Collaborate for Presenters - Instructional Development

Blackboard Collaborate for Moderators
Introduction
This guide walks users through the different tools and features available to moderators in a Blackboard Collaborate Session.
Topics Covered:
 Interface Overview (Quick Start)
 Audio Setup Wizard
 Dialing into a Session (Telephony)
 Communicating Using Chat
 Audio and Video
 Polling Participants
 Using the Whiteboard
 Application Sharing
 Recording a Session
For additional information or support contact the Instructional Development team by phone at 508-999-8501 or by email at
[email protected].
CITS Instructional Development
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
Practice before leading your first session.

Become familiar with the session content.

Open web pages, applications needed for application sharing and
screen captures before session begins.

Load multimedia content and File Transfer content.

Find a comfortable place with no distractions to deliver the session.
In-Session Tips
Getting Started for
Moderators Quick
Reference Guide
Blackboard Collaborate gives you the functionality you need to support a
21st century teaching and learning environment, such as two-way audio,
multi-point video, interactive whiteboard, application and desktop sharing,
rich media, breakout rooms, and session recording. Educators and students
can engage as if they were in a traditional classroom, with as good as, or
even better, outcomes.
Tips on Conducting a Sessions

Greet participants as they join your session.

Remind your participants to use the Audio Setup Wizard in order to test
their microphone and speakers.

Speak clearly and don’t rush.

Ask questions and provide opportunity for interaction. Poll the class at
various intervals to obtain their feedback.
Remember to clear
responses after each poll.

Animate your delivery.

Look at the whole screen, not just the whiteboard area. For example,
watch the Chat window for text messages and the Participants window
for new participants joining the session.

Encourage participants to respond and to raise their hands when they
have a question or comment.

Poll the participants at various intervals to obtain feedback. View the
polling summary as needed. Consider sharing the results when
appropriate. Clear responses after each poll.

Use the whiteboard tools to assist you in your delivery. For example,
use the pointer to call attention to specific regions on the screen.

Include features such as application sharing, web tours, video,
multimedia, quizzes, and breakout rooms to assist you in delivering your
content
Preparation

Design sessions to include interactivity and include variety of content
and interaction in your session. Provide opportunities for participants to
interact and collaborate with each other.

Create quizzes or surveys to use during your session.

Create customized Clip Art collections in order to load images easily
during the session.
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Moderator’s User Interface
Audio Setup Wizard Quick
Reference Guide
Steps for Configuring Your Audio
1. Open the Audio Setup Wizard by clicking the
Audio & Video menu and clicking Audio Setup
Wizard.
2. From the Select Audio Output Device dialog,
choose the device that will play the session audio
e.g. speakers.
3. Click OK
Prior to participating in a session, you should ensure that
your audio is configured correctly. Audio settings can be
configured using the Audio Setup Wizard.
Using the Audio Setup Wizard on a PC
The Audio Setup Wizard is accessible Audio & Video
panel by clicking the Audio Setup Wizard button or from
the Audio & Video Options menu.
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4. Click the Play button and adjust the volume slider
so that you can clearly hear the pre-recorded
message. Click Stop and then Yes to confirm you
were able to hear the audio. If you were not able
to hear the audio, click No and repeat the previous
step.
5. Select the device you will use to send your audio
during the session e.g. microphone.
6. Click OK
7. Click Record and speak into the microphone
using your normal speaking voice. Adjust the
microphone slide bar so that it displays green bars
with an occasional yellow bar. Red indicates that
your audio is too loud or you microphone is too
close to your mouth.
default microphone and speakers on your Mac. If you
want to use a different device, click the
Sound Preferences panel.
to Open the
8. Click Play and confirm you can hear your
recorded voice. You are now ready to participate
in the audio portion of the session.
Using the Audio Setup Wizard on a Mac
The Audio Setup Wizard on a Mac computer is slightly
different than that of a PC. Open the Audio Setup Wizard
in the same manner by clicking the Audio & Video
Options menu located in the Audio & Video panel.
Proceed as described above if you wish to use the
The Sound preferences panel has a screen for audio
output or how you will hear the session audio and a
screen for input or microphone for sending audio.
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Figure 1 Output
Select the desired device for both Output and Input.
Then close Sound preferences.
Figure 2 Input
Using Telephony – Quick Reference Guide for Moderators
The Telephony feature in Blackboard Collaborate enables you
to conduct your audio communications with other session
attendees via a combination of VoIP and telephone
conferencing, while continuing to use your computer for all
other session features (or to just participate in the audio
portion of the meeting). As a telephone conference user, you
will be fully integrated into the session. You can communicate
with users not connected via teleconference (the traditional
microphone and speaker users) and your communications will
be captured in session recordings. There are two
implementations of Telephony:

