Blackboard Collaborate Voice
Blackboard Collaborate Voice is a suite of applications that provides instructors and students
with the ability to incorporate threaded voice boards, voice-enabled email, voice authoring, as
well as live group discussions and debates, directly into their Blackboard courses.
Voice Board: Post and listen to voice messages within a
discussion board.
Voice Presentation: Annotate web pages with voice messages.
Voice Podcaster: Create or upload podcasts for user
subscription.
Voice Email: Send and listen to voice content through email
messages.
Voice Authoring: Record and listen to voice content in virtually
any content area.
Collaborate Voice Help Documents on the web: http://www.gvsu.edu/it/learn
You will find a variety of pdf (Adobe Acrobat) files for getting started with the complete
Blackboard Collaborate Suite by clicking on the “Help” button once you have logged into
Blackboard. It is at the top of your Blackboard screen.
For questions and/or comments regarding Collaborate Voice, please contact
bbadmin@gvsu.edu.
Voice Authoring
A Voice Authoring message can be embedded directly into your Blackboard course to welcome
students, build assessments, or add emotion and tone.
Note: Faculty will need to have a microphone to create a Voice Announcement. Students need
only have speakers or ear buds. GVSU does not provide speakers in its lab environment.
To add a Voice Authoring Announcement using Collaborate Voice:
1. Click on a course and in the Course Tools option of the Control Panel
scroll down and click Announcements, or click Announcements directly
in the Content Navigation Area.
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2. Select Create Announcement.
3. Add a Subject for the announcement. A typed Message is optional, but you may want to add
instructions for listening to the announcement.
4. In the Message Area Text Editor click on the Add Mashup
icon.
5. Select Blackboard Collaborate Voice Authoring. The Voice
Authoring window will open.
6. Add a Title for your
recording and with your
microphone plugged-in,
click the Red Record button
and deliver your message.
When finished click the
square Black Stop button.
You cannot edit your
message but you can listen
to it and then re-record the
message if desired.
7. Click Submit to add your recording to the Message Area of your Announcement. Add any
Web Announcement Options or a Course Link and click Submit again to add the
Announcement to your course.
*Students click the Purple Play button to listen to your Announcement.
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To add a Voice Authoring message directly to a Content Area using Collaborate Voice:
1. Click on a course Content Area in the Navigation Panel (i.e. Course Information, Course
Documents or Assignments).
2. Select Build Content and
under Mashups select
Voice Authoring. The Voice
Authoring window will
open.
3. Add a Title for your
recording and with your
microphone plugged-in, click
the Red Record button and
deliver your message. When
finished click the square Black
Stop button.
4. Click Submit to add your recording to the Content Area.
*Students click the Purple Play button to listen to your announcement.
To add a Voice Authoring message to an Item within a Content Area using Collaborate Voice:
1. Click on a course Content Area in the Navigation Panel (i.e. Course Information, Course
Documents or Assignments).
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2. Select Build Content and
under Create select Item.
The Create Item window
will open.
3. Add a Name for the item. A typed Message is optional.
4. In the Message Area Text Editor click on the Add Mashup
icon.
5. Select Blackboard Collaborate Voice Authoring. The Voice
Authoring window will open.
6. Add a Title for your
recording and with your
microphone plugged-in, click
the Red Record button and
deliver your message. When
finished click the square Black
Stop button.
7. Click Submit to add your recording to the Message Area of your Item. Add any Attachments
or Options and click Submit again to add the Item to the
Content Area.
*Students click the Purple Play button to listen to your
announcement.
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To add a Voice Authoring message to the Grade Center using Collaborate Voice:
1. In the Control Panel select Grade Center and then select Full Grade
Center.
2. Place your cursor in the column and cell of the item that needs grading. Click on the double
drop down arrow and select View Grade Details. NOTE: A green Needs Grading icon may be
present in the cell.
3. Select View Attempts to open the Feedback to
User and Grading Notes text editors.
4. In the Feedback to User message area, click on the Add Mashup icon.
5. Select Blackboard Collaborate Voice Authoring. The Voice
Authoring window will open.
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6. Add a Title for your
recording and with your
microphone plugged-in,
click the Red Record button
and deliver your message.
When finished click the
square Black Stop button.
You cannot edit your
message but you can listen
to it and then re-record the
message if desired.
