Thursday, August 4, 2011

Blackboard collaborate

Post #11
Formerly Elluminate…      now Blackboard collaborate  http://www.blackboard.com/Platforms/collaborate/overview.aspx
About
·         Combination of Wimba and Elluminate
·         Provides a comprehensive learning platform
·         Designed specifically for education
·         Real time or any time
-          Helping create virtual classrooms, offices and meeting spaces
-          Offers new approaches to peer-to-peer learning and instructor led help
Platform
Blackboard offers:
Ø  Blackboard learn
Ø  Blackboard collaborate
Ø  Blackboard connect
Ø  Blackboard transact
Ø  Blackboard analytics
Ø  Blackboard mobile
Products
Web conferencing

             < For those who are blind or have low vision:

< For those who have learning disabilities:

< Features:
  • Enhanced audio with increased clarity and reduced latency
  • Ability to optimize audio for headset or room microphone
  • Higher frame rates, reduced bandwidth
  • Expanded Windows Media Video (WMV) file support for multimedia playback
  • Refreshed user interface
  • Easier more natural communication
  • Smoother video motion and near lip sync with audio with high-speed connections
  • Easily incorporate wider variety of content
  • Modernized icons and more intuitive placement of polling response options
·         Presence and instant messaging to find others and interact on demand
·         Desktop video conferencing and VoIP audio for cost-effective meetings
·         LMS and flat-file integration for complete directory of teachers, students, and classes
·         Convenient, ad hoc network invitations and broadcast notifications
·         Whiteboard with built-in learning objects and templates
·         Application sharing and queued chat for tutoring and online office hours
·         Instant access to campus services and instant school-wide notifications
·         Universal accessibility and advanced privacy features

Voice Authoring 
Voice Presentation: Add web content alongside vocal messages.
Voice Board: Post and listen to voice messages within discussion boards.
Voice Podcaster: Create or upload podcasts for user subscription.
Voice Email: Send and listen to voice through email messages.
Voice Recording: Record and listen to voice on a web page.
Integrated Gradebook: Automatically update CMS gradebooks with voice board assessments.

Licensing
·          Blackboard Collaborate™ Enterprise Licensing offers unlimited learning with management control
·         You can easily expand your use and get unlimited learning enterprise-wide for one flat fee—without the hassle of large upfront expenditures, usage predictions, seat restrictions, or overage charges.
·          Single-room solution that fits your needs and your budget. It’s a great way to begin using our educational collaboration platform.
·         30 day free trial offer

I've found Blackboard collaborate easy enough to navigate in my university classes.  I would like to see a few examples of it being used with younger children (grades 1 - 4).  Unfortunately I haven't found such examples as of yet.  I think this a resource that would be better to have a staff buy in instead of an individual.

1 comment:

Richard Schwier said...

As you know from class, I'm a pretty regular user of Elluminate (now Blackboard Collaborate). I understand it is a combination of the best features of Wimba and Elluminate, but I haven't really figured that out yet. Unless I'm missing something, the functionality seems to be about the same as it always has been. That's okay -- I'm happy with the product as it is for the most part, but I've wondered for awhile what the added value features are from Wimba? Do you know, Maureen?

I do hope that these tools mature in a way that allows us to meet in real-time video. Right now, we're restricted to a few cameras or microphones, and the bandwidth issues are considerable. We start getting distorted audio and locked video relatively soon.

The other thing I'd like to see is a better interface for incorporating dynamic media, especially video, into the whiteboard.

But all of that being said, this has been a solid tool for me, and one I've come to rely on a great deal. Thanks for sharing this material.