Blackboard 3.0 Instruction Manual

Virtual Chat

Each course includes a synchronous chat room for student and group communications. Virtual Chat can be used to hold "live" classroom discussions, TA sessions and office hour type question/answer forums. Chats can even be used as a fun place to have guest speakers and subject matter experts talk with the class.

When developing an activity that requires a Virtual Chat, consider the following:

Accessing Virtual Chat

To access Virtual Chat:

Step 1: Click Return to Course in the Control Panel banner.

Step 2: Click the Communications navigation button.

Step 3: Click Virtual Chat.

 Overview of Virtual Chat
 
Virtual Chat contains several distinct areas: Menu Bar: The menu bar contains drop down menus for specific tasks, such as clearing the discussion log, selecting a font to use in the whiteboard, and adding slides.

Application Tool Bar: The application toolbar contains tools for requesting the floor and navigating Web pages.

Location Text Field: The location text field allows you to enter the URL of a webpage you would like to use in your discussion. The webpage will open in the Whiteboard space. Users can write on the webpage with the text editing tools.

Whiteboard Space: The Whiteboard space is the large center area. Users can annotate slides or Web pages in this space using the text editing tools.

Tab Panel: The tab panel contains tabs that can be used in the chat, question and answer, slides, incoming questions, and access control tools. To select one of these six tools, click the appropriate tab. The tool selected will be activated in the white space below the tabs. If you would like to be able to move or reposition this entire section, double click on the tab, and the window will become mobile.

The following panels are available:
Group Discussion Panel: This panel allows real-time discussion with users. The transcripts of an entire chat session can be saved by selecting Save Discussion under the File menu.
Clicking Clear Discussion Log under the Edit menu will clear the chat space.

Question and Answer Panel: This panel allows the user to submit a question to the Instructor. User questions can be sent privately or publicly.

Participant Information Panel: This panel allows you to access information about the users involved in the course Virtual Chat, such as names and e-mail addresses, by highlighting a user name.

Slides Panel: This panel allows you to prepare and present a series of slides. (See Options in Preparing Lessons). The panel is only available to the Instructor.

  Incoming Questions Panel: The panel allows you to respond to student questions. User questions (and your responses) can be sent privately or publicly. The transcripts of the question session can be saved by selecting Save Question Log under the File menu.

Access Control Panel: This panel is used to set the access modes for all of the users in a session. These access modes control user access to the four main communication tools: Question and Answer, Chat, Drawing, and Navigating. The panel is only available to the Instructor.

Whiteboard: The whiteboard is a space provided for demonstration of subject material.

 Status Region: Status messages are displayed at the bottom of your application in the status region. Important system messages as well as control descriptions are displayed in this space. Virtual Chat Basics
Options in Preparing Lessons
Step 1: When you enter Virtual Chat, a previous lesson may already be open. Create a new lesson by selecting Close under the Lesson menu.

To add a webpage to your lesson:

Step 1: Click in the location box and enter the URL of the Web page you would like to add.

Step 2: When the webpage appears in the whiteboard space, select either Quick Add from Display or Add Slide under the Lesson menu.

Note 1: If Add Slide is chosen, highlight From Current Display in the right menu.

Note 2: Selecting Quick Add from Display will automatically append the slide to your lesson and make the URL the title.  Selecting Add Slide allows you to create your own title, change the size of the slide, create the description, and toggle the position of the slide in the lesson.

Step 3: Click the Create Slide button.

Step 4: Save the slide by selecting Save As under the Lesson menu.

Step 5: Give the lesson the .lesson extension " (e.g. newLesson.lesson).

Step 6: Select Close under the Lesson menu.

To add a blank slide to your lesson:

Step 1: Select Add Slide then New Slide under the Lesson menu.

Step 2: Enter a title and description for the new slide.

Step 3: Enter 1000 as the width and height of the slide.

Step 4: Click the Create Slide button.

Step 5: Save the slide by selecting Save As under the Lesson menu.

Step 6: Give the lesson the .lesson extension " (e.g. newLesson.lesson).

Step 7: Select Close under the Lesson menu.

Retrieving A Lesson

Step 1: Select Open under the Lesson menu and select the lesson from the server.

Exporting a slide:
You may export individual slides to the server without adding them to a lesson.
To export a lesson:

Step 1: Select Export Current Slide under the File menu.

Step 2: Save the slide to the server, giving it the extension slide (e.g. graph1.slide).

Note: The slide can be imported into an open lesson by selecting Add Slide then From Remote Server under the Lesson menu.

Granting a Floor Request

You will be notified when a user has requested the floor within the Access Control Panel.
To grant the floor request:
Step 1: Highlight the requestor's username and click the icon in the Access Control Panel.

Denying a Floor Request
To deny the floor request:
Step1: Highlight the requestor's username and click on the  icon.

 
Blackboard 3.0 Instruction Manual