Communication Tools in Blackboard


Online courses offer students a range of communication tools used for anything from self-reflection to sharing ideas and resources with your classmates.


Synchronous - you are online at the same time as those with whom you are communicating. An example would be the web conferencing tool Blackboard Collaborate Ultra. Join the "Test" session to test your audio and video.


Asynchronous - you do not have to be online at the same time as the people with whom you are communicating. There may be a delay between posts and replies, giving you more time to respond.


Joining a Collaborate Ultra Session


To join a Collaborate Ultra session, select the ellipses (three dots) next to Class Collaborate on the Details and Action menu of the Content page. Then choose View all sessions.


Screenshot of Class Collaborate on the Details & Actions menu of the Course Content page with arrows pointing to the ellipses option and the View all sessions option



Select the meeting with the correct date and time, and then click Join Session.


Screenshot of the Join Session options in Collaborate


Audio and Video Setup


Filter and Search for Sessions


You can filter the list of sessions that appear by all upcoming sessions, all previous sessions, and sessions in a date range. Use the filter to help you find the session you are looking for.


If you know the name of the session you are looking for, select Search Sessions and type the session name.


Screenshot of the filter options for upcoming sessions, all previous sessions, and sessions in a range in Collaborate.


View Session Recordings


Recorded sessions are saved as MP4s. Recordings include audio, any content shared or active speaker video, and the captions entered during the live session.


You can view recordings in courses you are enrolled in. You may be able to download recordings. Instructors must allow session recording downloads for each session.


From the Content page in your course, select the ellipses (three dots) next to Class Collaborate on the Details and Action menu of the Content page. Then choose View all recordings.


Screenshot of View all recordings option of Class Collaborate under the ellipses on the Details & Actions menu on the Course Content page.



Or in the Blackboard Collaborate Ultra tool, select the tool menu. Select Recordings for a list of all recordings.


Screenshot of the Recordings option on the menu in Collaborate.