Item: Blackboard Collaborate
Rating: 9
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Collaborate is a excellent online and remote classroom training tool that allows students to connect to class via a remote session. Features like: whiteboard, sync across devices, ability to make timed quizzes, and the ability to upload assignments and docs are some nice features.

Pros and Cons

Its ability to share the presenter's desktop to distance learning classrooms/students.
Its ability to share the presenter's video feeds to distance learning classrooms/students.
A particularly nice feature is the ability for an instructor to be able to share his notes with the class.
It is nice that students can participate in the class as if in the classroom using a chat session.
Students can actually see the instructor which makes them have a more personal experience.
Whiteboard feature.
The ability to upload assignments and docs is a nice features.
Synchronization across devices and quick syncing time.
Ability to make timed quizzes.
Easy to learn interface for instructors and from what feedback I have heard it is easy for students to use.

Loading of presenter slides is not as intuitive as it could be.

Return on Investment

Collaborate is not an inexpensive tool. However, integration into the Blackboard environment is excellent. If you are already a Blackboard school it is easier to integrate and use than other solutions. So, you may save money and time on learning a totally new environment and you will be more familiar with getting support from Blackboard. As a side note, Blackboard provides really good training documentation for Collaborate.

Alternatives Considered

Skype, Wimba and Tegrity

Blackboard LMS and Collaborate's integration as well as support from one vendor makes it a first choice if you are already using Blackboard as your LMS.

Likelihood to Recommend

It is best suited for classroom presentation and less for online meetings. However, I think the goal of Collaborate is to allow those students not in the physical classroom to be able to better participate and to feel more a part of the class. This is what Collaborate does best. And of course the integration with other Blackboard features makes it a quite seamless tool.

Users and Roles

80 - Faculty: Professors and Adjunct Instructors

Support Headcount Required

5 - We have one Blackboard Administrator, one trainer, and 3 end user technicians that support Blackboard. We also have help desk personnel that do 1st line of support.

Business Processes Supported

Fully Online Classes
Blended Classes: Part Online and Part in-Class
Mixed Classes: In Classroom classes that have some student that are online students.

Innovative Uses

We have been able to reach out to students that cannot attend on site classes.
Training of other faculty and staff can be done across campus without having to physically meet to have a conference or training.

Future Planned Uses

We have several remote (satellite) campuses. So, I can see us in the future possibly having a dual location class where students in a classroom at more than one location can attend the same class. Multiple students in separate classrooms in separate locations.
Collaboration and communication between faculty members.

Likelihood to Renew

It is a tool that faculty likes to use. It has so much flexibility to allow students to see a class even if they happen to not be available in the classroom.

Support Rating

Blackboard support is quite knowledgeable and quick to respond to requests.