through a Guest link), the time they joined and exited the session, and the total time spent in the session. The reports can be downloaded in CSV format.
Access the attendance reports
- On your Collaborate page, use the ‘Filter by’ dropdown menu to select ‘All Previous Sessions’
- Click on the ‘Session options’ icon
- Select ‘View reports’
Collaborate will support up to 250 people per session. Sessions up to 500 participants can be arranged, but we need to give Blackboard 72 hours notice.
If you need to run a session with over 250 attendees please email log a call with Weblearn support at least 4 working days before the session is expected to take place.
Recordings
Recordings can be accessed from the ‘Recordings’ section of Collaborate.
Access recordings
- Click on the Burger menu
- Select ‘Recordings’
You are able to access the recording options by clicking on the ‘Recording options’ icon for each recording:
Collaborate Ultra recordings cannot be edited in Collaborate.
Recordings can be downloaded in MP4 format and edited with another tool. If you intend to edit a recording and add it to a Weblearn module it must be uploaded to the MEDIAL Video Library and then added to Weblearn using the MEDIAL Mashup tool.
For more information on how to upload recordings to Medial see
All Collaborate recordings will remain available until September 2020, but they can’t be permanently stored on Collaborate. From September onwards, recordings older than 3 months will be removed from the system. Users will be reminded of upcoming deletions via Weblearn announcements.
If you want to keep your recording, you can download it from Collaborate and store it on BOX or upload it to the MEDIAL Video Library.
MEDIALecture
MEDIALecture can be used to create pre-recorded lectures that can be shared with students via Weblearn. Use MEDIALecture to create good quality recordings.
- Lecture recording software that can be used on home computers to create and edit videos
- record your screen and/or use a webcam
- review and edit recordings prior to sharing them with students
- upload the recording to the London Met video library for long term storage
Blackboard Collaborate
Collaborate sessions can be recorded, but the quality of the recording will depend on your internet connection speeds, with audio cutting out if your connection is running slow.
- Record online sessions
- Captures chat and student interactions – students need to agree to be recorded
- Recordings can’t be edited
- Recordings need to be downloaded and manually added to the Medial video library if long term storage is required
MEDIALecture is the university lecture recording solution and it works in the same way on your home PC as it would in the classroom. If you have not used MEDIALecture before, and/or you would like to learn how to install it at home, there are lots of guides available:
Troubleshooting
Third party cookies must be allowed on your web browser to be able to access Collaborate through a module, otherwise you will see the loading screen, but the screen will never load:
To enable third party cookies on your web browser please select your web browser from the list below:
Collaborate uses the default microphone and speakers of your computer. If you are using a headset, you need to check that the headset has been set as the default input for your audio and microphone. If you are unable to hear anything on Collaborate there are a few things you can check: If you are unable to resolve your audio issues please use the Dial-in option: If you can’t see chat messages, check that you are in the right chat. The chat used by all participants is ‘Everyone’. If you are in the Moderator chat, you won’t see what students are posting. Check the top of the chat panel to see which chat you are in. Click on the arrow (<) next to Moderator to view all current chats. Click on ‘Everyone’ to see what students are posting.
Go to the ‘My Settings’ area on the control panel and choose ‘Audio and video’. Your ‘Speaker volume’ should be turned up:
If you are having problems with your microphone, please check your audio device is selected for Collaborate:
If you are unable to use your microphone, or you do not have a microphone, please use the Dial-in option:
An application will only appear in the share application list if it is open on your desktop. It must not be minimised to your task bar.
Share an application
Collaborate has 3 different types of chat: Everyone, Moderator and Private chats.
