Collaborate Teleconference

You can use the telephony feature to communicate with other users.

Mobile device users, who are using the Blackboard Student or Blackboard Instructor app to connect to a session, can't use the teleconference dial-in simultaneously with the app audio for communication during the session.

Up to 25 attendees can call into a session from the phone. If the maximum number of dial-in attendees has been reached, nobody else can call in.

There is more than one way to call into a Collaborate session with dial-in available.

  • From in the session: If you have joined a session on a browser and want to use your phone for audio, open the Session menu and select Use your phone for audio. Select the number listed and enter the temporary personal identification number (PIN).

    On iPhones, the PIN is inputted for you. You don't need to write it down first.

    With this personal PIN, you appear as yourself in the session. This PIN is associated with your personal account. Don't share it with anyone.

  • From the list of sessions: Select the name of the session you want to call into. Select the Anonymous dial-in information from the menu. Your device calls into the session. You appear as an anonymous caller to other attendees in the session. 
  • From dial-in information sent to you: Call the number and enter the Anonymous dial-in PIN sent to you. You appear as an anonymous caller to other attendees in the session. 

Need a number different from the one provided? Jump to International Telephone Conference Numbers.


Mute and unmute your phone

Select *6 on your device keypad to mute and unmute your phone.

This also works if a moderator mutes you or all attendees in the session. Select *6 to be heard.


Use your phone for audio while in the session

If you have joined a Collaborate session on a browser, you can choose to use your phone for audio.

If you want to call into the session without joining on a browser, see Anonymous dial-in.

Open the Session menu and select Use your phone for audio. Call the number listed and enter the temporary personal identification number (PIN). iPhone users don't need to copy the PIN as it's inputted for you.

This temporary PIN is associated with your personal account. It helps the session identify you. When you enter this PIN, the audio from your phone is paired with your profile picture. This helps everyone keep track of who is speaking.

Don't share your personal PIN with anyone. It only works for you and only in the current session. You are not able to use the PIN in another session or share your PIN with another user. Personal PINs stop working when the session ends.

As long as you have the session open in your browser, you have access to all the session tools. Your microphone changes to a phone. Others see a phone icon by your name in the Attendees panel.

You aren't muted when you first call in. Everybody can hear you immediately. Turn your audio on and off in your browser by selecting the phone icon.

With your keyboard, press Alt + M to turn your phone audio on and off. You can still use the mute on your phone. Just make sure the audio is turned on in your browser, if you want others to hear you. Moderators can also mute attendees anytime during the session. You are notified, if a moderator has muted you.

You can close your browser after you dial-in and still hear the session and talk. You aren't able to chat or share anything without the session open in a browser.

What happens if I hang up my phone?

If you hang up your phone without leaving the session, you are still connected to the session. Your phone is disconnected. If you are also in the session in your browser, you can still hear and speak over the internet.

What happens if I close my browser?

If you close your browser, your phone is still connected. You can still hear the session and talk from your phone. You aren't able to chat or share anything without the session open in a browser.

You are identified in the Attendees panel as phone only. This means other attendees can't chat privately with you.

Can I still share my video if I am using my phone?

Yes. If your browser is open, you have access to all the same tools in your session. You can share video, participate in chat, share content if you have moderator permissions, and so on.

Why don't I get a number when I select Use your phone for audio?

Up to 25 attendees can call into a session from their phone. If the maximum number of attendees has been reached, additional attendees are not given a phone number to call.


Anonymous dial-in

With Anonymous dial-in, you can join the session by phone only. You don't need to join the session on a browser.

Anybody can use the same Anonymous dial-in. When you use Anonymous dial-in, your phone is not paired with your account or session profile picture. You appear in the session as an anonymous caller to other attendees.

This also means that your attendance won't be tracked in the moderator Session Attendance report. With Anonymous dial-in Collaborate doesn't know who you are and can't track you.

If you want your audio paired with your profile picture and video in the session, see Use your phone for audio while in a session.

Can I still use session tools like chat with Anonymous dial-in?

You must join the session from a browser to use session tools.

