Step-By-Step
Configuring Collaboration
Lightweight Chat
(Text version)

1. Each Blackboard course site has access to class-wide Collaboration tools. Blackboard contains two such collaboration tools called "Lightweight Chat" and "Virtual Classroom". To configure both types of collaboration tools:

• Log into Blackboard as usual.
• Click on Control Panel / Collaboration. This displays the course site's Collaboration Sessions page.

2. The Collaboration Sessions page contains two types of synchronous communication tools.

• First, is a simple chat room, called by default, "Lightweight Chat". This chat room operates similar to a common AOL Instant messenger chat function.
• Second, is a multi-featured chat room, called by default, "Virtual Classroom". This chat room allows users to present ideas on a virtual white board, display web pages or display Blackboard course content written to a text box.

3. One example of each type of the chat room is available to join by default. These two chat rooms are named, by default, "Office Hours", which is a Lightweight chat and "Lecture Hall", which is a Virtual Classroom chat. These two chat rooms are initially available to all course site users.

4.Instructors and TAs can create additional collaboration sessions. To create and schedule a new collaboration session:

• Click on the "Create Collaboration Session" button located on the top of the page. This will display the "Create collaboration session" form.
• Type in a new name for the session in the box marked "Session Name" under section #1.
• Set the Start, and if you want, end, dates and times for the new session under section #2. If you choose an end time make sure to checkmark the "end after" box.
• Use the dropdown list under section #3 to choose either Lightweight Chat or Virtual Classroom for the type of collaboration tool.
• Click on the "Submit" button on the bottom of the page. A receipt will be displayed telling you that the collaboration setting has been created. Click on "OK" to return to the Collaboration page.
• The session name is now listed on the Collaboration Sessions page. If the start time you set for the session is sometime in the future the "Join" button will not appear on this page until that date and time has arrived.

5. When many sessions are added to the site you may want to use the search options to locate a collaboration session.

6. To join a collaboration session just click on the "Join" button next to the name of the session. The first time you do this, you may have to download some software and install it on your local computer. This usually happens automatically. Answer any questions that may be asked of you during the download and install process. Once the software is installed on your local computer, the chat room should open in a new window. Note that Macintosh users running OS X and Netscape should run Netscape 7. On Macintosh computers, Netscape may put the Collaboration window in the background. If this happens, check under the Window menu for the chat room window. Blackboard does not support the Safari browser for collaboration sessions.

7. Each collaboration session listed on the Collaboration page has a "Manage" button, located to the right of the session name, which instructors and TAs can use to change the session's name, date,time and type. Each session also has a "Remove" button, which instructors and TAs can use to remove the session from the list. Students do not have either of these buttons on their version of the Collaboration Sessions page. Instructors and TAs can only access these buttons when viewing the Collaboration Sessions page from the Control Panel / Collaboration links. Instructors and TAs can also access the Collaboration Sessions page (as do students) via the Communication / Collaborations links however the "Manage" and "Remove" buttons will be missing.

8. To participate in a Lightweight Chat:

• Log into the Blackboard course site as usual.
• Click on Control Panel / Collaboration. This will display the Collaboration Sessions page.
• Click on the "Join" button, located to the right of the Lightweight Chat session. Note that since there may be any number of chat sessions available you may have to inform your students by e-mail which chat session to use and what date and time to "Join" the session. After a few seconds the Lightweight Chat room will open in a new window.
  
• The Lightweight chat room is divided into 3 sections. On the top of the window is a menu bar with a number of icons that control various aspects of the chat room. On the left is a user panel that will list the name of each person that has joined the chat room. This list will automatically update as new users join the chat. On the right is the message window and composition area.
  
• To participate in the chat session, simply type in your comments in the composition area on the bottom right of the chat room window and click on the "Enter" key on your keyboard (or click on the "Send" button). This will display your comment in the message window and the message window of all those that have joined the session. There is a limit to 1000 characters per "send". As more comments are added to the message window the messages will begin to automatically scroll so that the latest message is always on the bottom.
  
