Collaborate in Blackboard Learn SaaS

Collaborate Learn Integration Benefits

Why integrate Collaborate with the Blackboard Learn LMS (Learning Management System)?

When Collaborate is integrated into Learn, your instructors and students can enjoy an experience that goes beyond simple Learning Tool Interoperability (LTI). Sessions are secure, convenient, and easy to use. And the experience is only going to get better as we continue to build a deeper integration.

Get the best of both worlds with seamless access to sessions that are both secure and open

Students join sessions securely when they join from their course. The students are authenticated through the LMS and provided with secure session links only they can use. At the same time, instructors can use guest links to invite anyone not enrolled in their course, such as a colleague or an external expert for a Q&A session. Access from these guest links can be turned off at any time.

Joining sessions and meeting as a class is made easier and convenient

Students can access Collaborate sessions from directly in a course. Instructors don’t need to send invites. A course room is available for use any time. Instructors don’t have to create new sessions unless they want to. Everyone enrolled in the course automatically has access to the session and with the right level of permissions in the room. They don’t need to sign in again. And instructors can automate attendance tracking.

With the integration, instructors can save time on administration with automated attendance tracking between Collaborate and the course

Instructors decide what makes a student present, late, or absent. Collaborate then does the attendance tracking for them and sends the information to the course Attendance page for review and grading.

Recordings are automatically available for secure access

Once the session’s recording is over, it’s automatically posted in the course. Recordings of the sessions are only available to those enrolled in the course by default. Instructors can choose to grant public access and share a recording link. They can tell at-a-glance who has access to the recordings and edit the permissions any time.

Create breakout groups based on your course groups

Groups created in your Blackboard Learn course are available in your course Collaborate sessions for breakouts. Instructors can use their existing course groups to create breakout groups in advance and save time. Build on existing student collaboration. With this integration, students can stay in the same group without extra work for the instructor. In the Collaborate session, the instructor can also enjoy some flexibility and adjust groups as needed without impacting the groups in Learn. For example, to balance groups among attendees.

The Collaborate and Blackboard Learn groups integration is available on the SaaS deployment. It applies to both experiences:

  • Original course experience group sets (not standalone groups)
  • Ultra course experience course level groups

Leverage the tool for group collaboration in your Learn course

Work groups inside your course can use Collaborate on their own too if you want it. Finally, give students in your courses their own private group space to meet in their group tools. These group sessions are self-organized and a great place for students to practice presenting online. Instructors don’t need to do anything except make the group space available.

  • In Learn Original course experience, Collaborate can be a group tool providing each group with their own private room.
  • In Learn Ultra course experience, activate Conversations on Group assignments so students can use discussions and a private Collaborate room. They’re even informed when somebody from their group is already in the room!

A unified data platform

Learn SaaS institutions can leverage Blackboard Data to make sense of the learning data across their tools including Learn and Collaborate. The unified canonical data model of Blackboard Data enables you to access and explore the underlying datasets and get insights that combine information from across your ecosystem.

With the Developer Tier you can create custom queries and analyses based on your institutional data.

With the Reporting Tier you’re provided a set of pre-built reports which show you the learning activity taking place in your Blackboard tools, and help you solve Usage and Adoption questions.

Ready to take the next step? Follow the steps on this page to to set up your integration.

Collaborate Request Integration Credentials

Get your credentials

To use Collaborate with the Ultra experience with your Learning Management System (LMS), start by contacting Blackboard to have it enabled on your instance and receive your integration credentials.

Submit a case on Behind the Blackboard (available in English only). Fill in all of the fields and make these selections:

  1. From the What's New for... menu, select Collaborate.
  2. Select Create a case.
  3. From the Account menu, select your school's account.
  4. From the Product Line menu, select Collaborate.
  5. From the Environment menu, select your school's Collaborate license.
  6. From the Issue Topic menu, select Ultra Experience.
  7. From the Functional Area menu, select New LMS Integration credential requests.
  8. From the Category menu, select your Learning Management System.
    • Blackboard Learn
    • LTI integration
    • Moodle plugin
    • Rest API integration
  9. From the Instance menu, select your instance:
    • Production
    • Test
    • Development
  10. In the Description area, specify Collaborate Ultra.

Configure Learn/Collab building blocks

Configure the Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Building Block

The Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Building Block uses Learning Tools Interoperability® (LTI) compliant credentials. You need to request new credentials after you install this building block. If you previously used the LTI integration to add Collaborate to your Blackboard Learn instance, you can reuse those credentials.

  1. Go to Administrator Tools, Building Blocks, and Installed Tools.
  2. Find Blackboard Collaborate Ultra and select Settings.
  3. Select Web Conference Settings.
  4. Fill in the Collaborate Services Configuration information with the information Blackboard gave you.
  5. Select Submit.
  6. After you configure the building block, turn it on.

Turn on Collaborate

After you have configured Collaborate, turn it on.

  1. From the Administrator Panel select Tools.
  2. Find Blackboard Collaborate or Blackboard Collaborate Ultra.
  3. Turn on the course and organization tools as needed.

