Using the Virtual classroom and Chat in Blackboard 7.3

Go to your Blackboard Course.

Click on Communication.

Click on Collaboration.

Both the Virtual Classroom and the Chat are synchronous discussion sites. If your professor has created a Chat you can enter into discussion by clicking on Join.

To enter a message in the Chat, you type your message into the Compose field and then click on send.

You can also send a private message to a user. Select a user’s name in the Participant list and the click on Private Message. The Compose Private Message window will appear.

You may ask a question. To ask a question, select Compose in the Ask Question area, enter the question, and Send. You may write on the White Board. Choose the Pen icon and click. Next, write, print, or draw on the White Board.

You may work on math problems.

As you see, there are a variety of tools to use.
The Whiteboard enables users to post drawings, text, or any other type of information as they would in an on-ground classroom.
The Group Browser enables users to collaborate and browse the web.
The Course Map enables users to browse the Course Contents while they are in the Virtual Classroom.
As a Question enables users to ask a question during the session, the Question Inbox enables users to answer questions submitted by other users during a session.