Blackboard Learn Reviews

Pros

It is easy to use and has all of the feature I need like auto grade, the ability to create quiz and text on the fly and allow the student to get involved in the discussion.

Cons

There is nothing I do not like about the software.

Alternatives Considered

Google Classroom

Reasons for Choosing Blackboard Learn

Google classroom do not have the ability to auto grade and it does not have the ability to organized things in different pages like Blackboard.

Switched From

Google Classroom

Reasons for Switching to Blackboard Learn

I chose Blackboard Learn over these alternative because it is a higher quality product with far better features than any other I have ever seen.

Pros

I like that it is fairly easy to use. Users don’t require extensive training to be able to use the product, and I like that as a student I can upload assignments and get learning modules from the same place, so it is convenient.

Cons

I think the user interface design is a bit outdated. It is less appealing than other LMS such as canvas learn. I also hear a lot of my professors complain about how complicated it is on their side to navigate blackboard due to the repetitiveness and redundancy of blackboard.

Pros

BlackBoard Learn is a reliable tool for basic communication, content collection, and assessments. There are convenience factors baked into its framework in the sense that instructors can readily copy and reuse materials from earlier semesters, but other capabilities have far surpassed the benefits of this complacency factor. Also, the price point of BlackBoard Learn is extremely compelling, and they have reliable customer support and service.

Cons

Doing anything on BlackBoard Learn requires significantly more clicks and testing than competing products. The design is clunky, and it directly contradicts the instructional delivery of faculty who know what else is out there, as well as the learning-design preferences of Gen-Z students.

Alternatives Considered

Sakai LMS, CANVAS, Moodle and Schoology

Reasons for Switching to Blackboard Learn

I was not part of the committee that made the decision to continue with BlackBoard Learn, but I believe the continuation was justified because of its low-cost and the challenge of switching to a competing model. Upgrading the LMS is a bit like updating your operating system. You can kick the can down the road and keep your status quo in place, but when you eventually update, you gain new capabilities, efficiencies, securities, and collaborative synergies.

Pros

Blackboard Learn is a great platform both for offline and online learning. It has a lot of nice features and allows instructors to structure their courses in an organized manner. Online tests are also a great feature that allow students to take tests at their own time. Blackboard Learn has also an automatic grading system to evaluate the student's work.

Cons

Although Blackboard Learn has a lot of important features, it is not very user-friendly in the edit mode for instructors, and is very hard to use, especially for beginners. In addition, browsing student submissions is not very streamlined as opening a link in a new tab will not actually open the selected item but take you to the home page.

Pros

I like the advertisements they did in the past, everyone knew how expensive and famous it was.

Cons

They did not innovate, they both a lot of little competitors and lately they are selling them because that strategy has lost again more innovative platforms and cheaper.

Alternatives Considered

CANVAS, Moodle and Brightspace

Reasons for Switching to Blackboard Learn

We had it for long time because most important universities had it but we had to stop using it, the support was getting bad, no innovation and other platforms were cheaper enough to pay the migration process.

Pros

Hosting courses on Blackboard is better than having another software. Helps with managing your class and multiple users can work together to add work to it. Integration with zoom is great and necessary. Eases the maintenance that comes with large classes for teacher assistants and professors.

Cons

So many features could be improved. We now use Canvas and prefer that to Blackboard Learn. Need more integration and more improvements on the mobile app.

Pros

I love that everything for all of my classes is accessible on Blackboard Learn in a single area. I have access to all of the resources, tests, and homework that my instructors have uploaded. the platform's user-friendliness. For instance, it can be effectively used by both the instructor and the students. You can see all of your selections on the bar to the left.

Cons

I can't think of anything about Blackboard Learn that I dislike, to be completely honest. It has been an excellent resource for online learning and classes. I may interact with my professor and fellow students, take part in debates, and access and watch my lectures.

Pros

Very easy to use and connect with institutions.

Cons

Many tabs for each function. You do eventually learn where each function is located.

Pros

I have used Blackboard as both a teacher and a student. On both ends, it is very easy to use, and they have great tutorials when first using the software.

Cons

I have found that integration with outside apps is easier on other LMSs.

Pros

Easy to use, concise feature set and can host and transmit a lot of information.

Cons

The UI could be improved a lot. It is currently still the one form few years ago.

Pros

I really like using blackboard. It is a lot better than other programs I've had to learn for school. It is super easy to navigate. You can find all your assignments there. There's a calendar to make when assignments are due. My favorite part I think, is the fact that you can email another student through blackboard. So if you are doing a project and you've never met your partner, or don't have their information, you can email them through blackboard.

Cons

There really isn't anything that I don't like about it.

Pros

What I like the most about Blackboard Learn is the amazing and complete features it offers to its users.
I use this software for higher education (as a student) and it is very complete and reliable. I can track all my courses, appointments, works, grades, files and many more in the same place, which is perfect for me.
I also like the fact I can communicate with my teachers within this platform and the possibility to activate the email notifications for every course is a great add-up for this software.

Cons

What I like the least about this software is the User Interface (UI), as I consider the navigability could be better and the features could yet be more accessible and easier to use.
Other than that, I don't have any other "complaints" about Blackboard Learn.
I may mention that in the beginning of the pandemic, with the introduction of online classes, this software was a life-saver and my institution needed to contact the support team, who was very responsive and agile to solve all the issues at that time.

Pros

I know it extremely well, find it to be easy to operate, think its features are strong and easily accessible, and have had very few incidents with students being totally baffled by it. We switched to Canvas this year, and I rue the day the decision was made.