7. Click Submit to add your recording to the Feedback to User message area and type in any
additional instructions. Be sure to place a score in the Current Grade Value window and
optionally add “instructor only” notes to the Grading Notes message area. Click Save to add the
Score, Feedback and Grading Notes to the Grade Center.
8. You will be able to see the Purple Play button in the Grade Details window for that student.
*Students click the Purple Play button in My Grades to listen to your feedback.
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Voice E-mail
You have likely composed thousands of e-mail messages and they have all had one element in
common – text. Voice E-mail can add the emotion and candor, mood, expression and inflection
of human voice to your electronic correspondences.
To record a Voice E-mail using Collaborate Voice:
1. Click on a course Content Area in the Navigation Panel (i.e. Course Information, Course
Documents or Assignments). Note: A new Content Area named Voice E-mail was created
especially for this content.
2. Select Add Interactive Tool and then select Voice E-mail. The Add Voice E-mail window will open.
3. Complete the following information:
Title: Add a Title for your Voice E-mail.
Description: Provide a description of the Voice E-mail or instructions on how students
are to use this tool.
Audio Quality: Select the
appropriate audio quality.
Max message length:
Adjust the maximum
recording length allowed
for users to record their
posts.
Include Reply Links: If Yes
is selected, students may reply to Voice E-mail by sending another Voice E-mail to
everyone.
Pre-fill Subject field: Enter a subject line students cannot modify.
E-mail Recipients: Select the recipient of this message.
You cannot send to individual students. Note: You can send yourself a message and then
forward it to whomever you wish to receive it.
Make the content Available: Click No unless you want students sending voice mail.
4. Click Submit.
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5. Click on the Send Voice E-mail link in your Content Area. The Voice E-mail Form will open.
6. With your microphone plugged-in, click the Red
Record button and deliver your message. When finished
click the square Black Stop button.
7. To enter text to accompany your recording, click and
type in the large text field at the bottom of the form.
8. Click Send to E-mail your recording, then click OK and then click Back.
*Students will receive the following e-mail message.
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Voice Board
Voice Board is a threaded, voice-based discussion board that can also be used for one to one
vocal exercises.
To setup a Voice Board using Collaborate Voice:
1. Click on a course Content Area in the Navigation Panel (i.e. Course Information, Course
Documents or Assignments). Note: A new Content Area named Voice Board was created
especially for this content.
2. Select Add Interactive Tool and then select Voice Board. The
Add Voice Board window will open.
3. Complete the following information:
Title: Add a Title for your Voice Board.
Description: Provide a description of the Voice Board or
instructions on how students are to use this tool. Text
entered here appears below the Title and above the
Voice Board.
Audio Quality: Select the appropriate audio quality.
Max message length: Adjust the maximum recording
length allowed for users to record messages.
Display short message titles: When checked, the Voice Board provides less information
in the title of the messages making the display more compact.
Display messages in chronological
order: When checked, the Voice
Board displays the oldest messages
first (at the top).
Allow students to forward
messages: When checked, students
can forward messages from the
Voice Board via e-mail. The Voice
Board only accepts addresses
external to Blackboard.
Allow students to start a new
thread: When checked, students
can start a new thread on the Voice
Board.
Make discussion threads private: When checked, students cannot view each other's
threads.
Grade: When checked, the voice board can be graded. A column is automatically
created in your grade book with the title as the column header.
4. Click Submit.
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5. Click on the Enter Voice Board link in your Content Area. The Voice Board Form will open.
6. Click the New button to compose a new
thread. The Compose window will open.
7. Enter a relevant title for your post in the Subject Field.
8. With your microphone plugged-in, click the Red Record
button and deliver your message. When finished click the
square Black Stop button.
9. To enter text to accompany your recording, click and type in
the large text field at the bottom of the Compose window.
10. Click Post to submit your recording, then click Back.
*Students will see the following view once
they enter the Voice Board.
You must click on the thread before the
play button will be available
When you see the triangle that indicates
there are threads. Click the triangle to
expand.
Faculty and Students may reply or start a
new thread.
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Voice Presentation
Voice Presentation allows you to post web-based content, along with text and/or a voice
recording within a course content area. Students are able to respond to the content with voice
and text.
To record a Voice Presentation using Collaborate Voice:
1. Click on a course Content Area in the Navigation Panel (i.e. Course Information, Course
Documents or Assignments).
