Blackboard Collaborate Ultra is an online meeting and collaboration tool available through Illinois Compass. It allows application sharing, whiteboarding, breakout groups, polling, and other features. Both Ultra and the older Classic version are still available, though Ultra launched in 2016 and receives monthly updates, making it preferable for most uses. Ultra is well-suited for online classes, webinars, meetings, and office hours. It supports multiple browsers and mobile access. The presenter can share their screen and files while other users participate through chat, video, and the whiteboard. Campus adoption of Ultra has been increasing, with over 66% of attendees using Ultra in 2017 so far compared to Classic.

1. Blackboard Collaborate
Ultra
Dan Hahn
hahn23@Illinois.edu
Join a demo room: http://go.illinois.edu/bbcollabdemo

2. What is Collaborate?
• Product of Blackboard (Illinois Compass)
• “Classic” or “Legacy” was once Elluminate
• Java based & requires a Collaborate Launcher
• On campus since about 2009
• Few/no updates
• Ultra
• HTML 5 based
• Been on campus since about 2016
• Monthly updates

3. Capabilities
• Application/Screen share
• Whiteboard
• Group work via "Breakout
Rooms"
• Recording
• Webcams
• Large Events
• Live captioning
• Guest links
• Polling
• Phone/Teleconferencing
option
• Chat/Private Chat
• Raise Hand
• Live feedback
• Connection indicator

4. Available via LMS
• Illinois Compass
• Free to use as of Fall 2015 (previously administered by CITL)
• ATLAS Moodle
• School of Information Science Moodle
• Off campus guests can be brought in via Guest Link

5. Both Collaborates are still available
• Don’t Use Classic
because:
• Java requirements
and the Blackboard
Collaborate Launcher
• Outdated audio/video
• Students say they
prefer Ultra

6. Go ahead and use Classic because:
• It supports your
curriculum/program
• Unique use cases and
powerful tools
• White board
manipulation
• group work
• adaptively release
groups to sessions

7. Blackboard Collaborate
Ultra
Everything you need to know

8. Bb Collaborate Ultra Ideal for
• Advising, Guest Speaking, Office hours
• Lectures or classes that would otherwise be canceled
• Online programs
• Large webinars (500 participant limit)
• HD Document webcams
• Impromptu Meetings

9. Supported Browsers
• Firefox and Chrome
• Application sharing
• All other browsers require a flash plug-in
• Join via mobile app
• Blackboard
• Blackboard Instructor

10. User Permissions
• Moderator
• start/stop recording, start polling, setup breakout groups, elevate privileges of
other users
• Presenter
• Share an Application or File Sharing, progress slides
• Participant
• Can share audio/video, draw on whiteboard, post to chat

11. Presenting
• Application Sharing
• Done via browser plugin for Chrome or Firefox
• Share entire desktop or just an application
• File sharing
• Powerpoint, PDF, or image files. 50 MB limit

12. Participating
• Chat and private chat
• Whiteboard
• Toggle yourself as away
• Share video and audio
• Raise hand
• Participate in polling

13. Top Feature Requests
• (Many) More simultaneous webcams
• Automatically start recording when someone joins a session
• Assign permissions to users prior to joining a session
• Moderator and Participant Guest Links
• Better whiteboard and breakout group tools
• Timer
• Adaptive Release (Groups)

14. Collaborate Ultra Roadmap
• Deeper LMS integration (Groups in Compass will have
dedicated Ultra rooms for collaboration)
• Auto-captioning after recordings (we can do this already
w/Kaltura)
• Student engagement analytics
• Timer
• Enhanced whiteboard tools

15. Known Issue with Moodle

16. Ultra Campus Adoption Data
Classic Ultra Total Classic Ultra
2016 Unique Attendees 15670 412 16082 97.44% 2.56%
2016 Unique Rooms 1572 63 1635 96.15% 3.85%
2017 Unique Attendees (through Aug 21) 8256 4161 12417 66.49% 33.51%
2017 Unique Rooms (through Aug 21) 712 576 1288 55.28% 44.72%

17. Thank you / Demo / Questions?
• Dan Hahn hahn23@illinois.edu
• Download these slides: https://uofi.box.com/v/bbcollabdemo
• Join the demo: http://go.illinois.edu/bbcollabdemo
• Intro video: http://go.illinois.edu/collabultraintro
• We have an email list: blackboardcollaborate@lists.illinois.edu