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Student Support » Chat / Virtual Classroom
How do I Chat while working within my Blackboard course?
Collaboration Tools
Overview
The Collaboration Tools allow users to participate in real-time lessons and discussions. Examples of these sessions include real-time, online discussions, TA sessions, and live question and answer Forums. Archives of previous sessions are also available for review. Guest speakers can also lead sessions using the Collaboration Tools. Users can search for and join Collaboration Sessions and view session archives.
Course Groups can also use the Collaboration Tools for private sessions open only to Course Group members.
Collaboration Tools
The following Collaboration Tools are available.
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Tool |
Description |
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Users engage in a real-time discussion with other users, access the Web, and engage in question and answer sessions. Users may also access the Whiteboard to display text and images. |
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Chat is part of the Virtual Classroom. It can also be accessed separately. Chat allows users to open just the chat function. |
Java Plug-in
The Java 2 Run Time Environment is required to use the Collaboration Tools. The plug-in may be downloaded from the page that appears when a user joins a Collaboration Session.
Find this page
- Click Tools on the Course Menu.
- Click Collaboration.
Functions
The following table describes the functions available from this page.
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To . . . |
click . . . |
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filter the sessions listed on the page |
the arrow next to the drop-down list and select the type of session to display and click Go: Show All – The default filter that displays all of the Collaboration Sessions. Active Sessions – Displays all of the sessions that are in use. Session with Recordings – Displays completed sessions that have an archive. Future Sessions – Displays sessions that are scheduled to take place in the future. |
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search for a session |
the Session Name, Start Date, or End Date option and then enter a value in the field. Click Search. |
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enter a session |
select Join from the contextual menu next to the session. |
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access the Recordings for a session |
select Recordings from the contextual menu for the session. Session Recordings |
User Roles
There are two roles available for users in Collaboration Sessions: Passive and Active. The Session Administrator controls user access and functional during a Collaboration session by assigning Passive or Active roles. For example, Session Administrators determine which users can chat, send private messages, or ask questions during a session by assigning specific Access Rights to the different roles. The User icon appears in the Role column next to those Users who are Active.
User roles can change throughout the Collaboration Session. Users who are Passive, but would like Active rights, can signal the Session Administrator by clicking the hand icon. The Session Administrator then makes the user Active.
Macintosh and the Collaboration Tool
For those users that wish to use Safari, be aware that Pop-Up Window Blocking must disabled.
Accessible Collaboration Tool
An accessible version of the Collaboration Tool is available.
A link to this version appears when Join is selected on the Collaboration Sessions page. This link opens the Accessible version of the Collaboration Tool. Links to items that appear in the Virtual Classroom, such as items in the Course Map and Group Browser, will appear in this version. Documents created on the Whiteboard may be viewed if the Session Administrator takes a snapshot. A link is created to the snapshot for users to view.
The sound of a door opening or closing is audible to all participants when a user enters or leaves a session through the accessible version.
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Last update: 2011-08-03 22:01
Author: Blackboard inc.
Revision: 1.11
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