Collaborate is only available until August 2025, after which it will no longer be an option. MS Teams Meetings replaces it for all courses in 2025/26.
Deciding on which platform to use will depend on if there are specific accessibility requirements, and influenced by any teaching techniques, or types of interaction you need to conduct with your students.
The platforms you can use are Microsoft Teams Meetings and Class Collaborate (formerly Blackboard Collaborate Ultra), the features of both are similar, with some exceptions, You can use similar techniques and skills across both platforms. If you are recording a live online session, recordings must be shared via YuJa to ensure that accessibility requirements are met.
Thinking about accessibility
Accessibility is fundamental consideration when choosing which online session platform is suitable.
Live captioning
- Teams Meetings - Automatically generates captions, using AI that allows everyone to view closed captions of what is said.
- Collaborate Ultra - Does not automatically generate captions . There is an option to type captions live during the sessions, This would require an additional person to provide the captions, most likely a professional live captioner. (This facility would need to be funded by the School.)
If you have students that require captions to participate in your session, Teams Meetings is the easiest and most convenient to use. You may need to adjust how you planned to run sessions, if you previously wanted to use Blackboard Collaborate.
Learning more about webinar accessibility
More information about accessibility: How can I make my live online session more accessible?
Thinking about the style of your session
The following differences in the ability to conduct specific active and peer teaching techniques may influence your decision on which platform to use or how you design your sessions.
- Using Breakout Groups for peer learning.
- Polling: Blackboard Collaborate has a simple in-built polling tool. This can be useful for delivering 'on-the-fly' polls during an interactive session and the results of polls run during a session are saved. Teams Meeting allows Microsoft Forms to be added for polling when setting up a meeting.
- Presentation: Teams Meeting provides different options to present and share PowerPoint slides. This includes the ability for students to move between slides independently. In Blackboard Collaborate, PowerPoint slides can be upload directly into the session but any slide animiations are removed. You can use application share instead to present, where animations are required
- Webcams: Teams Meetings allows more simultaneous webcam feeds, which can help your session feel like a classroom.
Deciding on your platform
Once you've chosen your platform:
- Stick with the same tool for all of your sessions. This is to build consistency with your students.
- Other academics teaching on your module should use the same tool for the same types of session.
- Clearly communicate to students which tool is being used and for what purpose, any equipment or technical requirements and signpost how they can find and access the sessions, (for example, through a link to Blackboard Collaborate in their module or links to Teams Meetings on Blackboard.)
Webinar feature comparison table
Features |
Collaborate |
Teams Meetings |
| Number of simultaneous webcams | 5 standard with no screen/file sharing, 1 if sharing
25 with Gallery View |
9 standard
49 with Large Gallery View or Together Mode |
| Max number of participants | 1000 (please see best practices if meeting is 300+ members) | 1000 (please see best practices if meeting is 300+ members). If more than 1000 required please contact DTS. |
| Live captions | Option for live captioner to type during session. Captions can be generated for recordings. | Automatically generated in real time, additionally a downloadable transcript can be enabled |
| Allows Multiple Moderators | Yes | Yes |
| Guest Link (for external participants) | Yes | Yes |
| Chat Features | Yes | Yes |
| Whiteboard | Yes | Yes |
| Hand-Raising Option | Yes | Yes |
| Slides / Screen / Application Sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Breakout Rooms | Yes | Yes |
| Polling Tool | Yes | Yes |
| Feedback Statuses | Yes | Yes |
| Attendance Tracking | Yes (report produced & available after the session) | Yes (report produced & available after the session) |
| Share & Download Files | No | Yes |
| Slide animations | No (Unless application sharing) | Yes |
| Zoom in on slides | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual Backgrounds | No | Yes |
| End Meeting for All | No | Yes |
| Schedule in calendar | No | Yes (in Teams App or Outlook) |
| Recording | Yes
(If intending to share with students then recordings must be uploaded to YuJa) |
Yes additionally, a downloadable transcript will be automatically generated when recording.
(If intending to share with students then recordings must be uploaded to YuJa) |
| Mobile Apps for iOS and Android | Blackboard, mobile browser. | Microsoft Teams |