Supporting Students Using Collaborate Ultra

How can I help my students avoid technical issues with Collaborate Ultra?

Students may need support using Collaborate Ultra. The most common issues that students face as participants are accessing the session and making their audio work properly. With some preparation, you can help them have a better experience.

• Be sure to provide students with a link to student help documentation and contact information for support
• Encourage first time users to tour and setup Collaborate using the Get Started with Collaborate Ultra for Participants guide
• Provide students with a way to contact you outside of Collaborate Ultra (mobile phone or forwarded office phone) in case they need help accessing the session
• Encourage students to enter the session 10-15 minutes early to address any technical problems
• Communicate clearly about which session students need to choose in Collaborate Ultra and how to access it (you may wish to review the instructor guide on Creating a Collaborate Ultra Session for tips session creation and course rooms)
• Encourage students to follow best practices for the best connection experience
• Emphasize audio over video to minimize network connection issues
• Students do not need to use the video communication tool in most cases
• Multiple video feeds can slow connection speeds (called latency)
• Instructors should switch to audio only communication if students begin to experience latency

What about students who need accommodations?

Blackboard is fully committed to ensuring Collaborate Ultra is both usable and accessible to all users regardless of age, ability, or situation. Visit the Accessibility in Blackboard Collaborate with the Ultra Experience page for more information on screen reader support, keyboard shortcuts, accessible support for whiteboard activities and uploaded files, and live closed captioning support.

If your student has interpreting accommodation needs, please contact the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) to request live-captioning services. Visit the Captions in Collaborate page for more information.