Faculty interested in incorporating Web conferencing into their hybrid and online courses will soon have a new option. Beginning Spring 2013, Blackboard Collaborate will be available for use and officially joins IUP’s online learning toolset in Summer 2013.
The Collaborate product will replace Wimba Classroom as IUP’s Web-conferencing product at the end of Spring 2013. Collaborate was chosen following a PASSHE evaluation involving representatives from all 14 PASSHE schools.
The product features a user-friendly interface and integrated video and audio capabilities. In addition to traditional video conferencing capabilities, the Collaborate product will enable faculty to plan their synchronous online sessions ahead of time and to publish archived sessions into a number of common formats.
Faculty currently using the Wimba Classroom product are encouraged to download any archives they may wish to retain. The archives will no longer be available following the migration to Collaborate.
More details can be found at Blackboard Collaborate Web Conferencing.
