NYU Stern
Share / Print

Collaborate @ Stern

Collaborate@ Stern is a web conferencing software that allows you to interact with people in an online space in real time. You can create and participate in online meeting rooms, view participants' webcam, hear them speak and collaborate with them using whiteboards, application and desktop sharing, polling, note-taking, and chat. The sessions can be recorded and retrieved for later use. This is a useful application for conducting online office hours, TA sessions or group work when team members cannot meet in person.

  • Have group online meeting
  • Share and edit documents collaboratively
  • Record a meeting session
  • Show and navigate through complex processes by sharing your desktop applications or using the whiteboard

To learn more about best practices and strategies for leading effective online sessions contact the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL) at 212-998-0919 or citl@stern.nyu.edu . To learn more view a quick preview of Adobe Connect.

For technical assistance, please contact the Help Desk at 212-998-0180 or helpdesk@stern.nyu.edu. The Help Desk hours are Monday - Friday, 8am to 10 pm, and Saturday and Sunday 8 am to 6 pm.

Stern students are bound by the honor code to act with integrity in all academic activities including conducting yourselves appropriately on the Collaborate system. We expect that you will observe all known copyright laws to the best of your ability and not abuse the use of this system knowingly in any way.

 | Show all Hide all

What equipment will I need to use Collaborate?

1. A computer with either Windows, Mac, Linux, or Solaris:

Windows
Microsoft® Windows® 98 SE, 2000, XP, Windows Vista™ Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, Business, or Enterprise (32-bit or 64-bit editions), Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit editions)

•Internet Explorer 6.0 or later
•Mozilla Firefox 3 or later
•Google Chrome
•Adobe Flash Player 10.1 or higher

Mac OS X 10.4 (Intel or Power PC), 10.5 (Intel), 10.6 (Intel) or 10.7.2 (Intel)

•Safari 4 or higher
•Mozilla Firefox 3 or later
•Google Chrome
•Adobe Flash Player 10.1 or higher

Linux

•Mozilla Firefox 3 or later
•Adobe Flash Player 10.1 or higher 
 

Solaris

•Mozilla 3 or later 
•Adobe Flash Player 10.1 or higher


2. An Internet or network connection (faster is better):

•for participants: min bandwidth 56 kb/sec.
•for presenters: DSL/Cable (wired connection recommended)
•for screen-sharing: 1 GHz processor recommended


3. If you wish to participate using video, you will need a webcam with either built-in or separate microphone. If you wish to participate using audio, you will need a USB microphone. A headset will greatly reduce ambient audio noise in the conversation. We recommend the following webcam models and headset:

How do I schedule a Collaborate meeting with my participants?

To schedule a meeting with participants:
 

  1. Log in to Simon at http://sternlinks.stern.nyu.edu and under Quick Links select Collaborate@Stern. This will open the Administrative area of Collaborate where you can schedule a conferencing session.
  2. Click Meetings at the top left.
  3. Select New Meeting and fill in the name of the meeting.
  4. For the custom URL field, please include either the words “EMBA” or “Langone” in the title.
  5. Select Start Time and Duration.
  6. All other fields may be left at their default. Select Next.
  7. Click the Search button below to select participants for your meeting, and Add to add the participants. Do this for every member of your conferencing session.
  8. There are three roles for conferencing: host, presenter, and participant. The default role is participant. If you would like members of your conference to use the same features of the system including audio and video, you must change their roles. Select those users, then click Set User Role below, and change their roles to Presenter. As Host, you will ultimately have the highest privileges, but as Presenters, they will be able to participate fully in the conference.
  9. The e-mail invitation through Collaborate@Stern is not currently active. Do NOT click "Send Invitations". Instead, click Finish. You may e-mail out the times and address you set up for the Collaborate session manually.

How do I use Collaborate?
1. Launch your browser (see compatible browsers above).
2. Log in to Simon at http://sternlinks.stern.nyu.edu.
3. Click on Collaborate@Stern.
4. In the administrative area, click "Meetings" at the top.
5. Click on the meeting for which you are scheduled. Collaborate should open in a new window.

Set up Audio

a. Click Meeting drop-down menu at the top left of the screen.
b. Select Audio Setup Wizard, then Next.
c. Click Test to test audio, then Next.
d. Select your microphone, then Next.
e. Test your microphone by clicking the Record button, then Next.
f. Click Test Silence level to detect background noise.
g. Click finish.

Flash Player settings (for audio and video)

a. Right-click anywhere on the screen and select Settings.
b. Select Allow radio button and Remember check-box.
c. Select Microphone Icon at the bottom.
d. Check the Reduce Echo box.
e. Select the microphone you are using from the drop-down list.
f. Test the microphone by speaking into it; the green bar on the left should move as you speak.
g. If you have a camera, select the camera icon.
h. Select your camera from the drop-down list.
i. Click Close at the lower right.

Although the software is fairly intuitive, we do suggest that you visit (or download) these online tutorials before beginning:

•Collaborate Help  (an excerpt from the Adobe guide -- some information may not be applicable to our instance of Collaborate)
•Common Collaborate tasks (in short video format -- referred to as Breeze)
•Sharing Your Desktop and Documents 
•Leading a Collaborate Meeting  (referred to as Connect)
•Diagnostic Test (to make sure your system is set up correctly)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why does some documentation (such as the tutorial links) refer to Collaborate as “Breeze” or “Connect”?

A: “Breeze” was the original name of the conferencing system before it was purchased by Adobe and renamed “Connect”. We have rebranded the system “Collaborate” and the look and feel and features of the system remain identical.

Q: Does Collaborate have traditional conferencing call capabilities?

A: No. At this time Collaborate only features VOIP, which allows you to talk over Internet networks using a webcam with a built-in microphone or headset.

Q: How do I turn on or off any of the main features (pods)?

A: When in doubt as a Presenter, go to the Pods menu at the top of the page. This will allow you to enable or disable any of the pods your group is using.

Adobe Connect Help

Online Adobe Connect Help Resource Center

Search through the online Adobe Connect database.


Meeting Management

  • Manage Meeting Attendees (6:36)
    Change a user's role or enable participants to share audio, their webcam, or their screen.
  • Managing Pods (4:32)
    Create new pods or modify, move, or delete existing pods.
  • Managing Layouts (4:14)
    Create new layouts or modify, move, or delete existing layouts.


Meeting Audio


Using the Share Pod to share documents, applications and whiteboards
Back to Top