Texas Tech University

Blackboard Collaborate

With Blackboard Collaborate, students and instructors can engage in synchronous learning, helping you create virtual classrooms and spaces that open more possibilities to students, wherever they are.

Texas Tech University currently utilizes two versions of Blackboard Collaborate: Classic and Ultra. Here are some basic differences between the version to help you choose which one best suits your specific requirements.

Blackboard Collaborate: Classic vs. Ultra

Collaborate Classic

  • Requires installation of launcher
  • Session creation initiated from within a Blackboard course.
  • eRaider login required.
  • Students must be enrolled in the specific course to access session.
  • Supports up to 1,000 participants.
  • Sessions can be recorded.
  • Supports grade center integration.

Collaborate Ultra

  • Now can be accessed through Blackboard.
  • No installation required. Entirely browser-based
  • Session creation initiated from Ultra account not tied to a specific Blackboard course.
  • No eRaider login required.
  • Participants do not need to be enrolled in a Blackboard course to access session.
  • Supports up to 100 participants
  • Sessions can be recorded.
  • Does not support grade center integration.

Recorded Training Sessions


Building Online Assessments

View the recording of the session hosted on March 24.
View the recording of the session hosted on March 25.

In this session, it showed faculty how to create and deliver online assessments. The session was led by eLearning Instructional Designers.


Engaging with Students Online

View the recording of the session hosted on March 23.

In this session, eLearning Instructional Designers provided strategies and tools for keeping your students engaged during this transition period.


Blackboard Basics

View the recording of the session hosted on March 26.

Blackboard Basics went over course navigation, the control panel, adding content to a course and the differences in communication tools.


Using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra as a Teaching Tool
(Faculty Only)

View the recording of the session hosted on March 19.
View the recording of the session hosted on March 25.

In this session for faculty, Justin Louder, Ed.D., associate vice provost of eLearning and Academic Partnerships, demonstrated Collaborate Ultra as a lecture tool or way to meet with students and committees.


Moving Large Lecture Sections to a Remote Teaching Environment

View the recording of the session hosted on March 18.

In this session for faculty, Ken Griffith, Ph.D. facilitated a discussion about technologies and teaching ideas that are particularly focused on large lecture settings (more than 75 students). The session focused on problem-solving strategies and technologies to help when the number of students is particularly challenging.


Using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra for Synchronous Advising

View the recording of the session hosted on March 13.

In this session, representatives from eLearning and Academic Partnerships and Student Success and Retention went over ways in which advisors might use the Collaborate Ultra tool as well as Strive to schedule and conduct real-time advising sessions with students, particularly as we head into advanced registration.


Please note: To use Collaborate Ultra, TTU-IT will need to create an Ultra account for you as the instructor. Please send your name and email address to blackboard@ttu.edu to initiate that request.

Planning for Disrupted Teaching

View the recording of the session hosted on March 13.

During the 10 a.m. session on Friday March 13, we reviewed resources available to the TTU teaching community. We crowdsourced ideas to help us continue teaching in a disrupted environment and used the collective wisdom in the room to strategize. Experts from both areas were available following the session and continue to be on an as-needed basis Friday afternoon to work with faculty individually.