Blackboard Collaborate Ultra – In Three Acts – Act 3: Moderation

Tracey Means – College of Arts – Lincoln School of Film and Media – Staff Profile

Moderation took place with just three colleagues gathering in the individual modules Collaborate Course Room space, with the proviso that should any student seek to join, they would be invited to leave.  We utilised an excel sheet of marks through share-point and in turns, through Collaborate, took over the screen to share content (share content > share application/screen > chrome tab).  In this case as we were reviewing online Spark portfolios sharing the screen worked well as a space within which to review, discuss and thereby moderate student work.

To conclude once all participants get a grasp of the software and connectivity issues this really is a very useful way of working.  Having another person drop in, either colleague or student, alleviates the disconcerting feeling of talking to oneself as does reaching out with questions seeking response through the chat.

In short:

  • Use MS Teams for small group tutorial ‘calls’, through the Chrome web browser.
  • Use Blackboard Collaborate for a lecture, through the Chrome web browser.
  • With Bb Collaborate if you use a Guest link then users are invited to submit their name(s).
  • With Bb Collaborate if you invite users to join the session via the module menu they will enter under their own name.
  • If running a large session (16 plus) do seek assistance of colleague or student with chat responses.
  • Do allow time for introducing Collaborate and technical issues on starting a session, then hit record & try to remember to stop it!
  • Do work with audio, as it takes less bandwith.
  • Plan B can be put in motion through an email to all students with contacts picked up from the module timetable. (Next time I would probably opt for a 2hour delay.)

A quick thanks to all those assisting in this time of digital work – Ben Atkinson-Foster, Faye Cleminson, Radica Wright, Sam Shipley, Keith James, Annie Morrad, Jon Rowlinson, Graham Cooper – it is a thing made easier with participation of others.

 

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