Web Conferencing and Collaboration

The University provides faculty, staff, and students with technological resources that allow you to communicate and collaborate effectively, even when you cannot be in the same room. Below is an overview of four services that support online teaching, learning, and meeting.

Teams

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration and productivity tool that is included with Office 365. With Teams, you can chat with individuals or groups, hold video conferences, store and share files, present and share desktop content, and connect with other third-party applications. All faculty, staff, and students can install Teams from either the Office 365 online portal page or directly from Microsoft. Teams and Outlook are integrated, and you can schedule and manage meetings through Outlook, as well as other emerging communication/collaboration features. All Team interactions are fully encrypted and secured. Meetings can be created with individuals inside or outside of the University and can be recorded.

Getting Started

Blackboard Collaborate

Blackboard Collaborate is an online collaborative learning solution that can be used for online teaching and web conferencing. Collaborate creates a virtual classroom where participants can interact via features such as chat and audio, “hand raising,” screen sharing, and an interactive whiteboard. It supports up to 500 participants at a time.

Collaborate is fully integrated with HuskyCT, the University’s learning management solution, and this makes it the recommended option for remote teaching and learning.

Getting Started

Webex

ITS provides access to Webex for all faculty, staff, and students. Using Webex, classes can be taught remotely, meetings can be held anywhere, and interviews can be conducted securely. Webex Rooms can share any combination of audio, video, and the content on your screen. Webex Rooms can also be recorded for future viewing.

This service can be used for teaching and learning if that is a preference of the host and attendees. It is well-suited for meetings and can accommodate up to 1,000 participants.