Synchronous Tools

Available Tools

Fordham offers two video conferencing tools for online learning: Blackboard Collaborate Ultra and Zoom. Both are integrated with Blackboard.

Google Hangouts Meet

• • Fordham faculty also have access to Google Hangouts Meet.

  • This is a good option for those with students who might benefit from live closed-captioning.

  • Additionally, it's directly integrated with your Google Calendar, making it handy for meetings.

  • Please note: there is a participant limit of 100.

  • Google Meet Help

Technical Troubleshooting

Sometimes, do to bandwidth constraints, you may have some technical issues with your synchronous session connection, regardless of which tool you use. Here are some steps you can take to improve your session performance:

• Close all programs on your computer except for the browser you are using for your Collaborate session.

• Connect to the internet using a hard-wired (ethernet) connection instead of Wi-Fi, if possible.

• If you are using Wi-Fi, try bringing your computer closer to the Wi-Fi router or access point.

• If you are experiencing slow speeds, use video only when necessary.

• Check your Internet connection speed using an online speed test.

• Reduce or stop video streaming or online gaming activities on your home network during your session.

• As a last resort, if you are connecting through a VPN, try disabling that connection.