CTSI presents Web Conferencing with Blackboard Collaborate
Welcome!
First Step – Run the
Audio Setup Wizard
If you do not have a head set please use headphones or ear buds if you
are planning on speaking, otherwise there will be feedback. If you are
using speakers and a mic please go to the Tools menu -> Audio ->
Speaker Settings -> then check “Mute speakers when Talk is pressed”.
If you have no mic or are in a shared area and don’t want to speak, you
can still use the chat window.
Communicating in Collaborate
1 – The volume of your microphone
2 – The volume of your speakers
3 – The Talk button, click to activate your mic,
click again to mute
4 – The Video button, click to activate your
webcam
1
2
3
4
The blue
microphone will
display beside
whomever is
speaking
The Collaborate User
Interface
1
1 – The Audio and Video Panel
2 – The Participants Panel
3 – Emotion menu
4 – Away from keyboard (AFK) button
5 – Raise Hand button
6 – Respond to Poll button
7 – List of Participants
8 – Chat Panel
9 – Chat message text box
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3
5
4
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Note: Panels can be detached and dragged
around, as well as resized, to customize your
view.
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What is Collaborate?
A Web Conferencing tool that can:
host hundreds of simultaneous attendees
Up to 6 live audio and video synchronous streams
Interactive Whiteboard
Application Sharing
File Transfers
Web tours
Allows for:
Online Office hours
Online meetings
Broadcast and Record Lectures
Virtual training
Online Labs or Tutorials
Itinerary
• Gaining Access to and Scheduling Collaborate Sessions
• Preparing for a Session
• Running the Session
–
–
–
–
–
Recording
Using the Whiteboard
Conducting a Web tour
Using Application Sharing
Transferring Files
• Moderating a Session
– Watching attendees
– Changing Permissions
– Conducting Polls
?
Somewhere in the
middle a 5 minute
break
Quick Warm-up Activity: Where are you?
Gaining Access to Collaborate
How many of you currently have access to Collaborate?
 - For Yes.  - For No.
To get Access, all you need to do is:
Send a request to portal.help@utoronto.ca
Remember to include the Portal Course or Organization
Scheduling Collaborate Sessions
Done via Portal Courses or Organizations
Preparing for a Session
Send the link to the Test room, available on the Portal Information site:
www.portalinfo.utoronto.ca/webinar
Create a welcome slide with
instructions to run the Audio setup
wizard and anything else they might
need to do at the start
Arrive early!
First – Run the Audio Setup Wizard (needs to run each time you start a session)
N.B. No one can hear you while you are running the wizard
Second – Pre-load your content - Very large PPTs can take a while
Third – Plan some warm-up or ice breaker activities to get your attendees
used to how you want to run the session
Running a Session
Recording
Using the Whiteboard
Conducting a Web tour
Using Application Sharing
Transferring Files
Recording
When you, as the moderator,
first enter the session you will
be prompted to started
recording.
No one, at this point, does!
Once you are ready, hit the record
button at the top right.
It will then change to a ‘Recording’
button. Click it again to pause, and
then again to un-pause.
The Recording will automatically stop one the session is ended.
Finding your Recordings
Recordings are accessible through the Blackboard Collaborate tool in the Portal
Course or Organization the session was created it.
Recordings are queued for processing once the session is completed. Depending on the
length of the session the processing can take a while. Once completed the Recording
will automatically appear under the Recordings link.
Whiteboard
Whiteboard
Controls
Whiteboard Tools
Whiteboard
It’s Interactive!
Selection Tool
Pointer Tool
Pen Tool
Text Tool
Filled Shape Tool
Shape Tool
Line Tool
Screen Capture Tool
Clip Art Tool
Everyone draw a happy face here!
Loading Content into the Whiteboard
PowerPoint presentations (.ppt .pptx) and OpenOffice presentations (.ppt, .pptx, .sxi
and .odp) can be loaded into Collaborate using the Load Content button
• You will need to have PowerPoint or OpenOffice
installed
• All animations and links will be lost, plan
accordingly
• Any other content loaded using the Whiteboard
will be sent to the File Transfer library
Whiteboard
• Can develop complex slides and activities
directly in Collaborate (PowerPoint not
needed)
• Whiteboards can be saved as whiteboard files
for future use – faster loading
• Whiteboards can be saved as PDFs for later
distribution
• If animations are required Application Sharing
can be used instead
Web tour
Can take participants to any publically accessible
website
Participants can interact with the page, and can
navigate away
Best method for showing videos!
Application Sharing
Yellow border
indicates what the
participants can see
Participants can be granted permission to
interact with the application
Application Sharing
• Can be resource
intensive
• Prepare your
Applications ahead
of time
• Keep your Panels in
view
File Transfer
Any files added to the File Transfer Library can be downloaded at any time by
participants
Files are also available while watching recordings
Moderating a Session
Keep an eye on your Participants!
Status indicators
Yellow dots = Moderate delay
Red dots = Significant delay
Icon represents which tool or content is delayed
Slow down to help participants catch up. Pause on one slide or page and
wait for the indicators to disappear.
Audio will catch up automatically by being sped up. Users will hear a
“chipmunk” voice.
Permissions
You can add or remove permission, or access to the tools, from all or individual students.
Global Permissions
Individual Permissions
Quick Activity – Giving Everyone
Moderator Privileges!
Polling and Publishing Results
Do you plan to use Collaborate in the next:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Week
Two weeks
One month
In the fall term
Someday, maybe...
Hints and Tips
Ask for help – in large classes get a TA or colleague to manage the chat and
any questions
Adjust your Panels – move and increase the chat window, especially if you
are on your own
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare – Conduct dry runs of activities, test that
multimedia displays correctly, collect and save any files you will share in
one place
Keep your participants awake – conduct an activity every 5-10 minutes
Check out the documentation on our Help site:
www.portalinfo.utoronto.ca
Help Resources
http://www.portalinfo.utoronto.ca/webinar
Portal.help@utoronto.ca
Ryan Green
Ryan.green@utoronto.ca
416.946.7729
Questions