The Collaboration Tools allow users to participate in real-time lessons and discussions. Examples of these sessions include real-time, online classroom 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.
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. |
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, or may be found at http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/index.html. Blackboard recommends using version 1.5 of the Java 2 Runtime Environment, however, the Collaboration Tools will also work with version 1.4.
Take care to uninstall any existing Java plug-ins before installing a new version.
Follow the steps below to open the Collaboration Sessions page.
Click Communication on the Course Menu or Organization Menu.
Select Collaboration.
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. Click Filter. The filters include:
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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 |
Join next to the session. |
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access the archives for a session |
Archives next to the session. |
There are two roles available for users in Collaboration Sessions: Passive and Active. The Session Admin controls user access and functionality during a Collaboration session by assigning Passive or Active roles. For example, Session Admins 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 will appear 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 Admin by clicking the hand icon. The Session Admin then makes the user Active.
Macintosh users running OS X and Netscape should run Netscape 7. When opening the Collaboration Tool, Netscape may put the tool in the background. If this happens, check under the Window menu for the Collaboration Tool. Netscape 6.2 does not work well with the Collaboration Tool and should be replaced with Netscape 7. For those users that wish to use Safari, be aware that Pop-Up Window Blocking must disabled.
Macintosh users running OS 8 or OS 9 must use the Accessible version of the Collaboration Tool. See below for more information on running the Accessible Collaboration Tool.
An accessible version of the Collaboration Tool is available. Users running Macintosh Operating System 8 or 9 should also use this version.
A link to this version appears when Join is selected on the Collaboration Sessions page. This link will open 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 Admin takes a snapshot. A link will be created to the snapshot for users to view.
The sound of a door opening or closing will be audible to all participants when a user enters or leaves a session through the accessible version.