Third Party Provider Telephony: With Third Party
Provider Telephony, customers must use their own
teleconference provider. It requires a Moderator or
session creator to manually configure the
teleconference connection information and a Moderator
to manually initiate the connection between the session
and the teleconference (establish the Teleconference
bridge).

Integrated Telephony: With Integrated Telephony,
customers don't need their own teleconference
provider as the teleconference service is provided by
Blackboard Collaborate. Teleconference phone
numbers and PINs are automatically generated during
session creation and anyone in the session can initiate
the connection between the session and the
teleconference (establish the Teleconference bridge)
by simply dialing in to the teleconference.
When you join the session, if you see the Use Telephone
for Audio button in the Audio & Video panel, you will know
that your session is configured with Integrated Telephony and
you will not be required to configure the teleconference.
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Configuring Connection Information to a Third
Party Provider Telephone Conference
With Third Party Provider Telephony, if the session creator has
not already configured the teleconference connection
information, you must do so within the Blackboard Collaborate
web conferencing session before you can connect a session to
a teleconference. This entails entering the telephone
number(s) and PIN(s) provided by your telephone conference
administrator for the desired teleconference. Teleconference
information can be set as a default from the Blackboard
Collaborate session scheduling system.
To configure telephone conference connection information,
follow these steps:
1. Obtain the phone number(s), PIN(s) and SIP (if
required) for your teleconference from your telephone
conference administrator.
2. Open the Teleconference Connection dialog by
selecting Configure Telephone Conference… from
the Audio & Video Options menu.
3. Enter the connection information for the
teleconference. The Session Information and the
Moderator Information are typically the same. The
Blackboard Collaborate session will connect to the call
using the Session Information.
Connecting the Session to the Telephone
Conference
Once you have configured the connection information, you
must now establish the bridge (connection) between the
session and the telephone conference. (Note: this is needed
only if this wasn’t already done in Step 4 above)
To connect the session to the telephone conference, follow the
steps below:
1. Select Connect Session to Teleconference from the
Audio & Video Options menu.
4. Save the teleconference information. If you want to
connect to the teleconference immediately, click on the
Save & Connect button. If you want to configure but
not connect to the teleconference, click on the Save
button.
The session calls and connects.
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2. Click on Confirm when the Confirm Connection dialog
box appears.
Joining a Teleconference
Now that the session has connected to the teleconference,
any session attendee (Moderator and Participant) can join a
teleconference.
To join a teleconference, follow the steps below:
1. Click the
Use Telephone for Audio button in the
Audio & Video panel to access the conference number
and PIN.
Note that a new “Participant” called Teleconference appears in
the Participants List.
2. Using your telephone, dial the teleconference
telephone number displayed in the Use Telephone for
Audio dialog.
3. Enter the teleconference PIN when prompted to do so
by the teleconference (if required). If your
teleconference, prompts you to enter your conference
number followed by the # key, enter your PIN as the
"conference number".
4. When you’ve successfully connected to the
teleconference, click on OK in the Use Telephone for
Audio dialog. The
Use Telephone for Audio button
will change to the
Use Microphone and Speakers
for Audio button and the word Teleconferencing…
will appear in the Audio & Video window to confirm you
are communicating via the call.
using VoIP. However, the teleconference participants will
continue to be able to hear and talk to each other and will still
receive audio from the session.
To mute the teleconference, remove the Audio permission of
the Teleconference bridge in the Participant list by clicking its
Audio permission in the Participant Option menu.
You will know the teleconference is muted when you see the
icon next to the Teleconference bridge participant in the
Participants list.
Adjusting the Sound & Muting the
Teleconference
Figure 1 Muted
While you are in your session, you can prevent the audio from
the teleconference from entering the session by muting the
teleconference. This will prevent everyone who is on the
teleconference from talking to those in the session who are
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To un-mute the teleconference, reinstate the Teleconference
bridge's Audio permission. You will know the teleconference is
no longer muted when the
icon next to the Teleconference
bridge participant switches back to the
icon.
Leaving a Teleconference
Figure 2 Not Muted
Disconnecting the Session from the
Teleconference
To leave a teleconference and once again be able to use your
microphone and speakers for audio, follow the steps below:
1. Click the
Use Microphone and Speakers for
Audio button. The Use Microphone & Speakers for
Audio dialog will open.
Only a Moderator can disconnect the session from the
telephone conference. To disconnect, select Disconnect
Session from Teleconference… from the Audio & Video
Options menu. Click Yes to confirm.
2. Click OK to leave the teleconference.
3. Hang up your phone.
Audio Activity Indicators
Activity
Indicator
Description
Tips for using Telephony

