Student Frequently Asked Questions about Blackboard Collaborate

Blackboard Collaborate FAQ for participants

• How do I set up my mic and webcam?

  You might see a browser pop up asking for your permission to use your microphone and camera – this should be accepted to use all of the features within Collaborate. Follow the on screen prompts to select the correct webcam and microphone, especially if you have multiple devices connected.

  If you accidentally refused permissions for Collaborate you can change saved permissions in Chrome by following this guide.

  https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/114662?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en

  You could also open an incognito tab to access Blackboard and then Collaborate. When you use an incognito tab you will be asked to give permission for Collaborate to use your microphone and camera. Find out how to do this by following this link.

  https://help.blackboard.com/Collaborate/Ultra/Moderator/Get_Started/Browser_Support

• How do I share content?

  Moderators can give participants rights to upload, share and present in Blackboard Collaborate. If you are presenting a PowerPoint Presentation, we recommend converting your slides to PDF. This will ensure that all formatting is preserved during the upload to Blackboard Collaborate. There is a max upload limit of 60mb per file, with a maximum of 125mb per session. Try to keep file sizes as low as possible; consider using Adobe Acrobat or free online tools to compress your PDF before uploading.

• How do I change my sound output?

  • Blackboard Collaborate allows you to alter the microphone input and webcam settings, but not the audio output. Blackboard Collaborate will use the system default audio output / playback device, so ensure this is set correctly before opening Blackboard Collaborate. This is particularly important if you have multiple devices connected to your computer, such as speakers, headsets and external monitors.

    Change the default audio playback on Windows 10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWX4WxMkDxk

    Change the default audio output on OSX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lf03JGcS00

• How do I dial into the session using a phone?

  Collaborate offers the ability for participants to join the session audio via a telephone. If joining from Blackboard, the phone number and PIN is available from the session menu within the Bb Collaborate link.

• Which browser should I use?

  Blackboard recommends using Chrome or Firefox. For full information, visit

  https://help.blackboard.com/Collaborate/Ultra/Participant/Get_Started/Browser_Support

• I'm having problems!

  We have prepared a page of steps you can go through to resolve most issues.  Please read through this page.

• Can I use Collaborate in China?

  Please review this section of our Collaborate technology page where we are updating information based on feedback on usage in China.

• I'm in a different time-zone to the UK, how do I know when Collaborate sessions are scheduled for in my local time?

  Session start and end times are translated into your local time zone.  So if you view a list of sessions in Bb Collaborate in your course, the start and end times are translated automatically to the time-zone that your computer is using.

  For example if an instructor in the UK set a session to begin at 09:00 BST, it will be open to a user in China at 16:00 China Standard Time.