Blackboard Learn Reviews

Simplifies Grades, Course Communications, & Materials Distribution

Comments: There are a lot of learning management systems out there, and I've used several of them. Blackboard is my favorite. It has excellent capabilities, improves organization, and makes it very easy to communicate with students.

Pros:

Blackboard is a great tool for communicating with students, distributing course materials, and recording student grades. The "one-stop shopping" approach makes it easy for professors to stay organized in each class, and it also makes it easy for students to stay organized. When used well, Blackboard allows you to do everything from communicating with students to uploading assignment sheets to sending class announcements. As a writing professor, I especially appreciate the SafeAssign feature that checks student assignments for plagiarism. Once I started requiring my students to use SafeAssign, I found that plagiarism attempts dropped off significantly. (So did attempts to recycle papers from one course to another.) In addition, SafeAssign saves me a lot of leg work when students DO plagiarize -- it flags the suspect text as well as the source, so I don't have to hunt it down myself.

Cons:

For me, Blackboard wasn't intuitive to learn. Even after 7 years of using it nearly ever day during the semester, I had some challenges making it do what I wanted it to do. I often spent far more time than I should have trying to customize things for my courses. But, as long as I stuck to the basic features -- which are also the ones I personally found most useful/beneficial -- Blackboard was a great tool for organizing my courses and keeping students on track.

Wow..an excellent online Learning platform

Comments: Pandemic-related problems with submitting assignments and accessing information for my online and face-to-face classes. It has become increasingly apparent to me as I progress through graduate school that this site will be useful not only for my coursework, but also for group presentations and collaboration with other students.

Pros:

My assignments and materials are organized in one place. As of the most recent update, it is now much easier to use than it used to be. Assigning assignments and adding details to classes has never been simpler. Now, it's much easier to use than it was before. The process of giving students feedback and organizing my responses is simple. It's also how I communicate with them. As a result, it's easy to refer back to them and remember what I said. I also like that Blackboard integrates well with other apps. When it comes to presentations, I rely heavily on VoiceThread and Panopto. GoReact and Top Hat are also on my to-do list.

Cons:

An update to the mobile app is still in order. There is a lot of work to be done on this project. On the web, the user experience was much better.

a Long Term User's Honest Experience

Comments: Quick background, was in high tech sales and marketing for many years prior to teaching and heavily involved with custom Computer Graphics systems since Time Arts Lumena was around (predecessor to Photoshop). Check out my LinkedIn profile for more details. On to the product review -- I've been using Blackboard for *many* years, and have been teaching (and doing) Web Design and Development since 1993. I'm retiring shortly, so I can be absolutely frank and honest about my experience with this app without fear of upsetting IT folks or admins that I would have to work with in the future. Truthfully, the ONLY reason I use this app is because I have no alternative at the College where I teach and it gives the students easy access to information, but so would any LMS (Learning Management System). The UIX (User Interface Experience) is incredibly archaic and counter-intuitive. It's also painfully slow to use, as it does constant server requests (just paste the URL for a Blackboard connection into http://www.webpagetest.org/ for testing). Sometimes one single click every 15 seconds is all the system will react to when I'm using the grade book, etc. -- in the "real" world, without captive users, no one would ever return to a site with those response times. To be fair to Blackboard, part of that may (or may not) be our schools network or Blackboard interface setup. As far as usability, Blackboard needs to let the User Interface and UIX designers (if they even had any) direct the techs and coders. It's *very* obvious that it's been the reverse, . They should 'steal' some Apple UIX people and give them some *real* power to direct how the app works and what it looks like. I've just finished using Blackboard for 3 hours+ doing things that should have taken 1 hour or less had the interface been optimized and more thought out. For example, under the 'Assignments' and 'Course Documents' sections there is no easy way to reorder or batch select using something basic like check boxes or a multi-select hot keys. Also, any NEW assignment or document post goes to the BOTTOM (the absolute reverse of a Blog post) So I need to drag it back to the top (where it logically should go). However, even that is awkward, since when I drag to the top of the browser the window does not auto-scroll. I have to hold the left mouse button at the same time as I use my middle finger to roll the mouse wheel -- duh!!. There IS a small text window pop-up accessed via an archaic icon to reorder posts, however, that shows only 5 assignment titles at a time (no window resize function to show more than 5). I can reorder them there, but need to do a single mouse click each time it moves up one position, but again, with no way to see more than 5 and no way to multi-select. So, if I have 50 course documents and want to shift 5 new documents to the top (where they belong) that's almost 250 mouse clicks to re-position 5 documents to where they should be in the first place - duh!! In Gradebook it only shows 10 students listed by default. I can change the setting up to 50 but the next time I go back it's back or need to refresh something -- it's back to 10. It doesn't save defaults or give me a choice. This may seem to be nit-picking, but over the period of a 14 week semester that's a lot of wasted time time and clicks. I'm going to end my review here as I have more work to do, but when I saw a 4 star review for this LMS being the solo review I had to balance it out. Bottom line is, the concept is good -- many, many modules/tools in a LMS bundled package but the execution is absolutely awful. Just Google search 'Blackboard sucks' or 'I hate Blackboard' if you want real faculty and user opinions sans any marketing spin. Other telltale signs are when a company start to lose long-term clients. Ryerson University in Toronto just did a switch from Blackboard after "a multi-year consultation process". More on that process is here http://lms.blog.ryerson.ca/ Hopefully that last paragraph doesn't get censored, because that's the source of raw truth.

