Display and Filter Events

Display Events

Notable events that occur in a web conferencing session appear in the event panel of the activity window. By default, events for all Blackboard Collaborate modules appear. The approximate time each event occurred is noted. Moderators see all events. Participants only see a subset of events.

When a new event is reported, keyboard focus stays at the last place you had it. The last cursor position is maintained, and the window will not scroll to the new message at the bottom. You need to manually move focus to the new event using your arrow keys or scroll bar.

You can view a complete list of events in the Event Filtering Preferences Panel section.

No save or export functions are available in the activity window. If you want to save a history of the activity, copy and paste the events into a text editor.

Read Events With a Screen Reader

A screen reader will not automatically read an event when it appears in the activity window. If you want to be notified that an event has been added to the activity window, turn on the Audible Notification Activity Event Occurred option.

When a new event is reported, keyboard focus stays at the place you last had it.

Audible Notifications Filter

Audible notifications are system messages sent as sounds to notify users when certain important events occur in a session.

Click the audible notifications filter icon on the toolbar to access the menu. You can specify which set of audible notifications you want to hear. You can also configure these sounds in the Audible Notifications Preferences panel.

Custom Audible Notifications are the set of individual notifications that you can select in the Audible Notifications Preferences panel.

The audible notifications filter options are reflected in the Audible Notifications Preferences panel. Likewise, if you make a change in the panel, the changes occur in the audible notifications filter as well.

Module Events Filter

You can use the module events filter to include or exclude all events associated with a particular Blackboard Collaborate module. By default, all modules are included.

The filtering options set in the Event Filtering Preferences panel always override the filtering set in the module event filter.

Click the module events filter icon in the toolbar to access the menu. To exclude a module's events, click the module name to clear the check mark. Click the module name again to restore the check mark and include the module's events.

To display some, but not all events associated with a module, use the Event Filtering Preferences panel. To learn more, see Event Filtering Preferences Panel.

Importance of Events Filter

You can use the importance of events filter to display events based on what is important or relevant. You can also show and hide time stamps that appear in the event panel.

Hide Notifications and Hide My Events operate independently from All Events, Common Events, and Important Events. For example, if you hide your own events, they will not appear, even if you select All Events.

You can only choose one option in the All Events section.

Click the importance of events filter icon on the toolbar to access the menu.

  • Show or Hide Notifications: Notifications are system messages that alert users when certain events occur. For example, you are alerted when a user joins a session or when the timer expires. By default, notifications appear in your event panel.

    The Show or Hide Notifications option affects what appears in your event panel only. Visual notifications that appear in their own floating windows are not affected. To learn more, see Visual Notifications.

  • Show or Hide My Events: By default, the events that you triggered, such as a hand raise, do not appear in your event panel. They may appear in the event panel of others.
  • All Events: By default, events of all importance appear in your event panel. If you do not want to see all events, click Common Events or Important Events.
  • Common Events: All events appear except the following interaction events:
    • Raise and lower hand
    • Step away and come back
    • Emoticons for laughter, applause, confusion, and disapproval
  • Important Events: Only a small subset of events appear, such as when a user joins a session or when you receive a chat message.
  • Show or Hide Times: Show or hide the time stamps that appear in your event panel.

Event Filtering Preferences Panel

Use the Event Filtering options to filter events at a greater level of granularity than is offered by the module event filter.

Windows and Mac OS X 10.6 and Later

  1. Open the Preferences window:
    • From the Edit menu, click Preferences (Windows).
    • From the Blackboard Collaborate menu, click Preferences (Mac OS X).
  2. In the left panel of the Preferences window, click Event Filtering in the Activity section.
  3. Make a selection for each of the module events listed. Normally is the default option.
    • Normally: Use the filtering defined by the activity window's module events and importance of events filters.
    • Always: Always display this event, even if the event is excluded from display by the activity window's module events and importance of events filters.
    • Never: Never display this event, even if the event is included for display by the activity window's module events and importance of events filters.
  4. Click OK.

The filtering set in the Event Filtering always overrides the filtering set in the activity window. For example, you turn off the audio module events in the activity window. You have the microphone turned on and set to display Always in the Preferences panel. Whenever you turn on your microphone in a session, the event is reported in the events panel.

When you configure preferences, Blackboard Collaborate remembers your settings for all sessions you join on the same computer.