Filter the list of features or view the known issues (available in English only).
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Recording processing status
Collaborate now shows the status of recording processing. You can see if a recording is still processing or ready to watch from the Recordings page in the Scheduler.
Bulk invite attendees
In this Collaborate release, session owners can save time and invite more than one attendee to a session at once. From the Invitations panel, select Import Attendees to upload a CSV file with attendee information. Collaborate sends invite emails to the attendees with all the information they need to join.
Extending Beta release of the new whiteboard (without recordings) to all interested clients
The new whiteboard is released as a beta to select clients for testing purposes from 23 July 2020. General availability of the whiteboard is postponed due to testing. We’ll inform you of a new release date when the new date is determined. Beta access is extended to all clients who request it. Beta access applies to all sessions in an institution. Submit a request on Behind the Blackboard.
Recordings are NOT included in this beta release. If your institution uses the Beta whiteboard, please let your moderators know that if they record a session where the whiteboard or an uploaded file is shared, the recording will show a black screen instead. Collaborate doesn't have a notification about recordings in the Beta release.
Now attendees can enjoy better formatting, usability, and annotation persistence with the release of the new whiteboard annotation tools. With the improvements to the annotation tools, attendees can enjoy these features on a session whiteboard or shared file.
- Better formatting: Pencil thickness, fonts and font size, shapes with color fill, arrows, and more are added to the annotation tools.
- Usability: It's easier to copy and reuse elements and paste text. You can now erase part of the annotations or clear all. There are multi line text blocks, text wrapping, and safeguards before clearing all annotations.
- Interaction with breakout groups: You can annotate a file in the main room and then share it with the breakout groups including annotations.
- Annotation persistence: Annotations made to the whiteboard, or on a file, are saved in the session. You can share something new, go to a new slide, or stop sharing. The annotations remain. Select Clear Annotations to remove them all.
Create a blank file of several pages to have a multi-page whiteboard.
Watch a video about the benefits of the new whiteboard on YouTube
Recording reminder
Now Collaborate reminds moderators to start recording the session before they begin. As soon as moderators join the session, Collaborate presents a recording reminder. The reminder is visible until the moderator starts the recording or closes the reminder.
Secure recording links
Secure recordings will only be available for clients with Collaborate Scheduler and Blackboard Learn clients using the Collaborate Ultra Building Block and LTI integration.
As part of our commitment to security and privacy, we want to give instructors more control over their recordings. Public access to recordings is now off by default for new sessions. Only session owners and students enrolled in the course can see the recording. Any links shared to the recording will no longer work when the recording is secure. When public access is off, the recording is secure.
Instructors can choose to allow public access in the Recording Settings. When the Public access check box is selected, a shareable link to the recording is available. Anybody with the link can view the recording while public access is allowed. If the instructor clears the Public access check box later, the shareable link stops working.
If you want the default changed to public access always on, submit a request on Behind the Blackboard. Instructors can choose to turn public access off in the recording settings.
Only recordings made after the 20.13 release have public access turned off by default. All previous recordings have public access on by default. You can change the access for earlier recordings in the recording settings.
Chat profanity filter
We are excited to announce the new profanity filter for English and Spanish terms. Now, if someone uses inappropriate words in the chat those words are filtered out. The words are replaced with a series of stars.
The chat profanity filter is off by default. Moderators can turn it on in Session Settings.
Browser support updates
As of July 1, 2020 Collaborate will no longer support these browser versions:
- Native Microsoft Edge ®
- Google ChromeTM 78 and earlier
Update your browser to the latest version.
Session owners and admins can always download recordings
Session owners, course instructors, and administrators can now always download recordings even if the option to download recordings is clear in the session settings. Use the Allow recording downloads check box to let everyone else download the recording.
Share camera
Collaborate 20.02, 20.04, 20.06, and 20.08 releases included in this 20.09 release.
The Share camera option gives you the ability to share more than one camera. Share your video and share another camera connected to your computer. Students can see you and anything else you want to show. You're only limited by the number of cameras and USB ports in your computer.
The video will appear backwards to you in the preview. This is normal. Your video will appear correctly to others in the session and in recordings. The video won't appear backwards to other attendees or in recordings. Video is only mirrored in the preview window.
Improved the create and edit session functionality
We have improved the user experience for creating and editing sessions in the Collaborate Ultra Scheduler. This improvement also prevents unintended changes to a session from being accidentally saved. Administrators and session owners now need to save changes with the Save button.
Download poll results report
Collaborate 20.02, 20.04, 20.06, and 20.08 releases included in this 20.09 release.
Now moderators, instructors, and administrators can download a session's Poll report. This report includes the poll question and how each attendee responded.
Whiteboard updates
Collaborate 20.02, 20.04, 20.06, and 20.08 releases included in this 20.09 release.
In this release, we made minor improvements to the whiteboard. It's now easier to select and rotate items.
Collaborate sessions secure by default
All newly-created Collaborate sessions are now secure by default. The Guest Access check box is clear when a new session is being created. The check box must be selected to allow guest access. Scheduler users still have the option to enable guest access if they choose, in order to allow public access to their session.
Webinar mode
Webinar mode is not available for our clients on the Moderator Access (Classroom) license. It is available for clients on our Department and Enterprise licenses. For questions about your license or to upgrade, please contact your Blackboard Account Executive.
We are excited to announce that administrators can now create large sessions that support up to 500 attendees. You no longer need to submit a large session request. Change any session to webinar mode in the Session Settings.
If you don't see the option in Session Settings, submit a request to enable it on Behind the Blackboard.
More on Collaborate's webinar mode
A special note from Product Management
COVID-19
The team has been taking several pre-emptive infrastructure measures to help prepare for significantly increased traffic as a growing number of schools move to fully online courses. We will continue to monitor closely and take any additional steps required to provide a seamless service.
Maintenance release
The Collaborate February release is a maintenance release. You can view maintenance items on Behind the Blackboard on February 13.