Manage Teleconference participant interaction using
the same session etiquette as you use with participants
on VoIP. Ask participants to raise their hands before
speaking. This will facilitate better communications and
will let you know who in the Teleconference is speaking

Mute teleconference users during the presentations to
avoid interruptions and the broadcast of unwanted
audio.

Remind users on the teleconference to mute their
telephones while they are not speaking to minimize
distractions for other users on the teleconference.

As a best practice, use the Moderator PIN in the
Session Information field in the Teleconference
Connection dialogue box so that, as soon as the
session joins the teleconference, those on the
teleconference no longer hear music and a Moderator
in the teleconference is not explicitly needed.
The session attendee has turned on the
microphone by clicking the Talk button. (Using
VoIP for audio.)
The Teleconference Bridge participant is
connected and the teleconference is available to
users.
The Teleconference Bridge participant is
connected but has had its Audio permission
removed and, therefore, the teleconference is
muted.
User is using Telephony mode for audio
communications. (Using the phone for Audio.)
User is using Telephony mode for audio
communications (using the phone for Audio) but
the teleconference is muted.
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to the right of the participants name in the Participants
panel .
Using Chat Quick
Reference Guide
Text-based communication is available in web
conferencing using the Chat tool. Use the Chat to send a
text messages to everyone, to selected participants, or to
a single Participant or Moderator in the session.
Depending on your session configuration, the moderator
may be able to monitor all messages sent between
participants, including private messages. This is called a
Supervised session and the word “Supervised” will
appear in the Chat window.
Participants can always send a private text message to
the Moderator even if they do not have the Chat
permission.
The moderator can grant and remove the Chat
permission by clicking the Options menu Participants panel and selecting Chat.
- in the
Sending a Chat Message
To send message:
Understanding the Chat Messages
Chat Permissions
By default all Participants have permission to use the
Chat. However the Moderator can take away the
permission from one or all of the participants. If the
permission has been removed visual indicator will appear
1. Type in the message field
2. Hit <ENTER> on your keyboard.
Note the Moderator by default has two tabs – Room and
Moderators. Room is public chat sent to everyone in the
room and Moderators is reserved for private messages
between session Moderators.
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Moderators will be able to read all private messages
exchanged between Participants. The word
“Supervised” appears next to CHAT in the Chat window.
To send a private message:
Figure 1 Participant Chat Window
1. Select the Participant to whom you would like to
send the message.
2. Right-click or from the Participant Options menu
select Send a Private Chat.
3. A new tab will appear with the Participant’s name.
Type your message and hit <ENTER>
Remember:

Figure 2 Moderator Chat Window
Sending a Private Chat Message
Moderator and Participants can send private chat
messages. If the session is “Supervised”, the
The Moderators can see all private messages.
The private messages will appear in light gray,
indented and italicized for the Moderator. See the
image below as an example of a private
conversation between Dominic and Emma both
session participants.
The Moderator can choose to turn off the
“Supervised” chat.

