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Join Sessions

Last updated: September 12, 2022.

Meet with your instructor and classmates online.

Depending on the session and moderator, you can join a session directly from a web link, from your course, and from your phone.

  • From a weblink: Your moderator has sent you a link to join the session. Open the link in your browser. Class Collaborate is at the top of the screen. It mentions what session you are joining and there is a place for you to type your name. Select Join Session after typing your name.
  • From your course: Open Collaborate from inside your course. It opens in your learning management system.
  • From your phone: If offered by your institution, you can use the telephony feature to communicate with other users.
  • From the Blackboard app: You can launch sessions from the Blackboard app when links are provided in your courses.


From a link

A moderator may give you a link to join a session. This link may give you participant, presenter, or moderator privileges. Your role in the session depends on the session moderator.

More on session roles

Open the link in your browser. For the best Class Collaborate experience with your screen reader use ChromeTM and JAWS on a Windows® system. On a Mac® use Safari® and VoiceOver.

After the page loads, type your name and select Join Session.

If this is your first time joining the session, complete the audio and video set up and add a profile picture. If enabled, you can also use the telephony feature to communicate with other users.

Note: Mobile device users can’t use teleconference for audio communications when they join a session from the app. This is because the app uses the session audio by default.


From your course

Instructors may schedule Collaborate sessions in their courses. It’s up to them what the sessions are for. It could be one-on-one sessions, class lectures, or a place for you to host group study sessions.

Go to Collaborate in your course. Select the session name and select the join option.

Tip: If offered by your institution, you can use the phone number to join the session anonymously. To learn more, see Join sessions from your phone.

Note: Collaborate uses your computer’s local time zone for session start and end times.

 

Join from a Blackboard Learn course

Join from another course

Blackboard Learn

LTI compliant LMS


From your phone

If offered by your institution, you can use the telephony feature to communicate with other users.

Note: Mobile device users, who are using Collaborate in a browser on their mobile device to connect to a session, can’t use the teleconference dial-in simultaneously with the app audio for communication during the session.

Up to 25 attendees can call into a session from the phone. If the maximum number of dial-in attendees has been reached, nobody else can call in.

There is more than one way to call into a Collaborate session with dial-in available.

  • From in the session: If you have joined a session on a browser and want to use your phone for audio, open the Session menu and select Use your phone for audio. Select the number listed and enter the temporary personal identification number (PIN).

Tip: On iPhones, the PIN is inputted for you. You don’t need to write it down first.

With this personal PIN, you appear as yourself in the session. This PIN is associated with your personal account. Don’t share it with anyone.

  • From the list of sessions: Select the name of the session you want to call into. Select the Anonymous dial-in information from the menu. Your device calls into the session. You appear as an anonymous caller to other attendees in the session. 

  • From dial-in information sent to you: Call the number and enter the Anonymous dial-in PIN sent to you. You appear as an anonymous caller to other attendees in the session. 

Need a number different from the one provided or want to learn more about the Collaborate teleconference feature? Jump to Collaborate Teleconference.


From the Blackboard app

The Blackboard app is designed especially for students to view content and participate in courses and is available on iOS and Android mobile devices. Users can launch a Collaborate session from the Blackboard app if a link is provided within a course. Users are directed to a web browser to join the session.

Blackboard app information and download