• Instructors and TAs have control over the use of an active Lightweight Chat session. This is accomplished primarily through assigning an "active" and "passive" role to each participant. By default, when a student enters the Lightweight Chat session, their role is "active". This is displayed by a "face" icon located to the right of the student's name under "Role". You can charge a student's role from "active" to "passive" by selecting the students name then clicking on the "Deactivate selected user" button in the lower right of the left column of the chat window. This assigns a "passive" role to the student and is displayed by a "grayed-out face" icon".
• Instructors and TAs can control the usage rights for "active" and "passive" participants. Click on the "Controls" button at the top of the chat window. This displays the Session Controls. By default, only "active" participants can use the "chat" tool and the "private messaging" tool. You can make the "chat" and "private messaging" tools available to "passive" users by checkmarking the boxes and clicking on "OK".
• Instructor and TA access is not affected by any of these controls. Instructors and TA always have access to all of the Lightweight Chat functions.
  
• To send a Private Message to someone participating in the chat, select the person's name from the list on the left then click on the "Private Message" button on the bottom left. This will display a private message box. Type in your private message and click on the "Send" button in the bottom right-hand corner of the private message box. Your message will be displayed on your chat message display and on the display of the person you sent the message. It will not be displayed on any other participant's message display.
• It is possible to split your message display so that all private messages are displayed on one side of the display and all other comments are displayed on the other side of the display. To do this, click on the "View" button at the top of the chat window. Under Private Messaging, select "Show in separate frame" and click "OK". Your message display is now split into two sections. One side will display all of the general comments and the other will display any private messages sent to you or those you send.
  
• To clear your message display or the message display of all of the participants, click on the "Clear" button located at the top of the chat window. This will display a "Clear Display" dialogue box. select either "Clear local display" or "Clear all user's display" and then click on "OK".
  
• Lightweight Chat sessions are, by default, not recorded or archived. Instructors and TAs can initiate a recording of the chat session. To begin recording a chat session click on the "Record" button located in the upper right of the chat window. A dialogue box will appear requesting a name for the archived recording. Type in a new name or accept the default and click on "OK". All messages (except private messages) will now be recorded. Instructors and TAs can pause the recording by clicking on the "Pause" button, stop the recording by clicking on the "Stop" button and insert a bookmark into the recording by clicking on the "Insert Bookmark" button. When the "Insert Bookmark" button is pressed a bookmark dialogue box appears. Type in a name for the bookmark and click on "OK".
  
• Instructors and TAs can end the chat session by clicking on the red "End" button located at the top of the chat window. Clicking on the "End" button displays an End Session dialogue box warning that this action will end the entire chat session for all of the participants. Clicking "OK" will display an information box on all participants displays telling them that the chat session has been closed.
• If you wish to leave a chat session without ending it for all of the other participants, simply close the window by clicking on the "X" in the upper right hand corner of the chat window.
  
• To view the archives of the chat session go to Control Panel / Collaboration. Any session that has been recorded will have a "Archives" button to the right of the session name. Click on the "Archives" button. This will display the Sessions Archive page.
• Click on the "Manage" button next to the archive name. This will display the "Archive Properties" for that session. By default, students have access to the archive files via their Collaboration Sessions page. You can change this by selecting the "no" radio button under "Availability to students", then click on "submit. A receipt will be displayed telling you that the archive setting has been updated. Click on "OK" to return to the Session's Archive page.
• Click on the name assigned to the archive. This will display the archive for that session.
  
• Instructors and TAs can access and manage all collaboration session archives, manage all collaboration settings and remove any collaboration setting by clicking on the appropriate button located to the right of the collaboration listing.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this Step-By-Step procedure contact the Tufts Blackboard Administrator at: nhirsig@tufts.edu