A new tab will open for each conversation. To
close the tab, hover over the blue icon the left of
the Participant’s name turn into an X
the icon will
 The Moderator has the option of viewing all
private messages in the conversation area of
the Room tab by selecting Show My Private
Chats in Room Tab. It will have a heading
that starts with the Private Message icon
. Click to close.
Chat Options Menu
From the Chat Options menu:
 Messages can be sent as announcements.
 The font size can be increased and
decreased.
Saving Chat Messages to a File
1. Public and private chat messages can be
saved. Click on the tab to select the
messages you wish to save.
2. From the File menu, select Save > Chat
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Microphone On
Using the Audio & Video
Panel Quick Reference
Guide
The Audio feature allows session Participants to use a
microphone and speakers to participate in the audio
portion of a web conferencing session. The Video feature
enables you to transmit video broadcasts. This is video
you send live via a video camera (e.g., web cam) – not to
be confused with a pre-recorded video (movie) that you
can play using the Multimedia Library.
Microphone Off
Simultaneous Talkers
The Moderator can enable up to 6 simultaneous talkers
in a session. Participants should use headsets with
microphones or an echo-cancelling audio device to avoid
unwanted echoing of the audio during the session.
1. Click Tools > Audio > Maximum Simultaneous
Talkers or select it from the Audio & Video Options
menu.
Using the Audio
Turn on and off the microphone


Click the Talk button to turn on the microphone. A
microphone icon will appear in the Participants
panel, the Talk button will display with a visual
indicator and the microphone level slider will move
up and down as the volume of your speech
changes.
Click the button again to turn off the microphone.
2. Set the slider to the desired number.
3. Click OK
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Using the Video
Steps for using live video
1. Click the Video button to begin transmitting live
video. Alternatively, click the Preview button first
Who is talking?
When the session is enabled for simultaneous talkers, it
is important to open the Audio & Video panel so you can
identify who is talking. The name of the person who is
speaking along with their Profile picture (if they have one)
will appear in the panel. The panel automatically
switches to follow who is talking.
then when you are satisfied with the preview
image, click Video.
2. To Resize or Expand the video window, select
Detach Panel from the Audio & Video Options
menu.
3. The window is now free floating. It can be moved
anywhere on the screen or even to a second
monitor. It can also be resized by grabbing the
top, bottom or any corner and dragging.
4. To stop the video transmission, click the Video
button.
Viewing Video with Multiple Simultaneous
Cameras
The Moderator can configure the session for up to 6
simultaneous cameras by selecting Maximum
Simultaneous Cameras… from the Audio & Video
Options menu.
The Moderator has two options for controlling the image
that will be displayed in the top larger portion of the
window. They are selected from the Audio & Video
Options menu.
Tips


Make Video Follow Moderator Focus – the
Moderator can click on any video image and move
it to the main window
Make Video Follow Speaker – the image in the
main window will be that of the person speaking.



For best audio, use a USB headset.
Learn to facilitate the session with one talker
before expanding the option to more. Work
your way up to a session with six simultaneous
talkers.
To stop viewing the transmitted video,
minimize the Audio & Video window by clicking
the Expand/Collapse button
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Polling Types
Type of Poll
Yes/No
Using the Polling Feature
Wizard Quick Reference
Guide
The Polling feature allows you to poll your participants at
any time using one of four different types of polls:
Yes/No, Multiple-Choice (A-C, A-D or A-E), and Class
Pace. You can use Polling to obtain quick responses to
verbal or written questions. The poll type can be changed
as many times as needed during a session. The Yes/No
poll type is the default. By saving the Whiteboard,
anonymous polling results can be saved and reviewed
later in or out of a Blackboard Collaborate session.
Multiple Choice Option 1
Multiple Choice Option 2
Multiple Choice Option 3
Response Buttons
To Poll Participants
1. From the Tools menu, select Polling, select Type
and select the type of poll you wish to use. Or
select Polling from the Global Options menu. The
default is Yes/No.
Viewing and Clearing Polling Results
While conducting a Poll, the Moderator will see the
results tabulated under the Polling Response Menu. To
delete the responses, click the Clear button.
2. Present the polling question to the Participants
verbally or on the Whiteboard.
3. Instruct the Participants to respond using the
available response options. The options are
located in the Participants panel. Click the Polling
Response Menu and click the desired response.
Hide and Show Responses
Publishing Reponses to the Whiteboard
Determine if you wish to show or hide the polling
responses from the participants by selecting or
deselecting Make Responses Visible from the Tools >
Polling menu.
Publishing the responses places a graphical
representation of the results on the Whiteboard.
Locking Responses
Tips
The Moderator can choose to lock the polling responses
to prevent Participants from changing their answer.
Select Lock Responses from Tools > Polling.

