Collaboration Tools

Setting Up a Session | Participating in a Session

The Collaboration Tool allows the instructor and students to participate in real time lessons and discussions. It also allows participants to view archives of previous Collaboration Sessions. The Collaboration Sessions can be used to hold real-time, online classroom discussions, TA sessions, and office hour type question/answer forums. Guest speakers and subject matter experts can also communicate with the class using the Collaboration Session.

Unlike the Discussion Boards, which are asynchronous, this discussion happens when students are online at the same time. Many students taking online courses are not in the same time zone, making real-time conversation difficult. It is a good idea to make the Collaboration Sessions optional or limit the required participation to a few times per quarter. One suggestion is to use Collaboration Sessions in place of face-to-face office hours. This allows students to participate if they have questions.

Setting Up a Session:

1. Enter the Control Panel.
   
2. Under Course Tools, click Collaboration.
   
3. Click Add Collaboration Session at the top of the page.
   
4. Give your session a name. It is a good idea to name the session with relation to the topic in which you intend to discuss.
   
5. Under Collaboration Tool, you may choose either Chat or Virtual Classroom.
   
   

   Chat allows instructors and students to participate in real-time lessons and discussions and view the archives of previous Chat sessions. The main area of the Chat feature allows participants to interact with each other and the instructor through a text-based chat region. From within this area, instructors can manage the session through the system controls, interact with participants and control the access and functionality for other participants in the session. The Virtual Classroom also allows participants to interact with each other and instructors in real-time discussion.  However, the Virtual Classroom contains more tools for participants to use, including a Whiteboard on which to post content, open Web pages, and use drawing tools.  The instructor has the ability to control these features as well.  For more details on these tools, see Virtual Classroom Features below.

6. When you’ve chosen the correct tool for your session, click the Submit button on the lower right of the page.

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Participating in a Session

To participate in a Collaboration Session,

1. Log into your course site.
   
2. Once into the Online Learning system, choose the course you want and click the Collaboration link on the left of your screen. Click Communication > Collaboration.
   
3. Locate the session that you are scheduled to participate in. The title will be under Session Name. To enter, click Join to the right of the page.
   
   
   
   

   *Please note that Java Plug-in is required for the Chat feature to run properly. If you do not have the Java Plug-in, it should begin downloading and installing automatically, prompting you to accept the installation. Download time will vary by connection speed, possibly taking up to 15 minutes or more. There is a link to download the Java Plug-in on the next screen if the download does not occur automatically.

4. Once you click Join, the session screen should open within a few moments. If you have a pop-up blocker, it might interfere with the dialog screen. Please disable your pop-up blocker until the session is complete.

Virtual Classroom Features:

1. In the top left corner, you will see the following Classroom Tools:
   
   

   Course Map: Enables participants to browse the course content while they are in a Virtual Classroom session. Whiteboard: Enables the participants to present information during a Virtual Classroom session as they would on a blackboard in a face-to-face classroom, including drawing images, writing text, and presenting equations. Group Browser: Enables participants to collaboratively browse the Web during a Virtual Classroom session. Ask Question: Enables participants to ask questions during a Virtual Classroom session. Question Inbox: Stores all questions from participants from the Ask Question tool.

   
   
2. At the bottom left of the session box, you will see 3 columns: Participants, Role, and
   In the Participants column, you will see a list of all of the participants in the session. Next to each name, you will see an icon in the Role column. The Globe indicates the group moderator, who is generally the instructor. A face indicates a participant or student.
   
3. The third column, , is a participation management tool. It allows you as the instructor to moderate how students participate in the discussion. This is useful in managing how many students contribute at one time.
   
4. The Private Message option allows you to send a message to one or more specific participants, but not the class as a whole.
   
5. You have 2 options for composing messages. First, you can click the compose button which launches a new window in which text maybe typed. Second, to the right of the Compose button you will also see a text box in which you can type your message.
   
6. The View option, at the upper left, allows you to divide up your conversation. It enables you to see all the private messages in a separate pane from the general conversation.
   
7. The Controls option allows you to select who may participate in which function and end a session.  Please note that if you change the settings for a session and later want to return to that session, the settings will return to the default position.  You must reset the settings each time you access the session.
   
8. The Clear option allows you to clear the conversation from the Discussion box. You can either clear conversation from your screen only, or from the screens of all participants.
   
9. The End option allows you to end the session and close the session box for all users. It is a good idea to inform students ahead of performing this function.
   
10. In the upper right corner of your session box, you’ll see 4 icons . These are the tools for archiving the discussion.  The first 3 buttons are Start, Pause and Stop.  This allows instructors to control what is recorded.  The last button is the Bookmark button and can only be used while the discussion is being archived.  By pushing this button, you have the option of inserting a tag of your choice.  It is generally used for reference purposes..

Chat Features:

The Chat sessions have the same features as the Virtual Classroom sessions, with the exception of the Classroom Tools box.  In addition, unlike the Virtual Classroom, if you try to navigate through the Online Learning System while you are in a Chat session, the session box will close down. 

For more detailed information on how to use these tools, please contact us.

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