Pros:

1. it's an LMS and something is better than nothing. 2. It's full of examples I can show my students on how not to do UI and UIX 3. Well established company is behind it 4. Modular front-end 5. Many bells and whistles

Cons:

1. Counter intuitive, clunky, awkard UI (User Interface) - improve it by hiring UI/UIX experts and giving them actual control over the app interface and functions. 2. Slow (even when on the same network node or high speed cable connection) - needs a code rewrite/optimization. 3. Ancient aesthetics (although some design elements are now "flat design-ish") - hire UI and UIX designers and actually allow them to direct the final interface. 4. Many glitches (I've a folder full of screen-shots, if you want proof) - again a code rewrite needed, or ideally a complete start-over with newer code philosophies and methods.

Blackboard Daily!

Comments: Very happy with the ease of use and quickness to complete work.

Pros:

Blackboard is so easy to use. Posting assignments, having discussions and accessing materials is so simple to do.

Cons:

Nothing was wrong with the program itself.

How a big platform loose the ranking

Comments: The mobolebapp is not functional, there is no gamification nor maestries.

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.

Blackboard as a home base for college students

Comments: I had a fairly pleasant experience with blackboard, i was able to do much of the tasks I expect to be able to do on an LMS. I just wish that the design interface would be more simple and modern. Also more functionalities and integrations would be nice. Eg: opening a pdf file on blackboard directly instead of a redirection to a page or a pop up

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.

BlackBoard as a student

Comments: It's super easy to navigate and find all your resources on. It's well organized and I love it.

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.

Blackboard Review

Comments: I found the software easy to use and it was beneficial to providing higher education to those in the workplace and those who attend NU.

Pros:

I prefer Blackboard Learn over other software that I have used in the past and recent events. The simplicity of the system ensures that it is easy to use for all generations, teacher and student, and all of those in between.

Cons:

Right now, I do not think there is anything I would change.

Perfect and always saves time

Pros:

The softwares capacity to synchronize contacts and users information.

Cons:

Near to perfect but it has little hitch when it comes to support.

An Honest Review of Blackboard

Pros:

Blackboard was the tool faculty used most to relay any information about grades, curriculum changes, and other announcements. It made it easier to navigate individual courses, especially in the circumstances in which I needed to miss class. I used Blackboard for four years and could not have survived college without it.

Cons:

I think the biggest con of Blackboard Learn is the esthetics. Unlike other learning management systems such as Canvas, the Blackboard Learn interface simply feels a little more outdated. That being said, with this being my main con, it was overall a wonderful tool in my undergraduate education.

Blacboard Learn from a Person who is not techie

Comments: Improving student engagement and outcomes Streamlining course management Enhancing collaboration and communicationImproving reporting and analyticsI could elaborate but theres not enough room hereBenefitsUser-friendly interface, Blackboard Learn has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for teachers and students to use.Customizable content The platform allows teachers to create and upload their own course content, including multimedia materials, assignments, and assessments , Real-time feedback,Blackboard Learn provides real-time feedback to students, which can help improve their learning outcomes. Analytics, Integration, Improved student engagement and outcomes

Pros:

User-friendly interface: Blackboard Learn has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for teachers and students to use.Customizable content: The platform allows teachers to create and upload their own course content, including multimedia materials, assignments, and assessments.Real-time feedback: Blackboard Learn provides real-time feedback to students, which can help improve their learning outcomes.Analytics: The platform provides detailed analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing teachers to monitor student progress and make data-driven decisions to improve their teaching.Integration: Blackboard Learn integrates with other tools and platforms, such as Google Drive, Microsoft Office 365, and more, making it easy to share and access course materials.