Use Polling to break up the session and engage
Participants.

Use the Whiteboard to present your Polling
question along with the responses.

Hide the Polling results from your Participants until
they have responded to ensure honest feedback.
Reveal the results only after everyone has
responded.

If the Polling results were shown to the
Participants they will also be shown in the
recording. Hidden results are not recorded.
Available Whiteboard Tools
A full set of mark-up tools are available for all session
participants from the free floating Tools Palette. The
palette can be repositioned anywhere on the screen.
Using the Whiteboard
Quick Reference Guide
The Whiteboard is the primary area for displaying content
in a session. PowerPoint content can be loaded to the
Whiteboard. Tools are available that allow all users to
draw or write on the page. Multiple users can interact on
a page simultaneously. Moreover, the pages are object
oriented meaning that all objects placed on the
Whiteboard can be edited. The Moderator controls
access to the Whiteboard.
Managing Pages
The Moderator has the ability to:



Add New Page
Clear content added to a Page
Delete a Page from the session
Properties Editor Palette
The Pen, Text, Shape and Line tools all have editable
properties. The properties include the ability to change
the color, line thickness known as stroke or font and font
size for text. The Editor Palette will appear below the
Tools Palette when the tool is chosen.
There are seven different pointers from which to choose.
To change the pointer:
1. Click the Pointer tool.
2. Hold down the mouse and the pointer options will
open.
Using the Screen Capture
3. Select the new pointer.
The Tools palette has a screen capture tool. This tool is
used to capture a screen shot of another application or
your desktop and paste the captured image on a
Whiteboard page.
1. Click the Place a screen capture on the screen
button.
Using Clip Art
A standard library of Clip Art images and Background
images are available for Moderators and for Participants
if they have the Whiteboard permission. Customized Clip
Art collections can be created and reused. See the full
Moderator’s User Guide for more information.
To add Clip Art to a page:
1. Click the Clip Art button 2. Select the desired image from the tabbed library.
2. Place the capture window over the region you
would like to capture. Resize the capture region
by clicking and dragging the capture window.
3. Click OK to create the screen captures.

4. You will be returned to the web conferencing
Whiteboard. Place the screen capture on the
Whiteboard by moving you mouse to the desired
location and single click.
Managing Content on the Whiteboard Page
Content added to a page can be manipulated by
selecting the content and right-clicking. From the menu
there are a lot of options including:




Object alignment
Cut, Copy, Paste
Grouping
Properties
Explore Objects
Object Explorer
The Object Explorer is available by clicking Explore
Objects… The Object Explorer tracks what has been
placed on the Whiteboard and by whom. This is a
great way for the Moderator to monitor content.
Whiteboard Tips