Cons

The GUI for our version of Blackboard was extremely dated (we did not use Ultra, which frankly seems like a Canvas clone). I would offer the following analogy... Blackboard : Canvas :: PowerPoint : Keynote (... and I'm a PC user). It's boxy, somewhat drab, and looks a bit 'late Geocities // Fark.com'-era.

EVEN STILL: I don't mind it - I'd rather have functionality than aesthetics, which is the tradeoff made with Canvas.

DEADLY SERIOUS NOTE HERE: The BB Gradebook has always been, continues to be, and seemingly will forever remain an enormous hassle. It is slow, tedious to adjust, difficult to manage, and user unfriendly.

Pros

Blackboard is a relatively stable platform with few major bugs that restrict users from completing tasks. It has a long history and many users are familiar with the LMS.

Cons

Some of the tools don't always work as smoothly as you'd like. They are making major improvements but there are still issues that come up to make it a cohesive experience and tools not feel as disjointed.

Alternatives Considered

CANVAS

Pros

Everything is in one space - lots of tools - the sky is really the limit.
I also like the Best Practice parts of the help site - it helps you to get ideas of how you can use the tools.

Cons

In terms of support from Blackboard, sometimes the person who receives the inquiry do not read properly or English is a second language because we often have to explain again and again before they understand - that is the only frustration I currently have with the support.

It is unfortunately a very expensive product since the institutions are not based in the USA and therefore we are subjected to the exchange rate.

Pros

What I like the most about Blackboard Learn is the easy navigation of looking up my college courses. I am able to see what is due for each class on the calendar. I also love that I can get notifications that something is graded especially if it is for an assignment or test that I am waiting to see my grade.

Cons

One thing I don’t like about Blackboard is that there are outages and glitches sometimes and there is no notification about when it will be fixed or if it is ever going to be fixed. Another thing is the interface can be confusing to some people and may take some time to get used to.

Pros

The way we can review the documents; The better way to report plans localized to the group. I can gauge what matters more simple and directely. I like all the information, the trend is in one space, graphed automatically and an easy way of collaboration and track deliverables.

Cons

We don't have any major issues using Blackboard. It is a really good service for us!

Alternatives Considered

Moodle

Pros

I have used this as a user and as an administrator and it is a great LMS. I allows for easy communication sent to all students/teachers in a course.

Cons

There is limited activity tracking for students and visuals could be improved.

Alternatives Considered

CANVAS

Reasons for Switching to Blackboard Learn

Overall ease of use.

Pros

I have found it easy to use and easy to get used to. I like the value that it brings to the educational experience.

Cons

It's not the most modern product. That being said all the tools exist once you get used to it and find them.

Alternatives Considered

CANVAS

Pros

Blackboard is one of the giants of the e-learning industry, so you can expect resourcing and the support indicative of a premier product. The mobile experience was relatively intuitive, which is a must in the current environment where students may be working full time while earning an online degree.

Cons

Compared to other learning management systems (such as Canvas or Schoology), Blackboard reflects the features and structuring of learning management systems of days gone by - specifically, it is structured most closely around a 'document dump' approach to online learning. This approach has been soundly refuted in the research, and while one can certainly design a quality learning environment, many of your end users will likely not have the discernment to do so. From a student's perspective, it is often difficult to access key pieces such as messaging and grades when enrolled in multiple courses at once.

Pros

The calendar was a great feature, I would always catch myself going there to see what I have due on which days, its a really nice addition to stay organized and check due dates in the case I forgot. Another additional feature would be recordings, having a space to go back and check previous recordings was great as well

Cons

Not being able to import the calendar to google calendars or going through a lengthy process to do it, Linking it with outlook calendar can be confusing as well at some points.

Pros

I can't say too much positive other than it is a reliable platform. Rarely experience outages which affect business critical functions.

Cons

I think that the back-end reporting features must be the shining star of this software. The front-end user experience is less than adequate. I have used blackboard to deploy data and assessments for 5 years, and I still have questions which require professional assistance at least once a quarter. It is time consuming to use and does not produce a clean interface.

Pros

Blackboard Analytics is an amazingly powerful data platform. Working in conjunction with Pyramid, Analytics lets you view Blackboard data from a "global" institution view, all the way down to a single mouse click, by one student in one course. In this ever increasing data-driven industry, Analytics is a powerful tool to help you make informed decisions based on real time data. Information is presented in easy to navigate dashboards, allowing users to interact with the data. Admins can create specific reports tailored to the institution needs. Customer support and training have been invaluable.

Cons

Going in, it helps if you have a working knowledge of databases. The dashboards are easy enough for the general user, but the report creation is not always intuitive. All that said, once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.

Pros

Blackboard Learn enables teachers to create online courses, which allows students in remote locations to earn credits and complete a high school diploma.

Cons

Blackboard Learn is a frustrating platform to use. Every page, image, module is saved into a new "Blackboard" format, which is not compatible with anything else. In fact, often it changes text to image so that they only way to edit the text is to either start from scratch or go into the coding itself.

Pros

Blackboard makes organizing course content easy with standard options and the ability to add content with ease. Students enjoyed the standardized ability to track lecture notes, videos and access course readings. For me, it managed the basics of course content delivery really well.

Cons

Student management was challenging. I spent many hours working out how to grade material online and how to hide or show results for students. I found the help files not particularly useful for these challenges, and as these were things that I only performed once or twice per year, I tended to forget how to resolve these issues.