Collaborate (Ultra)
Collaborate (Ultra) is a web conferencing and collaboration system managed from within the University’s Learning Management System (LMS). This system enables engagement, discussion, collaboration and interactivity between participants who are not physically co-located. We have recently updated to a new version (Ultra); this is much more flexible and easier to use than earlier versions. Collaborate’s split screen allows all functions to be used simultaneously:
- Share Audio, Share Video, Raise Hand, Chat
- Add and share files and running applications
- Share a virtual whiteboard on which everyone can write and comment
- Live comment on presentations as they occur
Collaborate is useful, for example, when you are teaching students on more than one campus, because you can conduct real-time classes in more than one location. Students can even log in from home and join the Collaborate class. You can present material that you have prepared earlier (e.g. PowerPOint slides or visual material); you can give a lecture or short talk using both audio and video; you can write on a whiteboard while students watch. Students can participate in a variety of ways in these webinars: they can ‘raise their hand’ to indicate a question; they can also write on the whiteboard, they can annotate material presented to them; they can be organised into groups across locations to work, then report back to the whole class. Collaborate can also work with HDR students who may not have workspace on campus. Several can log in together and share their progress with you or to work on a presentation. This can be a useful way to check progress, develop academic presentation skills, or to discuss a common area of interest, such as a shared methodology with distant students.
Kaltura
Did you know you can now create, edit and upload videos you have made yourself into the LMS? Kaltura, the enterprise video and audio streaming system, has been enhanced to allow creation and editing of personal videos using mobile, desktop or webcam capture. Kaltura provides a better viewing and listening experience for students than media that has been directly loaded into the LMS. The videos are streamed in higher quality, are automatically adapted to the students’ internet connection speeds, and are viewable on most mobile devices. Your students can also submit video files for assessment using Kaltura and store their own media in the cloud.
Want to use Collaborate or Kaltura?
Contact the Sydney Educational Innovation helpdesk to get you set up with these news tools. There are also regular workshops advertised on CareerPath to get you started, so please register for an introductory workshop. Support resources can be found on our Collaborate and Kaltura pages.