If you use Anonymous dial-in and join a session in a browser, you appear in the session twice: as an anonymous caller and as the name you used when you joined the session on your browser.

Anyone can use the same Anonymous dial-in, so your phone is not paired with your account or session profile picture. If you want your audio paired with your profile picture and video in the session, see Use your phone for audio while in a session.

Why is the Anonymous dial-in not working?

There are two reasons why you can't call in with the Anonymous dial-in.

  • The teleconference service is full. Up to 25 attendees can call into a session from the phone. If the maximum number of dial-in attendees has been reached, nobody else can call in. You'll need to join the session from your browser instead.
  • You are the only one in the session. There needs to be at least one attendee in the session on their web browser before you can call in. If you can't call in, wait a few minutes and try again.

Leave the session

When you dial into a session and want to leave, hang up your phone to disconnect it from the session. Any call minutes or long distance charges stop when you hang up.

If you also have the session open in a browser, you are still in the session but your phone is disconnected. Select Leave Session or close the browser tab to leave the session on your browser.

What happens if I select Leave Session before I hang up?

If you select Leave Session in your browser, your phone is automatically disconnected from the session. You can no longer hear anything. All that's left to do is hang up your phone.

If you are using anonymous dial-in, you need to hang up your phone to disconnect it from the session.

Can I turn off Anonymous dial-in?

When you allow attendees to join a session using a telephone, Anonymous dial-in is on by default. Administrators can submit a request to turn it off on Behind the Blackboard (available in English only).

The request to turn Anonymous dial-in off is for the whole login group, not just a single session.

Allow attendees to join using a phone

You can allow attendees to call in with their phone from the Session Settings when you create or edit a session. Open the Collaborate panel and select My Settings. Select Session Settings and Allow users to join the session using a telephone.


The teleconference service

With Integrated Telephony, you don't need your own teleconference provider. The teleconference service is provided by Blackboard Collaborate. Teleconference phone numbers and PINs are automatically generated during session creation. Anyone can dial into the session and initiate the connection between the session and the teleconference bridge.

We supply a Virginia-US number for U.S. and Canada, a UK number for Europe, and a Sydney number for Australia. Long distance and international calling charges may apply.


Teleconference phone numbers

Teleconference phone numbers are automatically generated during session creation. Anyone can dial into the session and initiate the connection between the session and the teleconference bridge.

We supply a Virginia-US number for U.S. and Canada, a UK number for Europe, and a Sydney number for Australia.

Administrators using Collaborate hosted from European or Australian data centers can request one of the following numbers as the default number for their Collaborate Login Group. Doing so will display the alternate number for all sessions associated with that Login Group. Submit a request on Behind the Blackboard (available in English only).

If you need a number different than the one listed in your Collaborate session, use one of these alternate numbers instead.

Your personal identification number (PIN) doesn't change. Use the PIN provided in the session with the new number.

Long distance and international calling charges may apply.

Australian data center phone numbers

Country Region/City Number
Australia Sydney

Default number for Australian data center

+61 2 8520 1004
Australia Adelaide +61 8 7100 1859
Australia Brisbane +61 7 3188 2549
Australia Darwin +61 8 7905 7043
Australia Melbourne +61 3 8362 3382
Australia Perth +61 8 6225 2653
China Beijing +86 (10) 5822-4426
Japan Tokyo +81 3-4540-0931
Singapore National +65 3163 8037
South Korea National +82 70 4784 4326
New Zealand Auckland +64 9 801 0547

European data center phone numbers

Country Region/City Number
UK National

Default number for European data center

+44 20 33189610
Bahrain National +973 1619 7528
Finland National +358 75 325 25 47
France National +33 9 77 55 44 57
Germany National +49 6980 883466
Italy National +39 0694807509
Netherlands National +31 85 2084955
Spain National +34 911 235 756
Sweden National +46 108 887 439

U.S. and Canada data center phone numbers

Country Region/City Number
U.S. US (Virginia) (571) 392-7650
Canada

US (Virginia)

(571) 392-7651