Group work is an effective and powerful way to learn as well as providing a great opportunity to develop generic skills that will be highly valued by potential future employers. At Christ Church, we provide a range of online tools to support and enhance your group work.
Blackboard Collaborate
Blackboard Collaborate is the virtual classroom platform through which students will attend live, interactive tutorials and seminars. It also provides students the opportunity to meet in real-time for group discussion and collaboration.
How can I access it?
Blackboard Collaborate is available through your Blackboard module space, with a unique virtual classroom available for each session that is taught digitally. As with all University web services, we recommend students use Google Chrome as their standard web browser on PC, Mac or Android to get the best experience in Blackboard Collaborate. For iOS/iPadOS users we would recommend using Safari.
How can I use it?
Information on how to use Blackboard Collaborate can be found on the Collaborate Overview pages with guides available on how to get started and how to use the platform.
How do I set up my own Collaborate classroom space?
Dedicated Collaborate rooms for group work can be requested from academic staff on your module.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a communication and collaboration workspace in Microsoft 365. It brings together people, conversations and content so you can easily collaborate with other students and members of staff in real-time.
All students at Christ Church have access to Teams and can use it to send instant messages, share files, host meetings and more. You can also request a dedicated workspace for your group.
How can I access it?
You can access Teams on any device by logging into Microsoft 365 from a web browser. You can also download the Microsoft Teams app for your device.
How can I use it?
There are a range of training materials and resources available including training videos on the Microsoft website. There are also numerous guides and resources available to download from the University.
For more personalised support, you can also book a session with one of our IT trainers. There, we can show you the different functionality available to you and answer any specific questions you may have.
How do I set up my own Teams space?
You can request your own dedicated Teams space using the Request-a-Team app.