2. Select Add Interactive Tool and then select Voice
Presentation. The Add Voice Presentation window will open.
3. Complete the following information:
Title: Add a Title for your Voice Presentation.
Description: Provide a description of the Voice
Presentation or instructions on how students are to use
this tool.
Audio Quality: Select the appropriate audio quality.
Max message length: Adjust the maximum recording
length allowed for users to record messages.
Allow students to comment on
slides: When checked, students
can comment on slides with a
voice message.
Make slide comments private:
When checked, students cannot
listen to each other's comments.
4. Click Submit.
5. Click on the Enter Voice Presentation link in your Content Area. The Voice Presentation Form
will open.
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6. Instructions for creating a presentation, as well as an explanation of other available features,
will appear on the right. Click on the New button to create a new Voice presentation.
7. Enter a relevant title for your presentation in the Subject Field and
type the URL for the web-based content.
8. With your microphone plugged-in, click the Red Record button and
deliver your message. When finished click the square Black Stop
button.
9. To enter text to accompany your presentation, click and type in the
large text field at the bottom of the Compose window.
10. Click Post to submit your slide.
11. To edit the slide, select the slide and click the Edit button or click
New to add another slide to your presentation.
*Students will see the following view once they
enter the Voice Presentation.
To comment on a slide, select the slide on which
you would like to
comment and click the
comment button.
Click the Red Record button and deliver your message. When finished
click the square Black Stop button.
Enter text to by clicking and typing in the large text field at the bottom
of the Comment window.
Click Post to submit your comment.
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Voice Podcasting
Voice Podcaster is a complete, start-to-finish podcasting application. It allows you and your
students to author vocal recordings and distribute them over the Internet using syndication
feeds. All .mp3 files are hosted on the Collaborate Voice server, which also automatically
creates the RSS feed. Users can play messages directly within Voice Podcaster, download audio
from the feed, or subscribe using their preferred RSS reader.
To record a Voice Podcast using Collaborate Voice:
1. Click on a course Content Area in the Navigation Panel (i.e. Course Information, Course
Documents or Assignments).
2. Select Add Interactive Tool and then select Voice Podcaster.
The Add Voice Podcaster window will open.
3. Complete the following information:
Title: Add a Title for your Voice Podcast. Best practice is
to use your “course_name – podcast_name”. Example:
CS – 150 – Lecture #1. Maximum of 80 characters.
Description: Provide a description of the Voice Podcast
or instructions on how students are to use this tool.
Display short message titles: When checked, the Voice
Podcast provides less information in the title of the
messages making the display more compact.
Allow students to post new podcasts: When checked, students can create new
podcast.
Audio Quality: Select the
appropriate audio quality.
Pocast auto-published after:
Messages are automatically
published 5 minutes after posting. You may adjust this to a shorter or longer duration.
4. Click Submit.
5. Click on the Voice Podcaster link in your Content
Area. The Voice Podcaster Form will open.
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6. Click the New button to
compose a new podcast. The
Compose window will open.
7. Enter a relevant title for your podcast in the Subject Field.
8. With your microphone plugged-in, click the Red Record
button and deliver your message. When finished click the
square Black Stop button.
9. To enter text to accompany your recording, click and type in
the large text field at the bottom of the Compose window.
10. Click Post to submit your recording, then click Back.
*Students will see the following view
once they enter the Voice Podcast.
You must click on the thread before the
play button will be available
There are three ways to subscribe to an instance of Voice Podcaster:
• Click the Subscribe button to subscribe to this podcast in your default podcast
reader application.
• Drag the Subscribe button into any podcast reader application (such as iTunes, or
Juice).
• Click the RSS Feed button; a new window opens. Copy/paste the URL that
appears in the address bar into your preferred podcast reader application.
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Once a user subscribes, his or her podcast reader application automatically downloads new
messages created within a Voice Podcaster instance. This content can then be synced to an
iPod (or other portable device), if this has been set up within the podcast reader software.
Note: Subscriptions only apply to a single instance of Voice Podcaster. If your course utilizes
more than one Voice Podcaster, repeat this process within each instance as desired.
A Word about Audio Quality
You have the option to adjust the quality of recording depending on the environment in which
the feature will be used. The higher the quality is set, the more bandwidth that is required. This
setting can be changed at any time, but messages that have already been posted play in their
original encoding. The default setting of Standard Quality (12.8 kbits) works well for most
situations.
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