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Bb Collaborate Product Overview

Collaborate is a flexible product can that can be used in much the same way as Wimba as a virtual classroom, online meeting space, a location for virtual office hours, among other uses. Essential features include two-way audio, multi-point video, interactive whiteboard, application and desktop sharing, rich media, breakout rooms, and session recording.

New features include:

  • a redesigned user interface;
  • an object-based whiteboard that is more flexible and in which annotations persist throughout a session;
  • audio buffering to improve audio quality and echo cancellation that eliminates the need for headphones
  • up to 6 simultaneous video streams
  • multimedia presentation tool
  • private chat monitoring
  • mobile access to sessions for students

In addition, two desktop tools are available to develop content and activity before a real-time session: Plan and Publish.

The Plan tool will help you organize and script session content ahead of time, allowing you to devote more session time to interaction with your students. Publish allows you to create standalone recordings or video files from session recordings to allow for asynchronous review.

Features of the Wimba system that are not available in Collaborate include:

  • persistent settings and content
  • content organized by presentation
  • tracking information available to moderator
  • open ended polling

The Pilot program began in the summer 2012 term and will continue through spring 2013. Both systems will be deployed for use in Blackboard for the summer 2013 term, and the full switchover will be made at the beginning of the fall 2013 term. Wimba will be disabled at the end of the summer 2013 term.

Click for the Collaborate implementation timeline