What is Collaborate?

Blackboard Collaborate is a tool in which to conduct web-conferencing as well as comprehensive online learning.  

Getting Started

• You can only view sessions and recordings for courses in which you are enrolled
• If you are not enrolled in the course, contact the instructor for that course
• Collaborate is a complex tool.  It is important that you confirm your ability to access collaborate before your first scheduled session.
• If the instructions below do not work for you, we are available to help at CLEhelp@nps.edu 

Collaborate Current Service Status

Connecting to a Session

Use the NPS Collaborate Test Session at any time to test your connection to a Collaborate Session.  Instructions and troubleshooting for various operating systems are below.

• Using Windows
• Using Mac
• Using IOS: for participants only works for viewing recordings that have been converted to MP4
• Using Android: for participants only works for viewing recordings that have been converted to MP4

Troubleshooting

• Instructions to download the Collaborate Launcher (pdf download)
• Windows 10 Tiny Collaborate Window Issue
• If Collaborate won't run at all - Try reassociating Collaborate with Java

For Instructors -

 - Creating Sessions 

Sessions can ONLY be created using Sakai.  NPS Staff and Faculty can contact clehelp@nps.edu to request a Sakai site which they can use to create sessions.  

Once sessions are created, participants do not need to be enrolled in the course site to join.  Session creators will get a Guest Link which they can email to desired participants.

• How to add the Collaborate Tool a your Sakai site
• How to create a Collaborate Session through Sakai

 - Session Date/Times

The Sakai Collaborate Interface detects your location so any dates/times specified will be in your timezone.  Dates/Times will be adjusted for others in their own time zones.

 - Orientations (created by vendor)

• for Students/Participants (Online Video) and Guide (pdf)
• for Instructors/Moderators (Collaborate Recording)

 - Recorded Trainings (created by NPS)

• Instructor (mp4 video)
• Student (mp4 video)

Download the Powerpoint file used in the training.

If your NPS groups will like a live training session, please contact clehelp@nps.edu to submit a request. 

In-Session How To Guides

How to perform specific tasks in Collaborate with the improved user interface

Collaborate Features

• Software Echo Canceling - any speakers and microphones can be used, no need for hardware echo cancellation
• Mobile apps - IOS and Android apps for Participants only, Moderators must continue to use a computer for full functionality
• Improved User Interface with commonly used tools easier to access
• Ability for users to join via Phone call, audio only

What about all of those Elluminate Live Recordings?

Since Elluminate Live! has reached end of life at NPS Elluminate Live! recordings are no longer be available streaming.  

To request a recording in a .jar file format (stand-alone recording):

1. Find your desired recording(s) ID in the Spreadsheet (.xls, approx. 1MB)
2. Send an email to clehelp@nps.edu and include:
   1. Recording ID 
   2. How you would like the resultant .jar file be transferred, options include:
      
      1. A Sakai site - Please specify full site title
      2. A CD/DVD
      3. Podcast Server - please specify desired folder

If the requestor is not a Moderator/Instructor in the session, a moderator will be contacted for distribution approval.

Additional Questions

if you have questions or concerns not covered in these pages, please email clehelp@nps.edu.