Blackboard Collaborate is a web collaboration tool used for conducting online meetings
and classes.
Blackboard Inc. acquired Elluminate Inc. in 2010, and as part of that merger also
acquired their web collaboration tool Elluminate Live (eLive!). Since that merger, Blackboard and the eLive! developers have been hard at work improving the tool. The result is a rebranded tool
called Blackboard Collaborate that has all of the same features as eLive!, but also includes a long list of improvements and fixes.
Among those new features are:
Integrated Telephony -- Don't have a microphone, poor internet connection? Call into
the web conference with a telephone.
Mobile Support - There is a Collaborate App for iOS, and Android, and it works directly
with the Blackboard Mobile App, or when accessing collaborate links from your email.
No more Java required on Mac and Windows operating systems. The new Collaborate Launcher
is now a stand alone application that is not dependent on the Java version installed
on your system.
Better integration with Blackboard Learn.
Please go through the steps below by clicking on each button, and following the instructions.
You can also direct your attendees to this page, or the configuration room in Step
2 so they can check their systems ahead of your class or meeting.
Your Operating System
Your Java Webstart
Whenever you go to join a collaborate meeting your computer will download the meeting
file (meeting.collab). Once the file is downloaded, you will have to open the file
in order to connect to the meeting. If you are unable to open the .collab file you
must first download and install the Collaborate Launcher. You will only have to download
and unzip the launcher on your computer once. Download links for the launchers are available in the Support Links at the bottom
of this page, or in the previous step above. The Launcher downloads are also available
before launching any Collaborate session from Blackboard
Blackboard provides a Configuration Room that you can use to test your connection, settings, and configure your audio. Please
click on the link below to download the meeting file, and the Launcher for Macs, and
see step 3.
Once you have downloaded the meeting file from Step 2, open up the file by double
clicking on it. The Collaborate session will launch and connect you to the configuration
room.
Note: When joining a Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing session for the first time
you may see a security dialog box asking to confirm the application's digital signature.
Click "Run" to continue.
Once you connect to the configuration room, it will guide you through how to configure
your client.
Congratulations! You are now completely ready to use Collaborate!
