Accessing Lectures and Tutorials Online

• With the freedom and flexibility of the online environment comes responsibility.
  Please make sure to attend scheduled virtual classes and complete learning activities as required by your lecturers and tutors. Online study requires the same time and commitment as face-to-face. Keeping up with the class and completing all work on time is vital.
• Make sure your contributions to the virtual classroom are meaningful and you provide quality input.
  Think before you post.
• “Speak up” if problems arise.
  If you are experiencing difficulty (either with the technology or with the course content), please communicate this immediately.

Get set up to use your audio and video

You must give the browser permission to use audio and video to participate in a session. This is necessary so that you are seen and heard.

You'll be asked to do this when you first join a session or when you first go to share your audio or video. Join a practice session to test controls, mic and webcam.

Problems? Check the troubleshooting guide!

Which browser should I use?

We recommend Chrome, however you can check other supported browsers on Blackboard help.

Session Essentials: How to Participate in an Online Meeting

You may be joining the session from home but you are not alone. You are face-to-face with your peers, lecturers, and guest experts. Make a good impression. Participate. Don't talk over someone. Raise your hand if there is no opening to speak. Type questions and feedback in the chat.

• Use a hard-wired (Ethernet) connection.  
  If available.
• Join the session early.
  If you can't be early, be on time. Switch off audio and video until you are asked to turn it on.
• Mute yourself when not speaking.
  Nothing is more distracting than background noise. For example, typing or a private conversation. It can also give the impression that you aren't paying attention.
• Introduce yourself.
  Don't assume everyone automatically recognises your voice. State your name the first few times you speak. Let moderators know who is participating. Give everyone a chance to know you.

(Adapted from Blackboard Help)

To join a live lecture or tutorial:

1. Log on to https://www.jcu.edu.au/learn with your jc ID
2. Go to Subjects and access your subject site
3. At your scheduled time go to Details & Actions > Subject room. Join the session with your timetable ID.
4. Complete the audio and video set up. Allow the browser to use your microphone and camera. Please mute your microphone and switch off the camera

Troubleshooting audio and video

You must give the browser permission to use audio and video to participate in a session. This is necessary so that you are seen and heard. Here is how it works: https://support.class.com/s/article/Troubleshooting-Collaborate-Audio-Video-quality-issues?language=en_US

Add a profile picture

1. Open My Settings. Select your profile picture and select your name. Or, open the Collaborate panel and select My Settings.
2. Point to the profile picture and select it.
3. Upload any image or use your device camera to take a photo. You can choose to use this profile picture for every session.
4. PNG, JPEG, and JPG are supported file types.
5. Adjust the image area.
6. Select I Like it!

Session Best Practices

• Join the session early.
  Give yourself time to learn what you can and can't do in the session. Add a profile picture and set up your audio and video. If you are presenting, make sure you can share content. Practice using the tools.
• Be on time.
  If you can't be early, be on time. Everyone can set notifications to alert them when someone has joined the session and may see who is joining when.
• Introduce yourself.
  Don't assume everyone automatically recognizes your voice. State your name the first few times you speak. Let moderators know who is participating. Give everyone a chance to know you.
• Mute yourself when not speaking.
  Nothing is more distracting than background noise. For example, typing or a private conversation. It can also give the impression that you aren't paying attention.
• Be professional.
  You may be joining the session from somewhere private but you are not alone. You are face-to-face with your peers, lecturers, and guest experts. Make a good impression. Participate. Don't talk over someone. Raise your hand if there is no opening to speak. Type questions and feedback in the chat. Pick your best profile picture. Watch your mannerisms and facial expressions.
• Take an active part.
  Use the feedback feature and chat to show your engagement.
• Keep your focus.
  Close all programs on your computer except for the browser you are using for your Collaborate session.
• Use a hard-wired (Ethernet) connection  .
  If available. If not available, use a Wifi connection.
• Stay up to date.
  Only use up-to-date Internet browsers that are supported by Blackboard Collaborate.
• Limit video use.
  Use video during the session only when necessary.

(Adapted from Blackboard Help)

The J10 and J11 error messages indicate network connection problems. Troubleshooting steps can be found here.

You can also try using the JCU VPN for your area which can overcome some networking issues.

Your lecturer may decide to record live sessions or pre-record videos you'll need to watch upfront.

You can view recordings in courses you are enrolled in. Recordings include audio, any content shared or active speaker video, and the captions entered during the live session.

This problem normally occurs if the timezone setting on your computer isn’t set correctly to your local time. LearnJCU automatically adjusts the times it displays based on your local time and if your computer is using a different timezone it may not display the time correctly.

To ensure that your computer’s timezone is set correctly for your country or region, please follow the instructions below:

For Windows users

For Mac users