Creating an Online Classroom Session

This Help Sheet has been developed to provide Staff with the step-by-step instruction to create an Online Classroom session within their Learnline unit, using Blackboard Collaborate.

Creating sessions

An Online Classroom session is created via the Control panel Unit Tools  Blackboard Collaborate. You then need to provide a link in the Unit Menu, so students can access the session.

Important Note:
The person creating the session is the session owner and is automatically given moderator permissions for that session. If you have multiple teaching staff delivering sessions in your unit, a good practice is for them to create their own sessions, or once a session has been created they can edit it to become the ‘owner’.

Step 1.Navigate Control Panel > Unit Tools > Blackboard Collaborate

  • On the Blackboard Collaborate page click CREATE SESSION button

  • DO NOT replace the default session name. The recommended naming convention is:

(Semester/Year of offering) (Unit Code) (Unit Name)
e.g. S112 AAA123 Introduction to Collaborate

You mayhowever, add to the session name:
e.g. S115 AAA123 Introduction to Collaborate - Wednesday Tute

Tip: Do not use symbols, brackets, other special charactersor punctuation in the name as this can cause a recording to error and not appear in Learnline, or the conversion could fail.Dash or underscore is the accepted practice, e.g. - or _ .

Step 2. Set the session parameters and tools

  • Set the session start and end times by clicking into the field and using the calendar and sliders to select your date and time.
    These are the time parameters in which students can enter the session.
  • Set the session entry time (the default is in 15 minute intervals).
    It is good practice to allow students adequate time to enter the session and run the audio wizard.

Prepared by the Office of Learning and Teaching, Charles Darwin University

Updated: April 2015

1.

  • Click on each of the ‘Room Option’ headings (i.e. Session Type, Room Attributes etc.), to open the accordion view.

If you are unsure to what each option refers, click the for information regarding that option


e.g.

Note: CDU currently does not support Teleconference Options.

Important Note:ROLES AND ACCESS
This option is used to pre-set Moderator privileges for teaching staff already enrolled in your unit. However, Moderator privileges can be given in an active session and don’t necessarily need to be assigned through this option. If you do choose to assign roles here, please be aware

Step 3. Save your session

  • Click SAVE to complete the session creation. A notification will display to confirm the session has been created:

Step 4. Create Tool Link in the Unit Menu

  • From the Add Menu Item icon at the top of your Unit Menu
  • Select ‘Tool Link’
  • Name the link Online Classroom.
    (Avoid using names such as Blackboard Collaborate, Collaborate Class, Virtual Classroom or Online Collaborate Room etc., in case the product changes in the future.)
  • Change the ‘Type’ drop-down list to Blackboard Collaborate Scheduling Manager
  • Tip:If your unit is available to students, it is good practice not to tick the ‘Available to Users’ box until the session has been created, otherwise students will have immediate access to this link and it will error on them.
  • Click the SUBMIT button. The link will appear at the bottom of the Unit Menu and you can now drag it to the correct location in your menu.

Prepared by the Office of Learning and Teaching, Charles Darwin University

Updated: April 2015