By December 31st, 2025, Class for Collaborate (formerly Blackboard Collaborate) will be decommissioned. This means that Collaborate will no longer be useable for synchronous online sessions, and existing Collaborate recordings will be deleted and unrecoverable.
To assist with the decommission, we have compiled resources for Backing up your essential recordings to Kaltura and moving to an alternative synchronous webinar tool such as Zoom or Class for Zoom. To learn more about Kaltura, please visit the Kaltura Information page.
How to Backup Recordings & Store on Kaltura
To assist you with backing up your recordings, eLearning has created the following guides to walk you through the process:
- How to Download the Collaborate Recordings:
- How to Upload Videos to Kaltura
- How to Post the Video to your Blackboard Course
- How to post the video as unlisted (To make the video externally accessible).
Alternatives to Class for Collaborate
There are two alternatives to Class for Collaborate that will integrate with Blackboard. Each one may better fit different teaching scenarios.
- Zoom with Kaltura Integration (Available Now)
- Class for Zoom (Available Fall 2025)
Uses for Zoom with Kaltura Integration
We recommend using Zoom with Kaltura integration for the following cases:
- You are using Collaborate to connect two physical classrooms, such as a Northwest Campus, to a Main Campus class.
- You need a simple method to meet virtually with students.
To start using Regular Zoom in your class today, follow the steps on our Zoom & Kaltura Integration Guide
Uses for Class for Zoom
We recommend using Class for Zoom for the following use cases:
- You’re conducting synchronous live sessions where each student will connect to the platform.
- You want a virtual environment that simulates a physical space.
- You want a deeper integration with Blackboard to pull groups and course content and connect with the gradebook.
- You want to utilize Class for Zoom’s advanced features that enable active learning or engagement.
Class for Zoom will be available to all users by the Fall 2025 term. Please see our Class for Zoom page for more information.