1. Welcome! Run the Audio Wizard
Your Moderator:
(your name)
Run the Audio Wizard
Tools Menu > Audio > Audio Setup Wizard
If you do not have a headset:
Use a microphone and headphones/ear buds
3. If no headphone or ear buds:
Go to Tools > Audio > Speaker Settings > Check box
“Mute speakers when Talk is pressed”
If no microphone (or audio problems) dial:
enter PIN then press #
INCLUDE THIS SLIDE IN YOUR MEETING AS YOUR WELCOME SCREEN You can put your name, even your picture, on the Welcome slide since your name will not be listed as the moderator. Greet each person using both voice and chat.

2. Recommended Devices Audio headsets Headphones/earbuds
elminates echos and background noise
By using either a headset or a microphone along with earbuds, noise is reduced and others can hear you easily.
Webcams are optional but will enhance the presence of the moderator and can help committee members remember each other.
Headphones/earbuds
with USB microphones
reduce echos but may still pick up background noise.

3. Test Your Audio “Talk” turns your microphone on and off.
Sound levels may need adjusting
Prompt each person to click TALK to activate their microphone and introduce themselves, “Hello, this is ….” in order to test the audio. This will determine if there is an echo or background noise for a participant. Ask attendees to turn off their microphones after speaking by clicking TALK. The microphone disappears from their name when the microphone is muted. Keeping microphones on mute eliminate background noise. DO NOT WASTE MORE THAN 5 MINUTES ON AUDIO ISSUES! HAVE FOLKS USE THE PHONE! We can set up time with them later to troubleshoot.

4. Audio Workarounds
Go to Tools > Audio > Speaker Settings > Check Box Mute speakers when “Talk” is pressed”
Use the phone and participate via teleconference
then enter PIN: and press #
Use CHAT whenever possible to ask questions
Getting Audio to work is the major obstacle to a successful meeting. Encourage participants to use CHAT in addition to TALK whenever possible. If muting the microphone does not work, attendees can mute speakers. FOLKS USE THE TELECONFERENCE PHONE! We can set up time with them later to troubleshoot.

5. Page Layout
Here is an overview of the layout in Blackboard Collaborate. There are communication panals, a content area in the middle, collaborations tools along the top (9). It’s important to become familiar with icons and the Option Menus—those are boxes with 4-5 lines with a down arrow. This is where many of the functions are found. For example, click on the Options Menu to the right of Chat and detach this panal. The chat panal can be stretched and resized for meetings where participants have a lot of written discussion.
Click on the
Review the Tools on the Menu Bar (2) to repeat the Audio Wizard if needed or to “mute speakers when Talk is pressed” for participants that begin to experience audio problems. The panal called Audio and Video (3) controls the microphone and sound volume. The Participants Panals (4) displays their names permissions and microphone connection. The middle sections (10) is where content is displayed using one of three features in the Collaboration Toolbar (9).

6. Moderator Setup Run Audio Wizard Activate Teleconference
Customize the A/V Options
Assign Participant Permissions
Load Content
Have your web page workaround ready
Start recording
We may need to add a step regarding teleconferencing. We are still working out details.

7. Start Teleconference Moderators activate the phone before the session
Teleconference will display as a single participant for all phone users
The teleconference is basically a conference call. Moderators witll initiate the teleconference phone line from the “Options Menu” on the Audio & Video.

8. Teleconferencing
Participants DO NOT click TALK, their voice is always active and they may need to mute their phones when not speaking
The teleconference line is shared among attendees
Moderator can mute the audio for teleconference but this is not recommended.
No loss of functionality since participants also logon and appear in the Participants Panel
The audio for teleconferencing is very good. Whenever a participant or even a moderator begins to experience problems, this is a good way to keep the audio going. Even though sessions are recorded, a transcript of the chat can also be generated. Chat transcripts are good ways to capture comments and suggestions.

9. Audio Visual Options and Participant Permissions

10. Help Your Attendees
them ahead of time with some introductory slides and logon information
Let them know the logon url and teleconference phone number are permanent and do not change
Tell participants the session will be recorded and any slides will be available for review after the session
Create a welcome slide to run the audio setup wizard and test as quickly as possible. Avoid spending too much time on technical problems.
Give a brief overview of Collaborate and focus on the features you want to use for your meetings
Many successful meetings are run just using the audio, chat and displaying some documents.

11. Record Your Session Prompt when starting Collaborate--ignore
When ready, click Record in upper right
Click again to pause
Recording ends program is exited but will continue if
moderator logs back in within 5 minutes
Recordings available at

12. Participant Panel Feedback Tools
Raise your hand when you wish to speak
If you leave, click “Step away…”
Moderator may need polling responses
Use chat to ask questions
The moderator sees a different version of the participants panal than attendees. Both see icons in the feedback menu. Since the microphones are kept on mute, when you wish to speak, please raise your hand—go ahead and try it. Another useful indicator is “Step Away from Session” when you need to leave briefly—try this one. Emoticons can also be fun to use during chat—go ahead and try. “Respond to Poll” is an easy to way to respond to questions from the moderator both verbally or from a structured written polling feature. For example, how many of you are going to Midwinter this year?

13. Keep an Eye on Indicators
Watch the Participants Panal for different activity. For example, when you see 3 red dots, it means that attendee is experiencing trouble with audio. The audio will speed up to try to catch them up, so they might hear a “chipmunk” voice. There are a lot of indicators

14. Moderator Permissions
You can change all participants permissions by clicking on the icons in the Main Room (audio; camera; chat; whiteboard; etc.)
You can change permissions for each participant by hovering over their name and clicking on menu option
NOTE: A maximum of 6 people can TALK via microphones at ONCE.
Participants will have more control over collaborative tools if they are made moderators. For smaller committee work, granting moderator privileges.

