Collaborate is a live, collaborative space that provides the ability to chat, screen-share, share audio and video, poll students, collaborate using a virtual whiteboard or group participants into small 'breakout' spaces. It is also compatible with a
growing number of classrooms.
Good practice guides and tip sheets have been developed to support quality in both curriculum design and teaching practice. Good practice guides provide a pedagogical overview and tip sheets provide you with practical strategies and ideas for implementation.
Links to Collaborate-related resources are provided below.
To help increase the stability of the system and increase performance, the following features are temporarily disabled by the vendor:
Timer (a countdown timer)
Chat typing indicator (a visual indicator that someone is typing. Chat is otherwise functional.)
The number of videos showing at any one time in some browsers has been reduced from 4 to 2
1. Plan
Finding a compatible classroom
Not all classrooms are set up for hybrid teaching. Check your topic’s timetable against the list of compatible classrooms. If your room is not compatible, lodge a Service One request to change your classroom. If you cannot get a compatible room, contact your local eLearning team to borrow a group chat kit. The kits are ideal for small group sessions, have a 30m wireless range and are best placed in the middle of the room.
2. Build
Create a session so that online students can attend. Notify students how to access the online session.
Keep the design of your lesson in mind: What are you trying to achieve with students during their class? Your college’s Academic Developer and Learning Designer may be able to provide some guidance.
Content preparation
You may need to put resources and activities online that you would normally deliver in class, so both your online and face-to-face students can access them.
Provide a time before the first class where students can test their technology setup.
Some students may need to purchase a headset or webcam to be able to fully engage in a hybrid class raising equity issues; to assist Adelaide-based students the library is equipped with spaces where students can access Collaborate using a computer with the necessary equipment.
When a class starts, encourage some students in the classroom to log into Collaborate with their cameras on and microphones off, to help the sense of inclusion for remote students. The camera can be directed at a wider room, and does not have to be recording a particular student.