Create interactive Whiteboard activities to engage
participants.
Conduct brainstorming activities on the
Whiteboard.
Load animated GIF images to the page after static
PowerPoint has been loaded.
Add clickable URLs to the page after PowerPoint
content has been loaded.
Save the Whiteboards in WBD or WBP format to
reuse in future sessions.
Save the Whiteboards as PDF to be viewed
outside of a session.
Using Application Sharing
Quick Reference Guide
Application Sharing allows a Moderator or Participant to
share any application or the entire desktop with other
attendees. The host of the application share can grant
remote control of his or her application(s) to others. This
allows for true hands-on training, demonstrations, and
support applications.
3. Click Share.
4. The shared application will display in the Content
Window for Participants.
Starting Application Sharing
Any session participant with Application Sharing
permission can start Application Sharing. To start:
1. Click the Application Sharing button
2. Select Share Desktop or a specific application
from the list. Only open applications that are not
minimized will appear on the list.
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Sizing and Controlling the Application
Giving Control of Your Application or Desktop
The session participant who is sharing an application
should size the application to the approximate size of the
content window. This will ensure room on the monitor to
see the Blackboard Collaborate side panels and the
application. By default a yellow box will appear around
the region that is being displayed. A small controller will
be available with a button for Stop, Pause and Snap
Shot.
To give control of the shared application to another
participant in the session, do the following:
1. Select the Participant from the Participants List
2. From the Tools menu, select Application
Sharing > Give Control of Shared Applications.
The Participant now has the ability to interact with
the shared application.
The Participant Hosting the shared application will have
indicator next to their name in the Participants List.
3. To regain control, from your keyboard hold down
the CTRL key and the Space at the same time.
Control returns to the host.
Giving Participants Application Sharing
Permission
By default Participants do not have the permission to
use Application Sharing. The Moderator may give
permission to all Participants from the Global
Options menu or to a single participant from the
Participants Option menu.
3. If the Participant changes the mode, following
steps above. If the Moderator changes the
mode, the Participant must click the Start
Sharing button, select an application and click
Share. Now all session Participants will see
the shared application.
4. The Application Sharing permission will
change to an active status.
If the permission is given globally, you will not see a
change in the Participants List. However if it is given
to an individual Participant, the Application Sharing
permission icon will appear next to that Participants
name.
Steps:
1. Give the Participant(s) Application Sharing
permission as described above.
2. The Participant may then click the Application
Sharing button to switch to that mode or the
Moderator can change the mode.
Tips

When another attendee is controlling your
application, it is important to keep you hand off the
mouse so you do not compete for control.

When another attendee is controlling your
application, use the audio hot key F2 to turn on
and off your audio.

When another attendee is controlling your
application, use the Tab key to move between the
panels.
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
If the area being shared is larger than the
Application Sharing window, it can be scaled to fit
the window. Select Scale to fit.

You can optimize application sharing by selecting
the Image Quality you want to transmit. Normal is
the default. Go to Preferences > Application
Sharing > Hosting Options to make a change.
To view what your participants are seeing, from
the Tools menu, select Application Sharing >
Show Preview Window. A thumbnail of the
shared application will display in a new window.
Do not place the Preview window on top of the shared
application because it will block transmission and appear
as a black box on the Participants screens.


The cursor of the shared application can be
distinguished from the computer cursor by setting
the Application Sharing Preferences to Emphasize
Cursor. The cursor will be displayed in this
manner -
Getting Started with
Recordings Quick
Reference Guide
As a Moderator, you can record a session. All activity that
occurs in the main room of the session will be recorded,
except for private Chat messages, the Timer and Notes.
As the recording progresses, index entries to mark
significant events within the session will automatically be
inserted into the recording. Anyone viewing the recording
can navigate through the recording to points marked with
index entries. The Moderator can also choose to
manually insert index entries during the live session
thereby marking specific session activities. You can start
or pause recording at any time during the session. The
recording can be erased at any time during the session
by the Moderator.
Starting and Resuming a Recording
The reminder will also appear if the recording is paused
at anytime during the session. Additionally, all
participants will hear a verbal cue when the recording is
started and paused.
The Moderator can also click the Record button to start
the recording. When the session is being recorded the
Record button will say Recording. This is visible to all
session Participants.
The session Moderator will be presented with a recording
reminder at the beginning of the session. Click Start to
begin recording the session.
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Erasing a Recording
You can erase the content of the recording at any time
during the session.

From the Tools menu select Recorder > Erase
Recording... This will erase the entire recording.
Adding an Index Entry
At any point during the session, the Moderator can
manually add an index point. This is done from Tools >
Recorder > Add Index Entry… This only needs to be
done if you want to mark a spot in the session that would
not otherwise be automatically indexed. Automatic index
markers are created by changing Pages or Modes such
as starting Application Sharing.
Click the
button to play the recording.
Click the
button to pause the recording.
Use the Recording Index to move around in the
recording. You can access the Recording Index in two
ways:
1. Click the Expand/Collapse button to show the
indices
2. From the Playback menu, select Show Recording
Index… the Recording Index window will open.
Playing back a Recording
Recordings are typically played by clicking on a recording
link or access the archive from a LMS/CMS. The
Playback Controller panel is at the bottom of the window
in the status bar: