Environment: Blackboard Collaborate for Instructors
Purpose: Overview of best use of Collaborate features
A) The Collaborate Lobby and Course Room
Once a Blackboard Collaborate activity is added to your Moodle course the link takes you to the Collaborate "Lobby".
In the Lobby, you will see a Course Room that is created automatically. This is your course's main meeting space. Any student enrolled in your course can enter the Course Room from the Collaborate "Lobby" as soon as the course and the activity are made visible. "Unlocked (available)" is a default setting.
Example: After clicking on the Collaborate activity in the course "Moodle 100" a new tab called "Bb Collaborate Sessions" opens to the Lobby and the Moodle 100 Course Room session is already there without one having to "Create Session". For most, simply using this Course Room is best-practice. Multiple sessions can be confusing for students.
B) Course Room Settings
All settings for your Collaborate classroom are found in the panel with two tabs that opens when you click on the session or on the ellipsis 
found to the far right of the Course Room session title and selecting "Edit Settings".
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The main Course Room is open at all times, by default. Leave it open. This allows students to arrive early, get situated, and detect and troubleshoot some of their own connection issues. If you want to lock the Course Room do so by clicking on the session revealing the settings and then click "Lock course room" under Event Details.
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Guest access is not available by default. Be sure this is so. Guest access allows anyone with the link to enter your class. Enrolled students should enter the session though the Moodle course page only.
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If you want to invite an outside speaker or instructor who is associated with StFX to your course consider enrolling them in your course with limited permissions (Student) and then promote them to Presenter inside of the class session. Presenters can share screen san upload files but can't modify user permissions like a moderator.
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If you decide to allow Guest access to someone, check the Guest access box in the Event Details settings area, set the guest to Participant in the "Guest role" box and provide the link to the guest asking them not to share the link.
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Other important settings are found by clicking on the session or on the ellipsis and selecting edit settings, and then clicking the gear 
. This reveals a menu with many more settings. Be sure of these settings and then Save:
- Default attendee role is Participant - this limits their default permissions
- Do not allow recording downloads by default. Students can always access recordings from the Lobby.
- Anonymize chat messages. This is not the default, one must change it. This anonymizes in the Recording only.
- Mark your preferences around Participant permission especially the White Board permission.
- Mark your preferences around Chat
E.g. 
3) Best Experience Practices
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Limit video use. Use your video sparingly (it is a good idea to see faces upon greeting) and encourage your students not to share video. Students should also mute their mics and only unmute to participate when called upon. Limiting video drastically improves the quality of the stream. Muting all but the speaker cuts down on audio interference from background noises.
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Use headphones with a mic. This will cut down on background noise and make your voice broadcast clearly.
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Use the Share File method in Collaborate for your presentations. Upload files into Collaborate following the instructions. If you presentation is larger than 60MB save your presentation as pdf first and then upload it to Collaborate to ensure the best presentation for all users (all internet speeds).
4) For more help please visit these links, submit a ticket to IT, or email itservices@stfx.ca or if teaching a course for Continuing and Distance Eduction contact cdesupport@stfx.ca.