Overall Satisfaction with Blackboard Collaborate
We've been using Blackboard Collaborate since back when it was Elluminate (then Blackboard Collaborate, and now Blackboard Collaborate Ultra). The Ultra version is browser-based and very simple to use. It is typically used for office hours for our online instructors, handling virtual training sessions our team administers to our faculty, and other times people on our campus may want to meet virtually. Collaborate is also an easy way to have a guest speaker join a classroom remotely.
Collaborate Ultra is integrated with our LMS (Blackboard, though they support other integrations), so essentially there is no setup involved for the faculty member. Students just click a link, type in their name, and they are able to join the session, simple as that. Smartphones and tablets are also supported.
The Collaborate team has been aggressively working on making the tool more and more accessible.
Collaborate Ultra is integrated with our LMS (Blackboard, though they support other integrations), so essentially there is no setup involved for the faculty member. Students just click a link, type in their name, and they are able to join the session, simple as that. Smartphones and tablets are also supported.
The Collaborate team has been aggressively working on making the tool more and more accessible.
- Very simple to use. While not overbearingly rich with features, there are a lot of features available to get workflows done.
- Allows for several options to make a session accessible, while the developers are working on even more ways.
- Mobile friendly.
- Takes advantage of features available in Firefox and Google Chrome browsers for application sharing; these features are not yet available in Safari or Microsoft Edge.
- Collaborate Ultra has been the most effective for us for training faculty virtually.
- Faculty have been excited that they can have a remote guest speaker in their classroom, and all they need to do for set up is to e-mail that guest speaker a link to join the session.
- Collaborate Ultra is beyond useful for faculty to meet with online students who are either across the country, or even in other countries, with tools that really help to focus on course work.
- Google Hangouts and Skype
Google Hangouts and Skype, while free and easy to use, do not provide the focus on educational settings that Collaborate Ultra does. They also do not provide the features for making a session accessible to attendees.