After the room is turned on for their course, an instructor or someone with a higher role makes the room available to other course users when they first access it. The room stays open for the life of the course.

More on controlling tools in Blackboard Learn courses

관리자를 위한 Collaborate 및 Learn 출석 보고

출석 보고

출석 보고는 종료 날짜 및 시간이 있는 세션에서만 사용할 수 있습니다. 코스 룸에서는 출석이 추적되지 않습니다.

Collaborate에서 출석이 자동으로 확인되도록 하십시오. Blackboard Learn 교수자는 출석을 직접 추적하지 않고 Collaborate 세션을 주관할 수 있습니다.

Collaborate에서 관리자와 교수자가 설정하는 기준에 따라 학생이 세션에 출석, 지각 또는 결석했는지 등이 추적됩니다. 그런 다음 Collaborate에서는 해당 정보가 해당하는 Blackboard Learn 코스의 출석 페이지로 바로 전송됩니다.

Collaborate 세션의 출석은 코스 내 각 학생의 평균 출석에 포함될 수 있으며, 학생 성적을 계산하는 데 사용될 수도 있습니다.

Blackboard Learn에서의 출석에 대해 자세히 알아보기

출석 보고 구성

출석 보고를 사용하려면 먼저 Blackboard Collaborate Ultra 빌딩 블록을 시스템에서 활성화하고 구성해야 합니다. 각각의 Learn 인스턴스에는 고유한 Collaborate 소비자 계정도 있어야 합니다. Collaborate 소비자 계정을 스테이징 및 프로덕션 환경 간에 공유하는 경우, 추가 Collaborate 소비자 계정을 요청해야 합니다.

출석 보고를 사용하려면 클라우드 사이트 ID를 등록하고 출석 보고 기능을 활성화해야 합니다.

  1. 관리자 도구에서 빌딩 블록 및 설치된 도구를 선택합니다.
  2. Blackboard Collaborate Ultra를 찾고 설정을 선택합니다.
  3. 클라우드 사이트 ID 등록을 선택합니다.
  4. 등록을 선택한 후 제출을 선택합니다.
  5. 출석 설정을 선택합니다.
  6. 출석 보고 확인란을 선택합니다.

    이렇게 하면 교수자가 자신의 세션에서 출석 보고 기능을 사용하도록 선택할 수 있습니다. 교수자는 여전히 출석을 추적할 각 세션에 이 기능을 사용하도록 선택해야 합니다. 자세히 알아보려면 출석 보고에 대한 교수자 도움말을 참조하십시오.

  7. 원하는 경우 출석 임계값을 수정합니다. 이러한 임계값은 잠겨 있지 않습니다. 교수자는 자신의 세션에서 임계값을 변경할 수 있습니다.
    • 다음 시간 이후 지각: 입력된 시간(분)이 지난 후 세션에 참여하는 참석자는 지각으로 표시됩니다. 기본적으로 예정된 시작 시간을 5분 넘기되 20분을 넘기기 전에 세션에 참여하는 참석자는 지각입니다. 참석자가 5분 1초 늦게 참여하는 경우 지각으로 표시됩니다.
    • 다음 시간 이후 결석: 입력된 시간(분)이 지난 후 세션에 참여하는 참석자는 지각으로 표시됩니다. 기본적으로 예정된 시작 시간을 20분 넘기고 세션에 참여하는 참석자는 결석입니다. 참석자가 20분 1초 늦게 참여하는 경우 결석으로 표시됩니다.
    • 세션 필수 시간: 참석자는 선택된 비율의 시간 동안 또는 그보다 오래 세션에 머물러야 출석으로 표시됩니다. 기본적으로 참석자는 최소한 세션 실행 시간의 절반에 해당하는 시간 동안 세션에 머물러야 출석으로 표시됩니다.
  8. 제출을 선택합니다.

More on attendance in Blackboard Learn

Collab/Learn Integration FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Can I reuse my existing Blackboard Collaborate Building Block credentials in the new Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Building Block?

No. You need new credentials.

I use the LTI with Collaborate Ultra in Blackboard Learn, can I use my LTI credentials in the new Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Building Block?

Yes. You can use your LTI credentials in the new Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Building Block.

Can I use the Blackboard Collaborate and the Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Building Block at the same time?

Yes. They are independent of each other.

Will my Ultra sessions and recordings migrate from the Blackboard Collaborate Building Block to the Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Building Block?

No, but the Blackboard Collaborate Building Block can be used at the same time so you can still locate the recordings there.

Change the Blackboard Collaborate Building Block to recordings only, if you don't want instructors to host sessions using the Blackboard Collaborate Building Block but still have access to their recordings. 

More on enabling recordings

Will my Ultra sessions and recordings migrate from the Ultra LTI to the Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Building Block?

Yes. You will see your Ultra LTI sessions and recordings in the new Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Building Block.

Will the new Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Building Block have my rooms?

No. You have a new Course Room and can create new sessions.

Where do I find more information on scheduling sessions in the Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Building Block?

Information on scheduling sessions for moderators