15. Whiteboard Tools for collaborative notes, pointing and other effects.
…then click arrow to reset cursor and be able to edit the text box
Tools for collaborative notes, pointing and other effects.

16. Polling Set the polling type Lock Responses:
If you don't want to accept any more responses or don't wish them changed
Visible/Not visible
Publish to whiteboard
Take polls to add interaction. Note that this is where you can also LOWER ALL HANDS.

17. Web Tour Has most potential for sharing websites
View ALA Connect documents (that are public)
Share Google docs (best when made public)
Useful for showing URLs from a PowerPoint

18. Web Tour * Any participant can check “Follow Me”
Open URL in Browser is a web push
Web page opens in each attendee’s default browser and is not shared in the whiteboard
Again, make sure you “Follow Me” is selected if you want your participants to follow along. Even if it’s clicked, participants can still independently navigate. But as soon as you click on a link, they will “follow you”.

19. Loading Content
Powerpoint slides are flattened and the links to web content will not work
Multimedia (.mp3, .wmv, .mpeg, .mpeg4, QuickTime and Flash) but these files must first be uploaded into their multimedia library
No Word documents (but there are workarounds)

20. Loading a PowerPoint
PowerPoint program will need to be closed
Click Load Content button at upper right
When you select the file to be opened, PowerPoint will open and it will appear as if your content is disappearing. Don’t worry. It’s not. It’s a nifty spectacle, though.
When file is loaded, it has been flattened into an image, so no links will be active. Workaround will be presented!
You can close the Page Explorer that opens.

21. Links to Webpages in PPT
Both Blackboard Collaborate AND Adobe Connect flatten PPTs, so links are not active
Workarounds:
Have a Word document open with URLs, paste in Web Tour when needed
Use Application Sharing – Share Desktop instead of loading PPT
NOTE: Participants will have less interactive capability
With Web Tour, they can independently tour webpages, until you bring them back (“Follow Me”)

22. Navigating Power Point
Check “Follow Me” to have participants always see the slides in the order you wish
Content from Powerpoint is shared in the Whiteboard space. Embedded links in Powerpoints are not active in Collaborate. When a Powerpoint is loaded, a flattened image of the slides is created. Moderators will need to load their powerpoint well ahead of the meeting schedule.

23. After you load a PPT to the whiteboard, the Page Explorer appears
After you load a PPT to the whiteboard, the Page Explorer appears. You can use this to re-order, delete slides, or select slides to view. You can close it and re-open it at any time. Once you close it, it will appear in the upper left.
To re-order, click and drag the slide to where you want it.

24. Multimedia (. mp3,. wmv,. mpeg,
Multimedia (.mp3, .wmv, .mpeg, .mpeg4, QuickTime and Flash) files will be loaded into the Multimedia Library.

25. Application Sharing Participants see the contents of your computer
View and edit restricted content (ALA Connect, Google Docs)
Display your Powerpoint and links to web content within the presentation
Co-edit Word documents

26. Do not use Sharing when…
You want to view an online video.
Too much lag when trying to broadcast a video on your computer via application sharing.
Use Web Tour instead.

27. Begin Application Sharing
Click on the icon to “Begin Sharing”
Select “Share Desktop
Yellow frame appears—minimize your programs until this displays—anything within yellow frame is shared
Resize yellow frame to focus on content to be shared and move the Audio Visual panal outside of frame
While there are options to only share specific applications you have open, select Share Desktop to avoid problems

28. Move your yellow frame around by using the BLACK DOTS at the center of each side.
When you want to stop, look for the stop button over a corner of your yellow frame.
Recommended: Move the LEFT SIDE OVER so that the Blackboard Collaborate window is OUTSIDE of the frame.

29. Uhoh. This is what happens when you share an application
Uhoh! This is what happens when you share an application. In this case, Firefox was shared only. That means the Collaborate window shows up as a grey bar to attendees.

30. Uhoh, can’t see chat!
When you have an application maximized, you can’t see the chat. That may be important. Click on Collaborate to open, so that it can be seen.

31. Take the time to arrange your screen (MAKE SURE YOU CAN SEE THE CHAT
Take the time to arrange your screen (MAKE SURE YOU CAN SEE THE CHAT!) and ask participants if it looks right!
Always check in with your participants, to make sure they can see what you want them to see! You may need to make your text larger on your screen!

32. Application Sharing to Co-Edit2
You may have a need to co-edit a document with another participant.
FIRST: Share the application in Application Sharing. THEN:
Access Collaborate Participants panel.
Click on participant. Go to Tools > Application Sharing > Give Control of Shared Applications 1

33. Co-Edit Word Docs

34. Stop Application Sharing
Click “Stop Sharing” on menu
Use button in yellow frame
Or from menu bar: Tools > Application Sharing > Stop Sharing

35. Ending the Session End recording Save chat
Save whiteboard as PDF if desired; selected or all

36. Schedule Your Session
During this transition, Liane Taylor is scheduler
if you want to schedule a session
Availability is posted on a Google calendar, Liane will send you a link so you can see what’s available
In the fall, we will move to a scheduling team and will have supporting resources on the RUSA site…stay tuned!

37. Confirming a Session
After meeting is confirmed, session information sent via
Moderator URL (for session moderator)
Attendees URL (send prior to the meeting)
Teleconference number and PIN
URL to access recording
Available about 10 minutes after session
Click on that URL to access a list of recordings for that room
Find your date/time
Copy the URL for your particular recording to send to your attendees

38. Ready to Practice? ROOM 3 reserved for Practice
Moderator:
Attendee:
Teleconference: PIN: #
Recordings URL: