Step-By-Step
Student Using Virtual Classroom
(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 access both types of collaboration tools:

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

2. The Collaboration Sessions 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. When many sessions are added to the site you may want to use the search options to locate a particular collaboration session.

5. 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.

6. To participate in a Virtual Classroom:

• 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 Virtual Classroom chat session. After a few seconds the Virtual Classroom chat session will open in a new window.
  
• The Virtual Classroom is divided into 6 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 top left is a a set of Classroom tools that display different types of content in the content display window. Below that, on the middle left, is a control panel that will change depending on the classroom tool you have selected. Below that, on the bottom 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 top right is the content display window and below that, 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 comments 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 Virtual Classroom session. This is accomplished primarily through assigning an "active" and "passive" role to each participant. By default, when a student enters the Virtual Classroom session, their role is "active". This is displayed by a "face" icon located to the right of the student's name "Role". The instructor or TA may change a student's role from "active" to "passive". This is displayed by a "grayed-out face" icon.
• Instructors and TAs can control the usage rights for "active" and "passive" participants. Your instructor or TA may at any time de-activate your composition window, your private messaging or any other Virtual Classroom function barring you from using that tool.
  
• If your instructor or TA has assigned you permission to control the White Board function, click on the White Board button in the Control Tool panel. Next, click on the Controls Tab in the White Board options panel. To display the default page 1 of the White Board click on the "Display" button. This will display Page 1 of the White Board to all participant's.
• Click on the Tools Tab. The white board tools panel contains pen, line, shape, equation and text tools. Choose a tool and draw or drag it on the content display window. The result will be displayed on your display and on the display of all participants. To use the Text tool, first choose the tool then click on the White Board. A dialogue box will open allowing you to type in text. Click on "Insert". To use the Equation tool, first choose the tool then click on the White Board. A dialogue box will open allowing you to select and combine equation symbols. Click on "Insert".
• You can adjust the line or shape color and thickness as well as the font and font size using the dropdown boxes in the White Board toolbox.
• Click on the Controls Tab of the White Board Control panel. You can add additional White Board pages by clicking on the "plus" icon. To display the new page to all participants, select the page and click on the "Display" button. You can delete a page by selecting the page and clicking on the "X" icon.
• To move items on a White Board, select the item with the arrow tool and drag it to a new position.
• To erase the current White Board click on the eraser tool at the top of the white board window.
• Note: If your instructor has not given you permission to control the White Board function, you will be able to view the White Board but not add or delete content.
  
• If your instructor or TA has assigned you permission to control the Group Browser function, click on the Group Browser button in the Control Tool panel.
• In the Group Browser control box on the middle left, type in any valid URL, then click on the "Go" button. This will display the web page in your content window and the content window of all the participants. As an alternative you can use the dropdown box in the Group Browser controls to preview the page in a separate window.
• Note that scrolling the web page on your content window will not make the web page scroll in any other participant's content window.
• All internal links within the web page are active, however clicking on an internal web page link in your content window will not affect the display in other participant's content window.
• Note: If your instructor has not given you permission to control the Group Browser function, you will be able to view the Group Browser but not add or delete new content.
  
• If your instructor or TA has assigned you permission to control the Course Map function, click on the Course Map button in the Control Tool panel.
• Use the Course Map in the middle left box to locate any piece of content currently on the Blackboard course site. Select the Course Map reference and click on the "GO" button. This will display the content as it is displayed in the button/folder structure on your display and the display of all participants.
• If the content uploaded to the course site is in the form of attached files, only the link to that attached file will be displayed in the content display area. Clicking on a course content link in your display window will not affect the display in any other participant's window.
• Content displayed on the course site via a Blackboard text box or content added in a Blackboard WYSIWYG editor is displayed on all participant's display window.
• Note that scrolling course content in your display window will not make the content scroll in any other participant's display window.
• Note: If your instructor has not given you permission to control the Course Map function, you will be able to view the Course Map but not add or delete new content.
  
• If your instructor or TA has assigned you permission to control the Ask Question function, click on the Ask Question button in the Control Tool panel. This opens the Ask Question box on the middle left. You can use this function to send questions to the instructor or TA.
• To ask a question, type in your question and click on the "Send" button. The instructor will answer your question either in the general message display or via private messaging.
• Note: If your instructor has not given you permission to use the Ask Question function, you will not be able to send a question.
  
• If your instructor or TA has assigned you permission to control the Question Inbox function, click on the Question Inbox button in the Control Tool panel. This opens the Question Inbox on the middle left displaying a list of students that have asked questions. To view a question, select the person's name and the question will be displayed in the box below the list of names. To answer the question, type in the answer in the composition box on the bottom right of the chat window and press "Enter" on your keyboard (or click on the "Send" button). Note that answering in this manner will allow all participants to see the answer. As an alternative, you can answer the question using "Private Messaging" if you have permissions to use that function.
• Note: If your instructor has not given you permission to use the Question Inbox function, you will not be able to view any questions.
  
• 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 others.
  
• To clear your message display click on the "Clear" button located at the top of the chat window.
  
• Any Virtual Classroom participant (student or instructor/TA)can activate the Breakout function by clicking on the "Breakouts" tool located on the top of the chat window. Clicking on the Breakouts button displays a dialogue box with the names of all of the current chat room participants. Checkmark the participants you want to include in the Breakout and click on "OK". A message will then appear on the display of each selected participant telling them that they have been asked to join a breakout session. Answering "OK" to this message will open a new Virtual Classroom chat session window with those selected as the participants. All of the settings for "active" and "passive" users and assigned access to the Virtual Classroom tools are now re-set to the default settings in the Breakout session.
  
• If you wish to leave a chat session click on the "X" in the upper right corner of the chat window.
  
• Instructors and TAs can record the message box comments and all of the content displayed in the content display window (but not the private messages) of a Virtual Classroom Chat session. They can also make an archive recording available for students to view. If your instructor or TA has made an archive available, there will be an "Archive" button located next to the "Join" button on the Collaboration Sessions page. To view the archives of the chat session click on the "Archive" button.

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