Collaborate versus Teams
Are you unsure whether Collaborate or Teams is more appropriate to your needs?
Use the chart below to see how Blackboard Collaborate and Teams differ.
(Comparison chart accurate at 20 April 2021)
While in plenary session
Teams | Collaborate | |
Can students scribble on a shared document e.g. a pdf document or converted PPT? | No | Yes |
Can you stop and start the ability to scribble? | Scribble not available | Yes |
Can you turn off chat during a session? | ? | Yes |
Using Break Out Rooms (BORs)
Teams | Collaborate | |
Can you delegate who can open break out rooms? | No | Yes |
Can you have multiple owners/moderators? | No | Yes |
Can you keep staff out of BORs? | Yes but needs to be done manually | Yes. Moderators stay in the main room |
Can the organiser hear everything happening in all BORs?………………………………………………………………………………………. | Need to visit each room | Need to visit each room |
Is there a time announcement e.g. you will move in 10 seconds? | Coming soon is the ability for rooms to last a specified period of time. | No |
Which platform must you use for BORs to work? | Latest version of app | Works through browser or app |
Can attendees record BORs? | Yes | No |
Can attendees access chat in their room? | Yes | Yes |
Can the organiser close all rooms at once? | Yes | Yes |
Can attendees share screens in BORs? | Yes | Yes |
Can attendees share files? | Yes | Yes |
Do attendees have access to a whiteboard? | Yes | Yes |
Can attendees access the whiteboard content after session? | Yes (either through chat or Whiteboard app) | No (but they can take a screen shot) |
Can attendees self-move between rooms assigned BOR and main room? | Yes (but must be enabled by organiser) | Yes (but must be enabled by organiser) |
Can attendees self-move between rooms assigned BOR and another BOR? | No | Yes (but must be enabled) |
Will chats created in Break Out Rooms be available after session? | Yes (through chat tab on task bar in Teams) | No |
Can external guests join break out rooms? | ? | Yes |
Meeting notes | Yes | No (use online Word doc as a workaround) |
Can organiser move people between rooms while break out rooms are in progress? | Not yet | Yes |
Is there a function like Together mode? | Yes | No |
Can attendees change their backgrounds? | Yes | No (but can use snapchat as a workaround) |
Can organiser push Polls into BORs? | ? | No |
Can attendees use autogenerated captions in break out rooms? | Yes | No |