Blackboard Collaborate
Blackboard's Collaborate is an online web-based collaborative learning tool designed to work in tandem with the Blackboard system, featuring many options for meetings, class participation, and virtual hosted seminars.
Features:
- Share files (PowerPoint, Documents, etc) and desktop
- Online chat (useful when students have questions)
- Students can virtually "raise hands" to ask for attention/assistance
- The session can be recorded for later viewing
Resources:
- Video overview of Blackboard Collaborate
- For more information, please visit the GWU IT Blackboard Collaborate Page.
- The CFE recorded a webinar on Bb Collaborate on June 29, 2020: Live/Synchronous Sessions using Blackboard Collaborate (Recording - GW Login Required) and the session Summary Notes.
WebEx
WebEx for GW Faculty and Staff is the webinar solution tool within Colonial Connect. This application allows you to run multi-person video and desktop share from your own computer. You can use WebEx for online meetings, classes, and demonstrations.
The GW Faculty / Staff installation of WebEx contains the following features:
- WebEx Personal Meeting Room - a personal "standing meeting room"
- WebEx Meeting Center - rapidly schedule meetings with yourself as a host
- WebEx Event Center - schedule meetings for others or with multiple presenters and schedule large presentations. Includes survey tools.
- WebEx Training Center - schedule recurring meetings and deliver training events and academic courses. Includes polling, breakout room, hand-raising, and Q&A functions.
For most situations, Webex Meeting Center is probably the tool that will be most effective.
Webex Meetings Instruction Pages:
- Sharing content (Slides, Documents, Screen)
- Annotate a document, whiteboard or screen
- Polling in Webex
- Creating Poll questions in advance
More resources:
- Webex Tips & Tricks Video
- Using Your Webex Personal Meeting Room
- For more information and training materials on WebEx, please visit the GWU IT WebEx Main Page.
- The CFE recorded a webinar on July 13, 2020: Synchronous Teaching using Webex. (Recording - GW Login Required)
Zoom
The George Washington University added Zoom to GW’s menu of web and video conferencing tools on December 1. Initially, GW Zoom is available for faculty and will be deployed to students and staff over the coming months.
Zoom is an addition to GW’s offerings. The University is committed to providing technology options for students, faculty, and staff to meet their needs and preferences – basically providing the right technology tools, for the right use/preference, at the right time. Zoom joins the above GW-supported web conferencing tools. Faculty are encouraged to use the tools that they are comfortable with, and that have the features they need.
Note: if you are teaching in a program or curriculum, please contact your program director or administrative team before switching your course/session to Zoom. There may be additional considerations and support needed.
To become more familiar with Zoom, explore the links to self-paced resources below.
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The CFE recorded a webinar on January 11, 2021: Zooming into 2021 (Recording - GW Login Required) with slides.