XIII. Is There any Special Set up for Group Sessions?
Improve critical thinking, problem solving, adaptability, and communication with group sessions.
There are different ways you can set up group sessions.
Breakout groups: Use breakout groups during a session for in the moment group
collaboration
Multiple sessions: Create multiple sessions. If you want to run multiple sessions at the same
time for students to use as virtual study room, for example, you can create multiple sessions
for the different groups to join
Course group tool: If it's for long term group work, create groups in your course and give
access to a Collaborate session
XIV. What are Some of the Best Practices with Blackboard Collaborate Ultra?
Prepare for your session with these easy steps:
Schedule a meeting. Send your attendees what they need to attend your session
Check your audio, video, and application sharing
Prep your materials. Upload files and arrange the windows. The first time you share your
application screen, your browser may require you to install the Desktop Sharing extension
Determine audience participation. Use your personal and session settings to set how you
want to interact with attendees during your session
While you are in the session:
Just because you are not physically in the same room with your students doesn't mean that
your lecture should be drab.
Allow early arrivers. Let your participants join the session early. This gives new participants a
chance to get familiar with the room and what they can and can't do. Join the session early
yourself and practice using the tools.
Introduce guest speakers. You can invite a guest speaker or encourage group collaboration
in your course by promoting any participant to be a presenter or a moderator. Presenters
are allowed to share their screens and upload images or PowerPoint® files, but cannot
modify other users' permissions the way a moderator can.
Highlight key points in your presentation. Move through PowerPoint presentations using the
arrows available. Use the annotation tools on the whiteboard or in presentations to add
text, pointers, or different shapes.
Include Q&A. Encourage participants to ask questions. As more participants speak, the Ultra
experience of Blackboard Collaborate automatically follows-the-leader, displaying the name
of the current speaker on the screen.
Mute yourself when not speaking. Nothing is more distracting than hearing outside sounds
like typing or a side conversation.
Make eye contact. If you are sharing your video, look at the camera and not the session. It
may feel weird but it helps participants feel more like they are a part of the session and less
isolated.