A SNEAK PEEK AT COLLABORATE 2016!! (**please see bottom notes)
First, you’ll notice that
things really don’t look
much different after you
click the same
Blackboard Collaborate
link in the Course Tools
area.
After clicking the Join
Room link of the
Collaborate window
you’ll find out that this is
not the Collaborate you
are used to seeing. Never
fear, it looks different but
is pretty much the same
functionality!
Clicking on the the
human shape in the circle
will bring the My Settings
option which allows you
to set your A/V Settings,
Notification Settings, and
to report any issues with
Collaborate.
The second and third
options would be used to
activate your
microphone and your
web cam/video camera.
The Raise Hand option
will allow you to provide
your input during a
session.
The ‘voice bubble’ option
will activate the Chat
feature, which you can
use to interact with
students/session
participants.
The next option is the
Participants List, which
shows you who is actively
participating in the
session as well as who
has session privileges
(moderator, etc.)
The + icon at the top
right indicates the Share
Content option which
allows you to Share
Blank Whiteboard, Share
Application, or Share
Files (i.e. ppt slides).
Since many instructors
utilize the Share Files
option I’ll explain a bit
more. You now have the
option to add images,
PowerPoints, or PDF files
to your Collaborate
presentation. Save your
Word files as a .pdf so
they can be integrated
into your presentation!
Click on the +Add Files
Here button to browse
for the files you want or
drag them to the
indicated area to include
in your presentation.
After adding your file
simply click on the Share
Now option to load your
file into the Collaborate
presentation.
The slides will load into
the presentation and at
this point you can click
on which slide you’d like
to begin narrating with…
Once the slide appears in
the content frame and
you have checked your
audio/video settings
(make sure you are able
to see your audio meter
‘bounce’) click on your
More Tools option and
select Start Recording.
Another option you have
is Session Settings which
provides participant
options for the
presentation.
Click through the
presentation (or
backwards) using the
arrows above the slide.
When finished, simply
click the More Tools
option again and select
Stop Recording. Close
the session by ‘x-ing’ out
of the window. Once
your presentation
finishes encoding it will
appear in your
Recordings area as such!
**this is to help you familiarize with the new version of Collaborate for Spring 2016. This is the upgrade testing version
and may/may not include some items in the final version. Tentatively a dial-in number and recording break out rooms
options are planned to be added later!