Cons:

Cost: Blackboard Learn can be expensive for schools, especially when compared to other learning management systems.Technical issues: Some users have reported technical issues with Blackboard Learn, such as slow performance and system crashes.Limited customization options: While the platform allows for some customization, some users have reported that it is limited compared to other learning management systems.

BLACKBOARD LEARN – you don’t know how good something is until it’s gone!

Comments: Blackboard Learn (BBL) was much better than we knew! You don’t always have control over what tools or LMS you have to use, but if you (or someone else) think that you’d prefer a different LMS - BE CAREFUL what you wish for! I loved the Grade Book’s versatility and ability to easily download it for offline management when needed. Also, when we still had BBL (yes, ‘they’ have switched us to a different LMS) I used it for online classes and as an e-Companion to onsite classes. Loading and transferring content and tests was pretty easy. I MISS BBL!

Pros:

I found that Blackboard Learn is much easier to use than other online platforms used in higher education. Being able to easily add materials and instructional documents to an online course is critical especially when a department adopts a new edition of a textbook. The quiz/test builder within Blackboard Learn is also quite user friendly and being able to export exams from a previous course and import to a future course is a real time saver!

Cons:

The discussion board when entering grades can sometimes be a little confusing, trying to determine if the student is replying to a classmate’s post – especially if the student has not included the classmate’s name in their reply, but that’s really more due to a student not following instructions and not the program.

True and Tried (but also Tired)

Comments: Please see above :). I've used BB since I was in college (back in the aughts) and regret that my future students at CSUSB will not have access to it moving forward. Even still, I likely won't miss the gradebook, though Canvas' leaves much to desire as well...

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.

Blackboard works well enough, still trying to catch up.

Comments: Blackboard works well enough for what we need to use it for. There are other LMS that work equally as well, if not better, so there is healthy competition to push Blackboard to improve.

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.

Blackboard LMS for Business Review

Comments: My overall experience with Blackboard LMS Business is always amazing! It has helped and improved my grade so much because it lets me know ahead of time when assignments are due, which has helped be more organized as well. I love this software so much and I suggest everyone to use this!

Pros:

A feature that I love the most about this software is it allows teachers to upload assignments online to eliminate the use of paper. This software is such an easy to use software and really simple to change any settings for the liking of your choice. What I also love about this is that it is a good platform to take tests and quizzes, which is super amazing because it is not confusing at all. I absolutely love this and it has helped be more organized!

Cons:

A feature that I would like to see in the future is the mobile app, it could use a little improvement and it is a bit slow, but the desktop version is amazing so it does not really bother me because I usually check and do everything through my desktop. I still absolutely love this software.

Industry Standard LMS

Comments: Blackboard integrated seamlessly with our current system, Microsoft Teams

Pros:

With an established ecosystem and many tools available, Blackboard is my go to LMS for schools and other educational institutions

Cons:

Blackboard is a bit pricey, however you get a polished piece of software.

blackboard Learn for undergraduate classes

Comments: I used blackboard as a graduate student and I have been using it now as an instructor for my larger chemistry classes with 200 to 250 students, and it is really very helpful, makes my classes run smoothly.

Pros:

it is easy to post all assignments, class materials, notes and grades using blackboard. Especially for larger classes I don't have to print the paper copy, posting the class material on blackboard will help students to print and refer to the material easily. Gradebook is one of the best features of blackboard, I have quizzes almost everyday for my students, posting these quizzes grades were very straightforward using blackboard. I have also used blackboard for online quizzes and exams, and for lab exams.

Cons:

Blackboard gets slower when many people are using at the same time and some times it becomes unavailable due to maintenance(but we do get notice prior to it). other than that I had no issue with it.

Great for Online Learning

Comments: My overall experience with Blackboard has been good overall. Although it has not been very easy to use, it still offers great features for instructors and students.

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.

Blackboard learn- a need for updates

Pros:

Easy to create tests and assessments and grading them. Things were laid out and easy to find.

Cons:

Looks old and outdated. Needs to be cleaner and conscise.

Makes my Online classes SO Much easier

Comments: Overall I love it. It helps me to focus on my school work and know when I have assignments due. It notifies me when new material is uploaded. ANYTHING that makes my life easier is a A++ in my book!

Pros:

Blackboard has been AMAZING for organizing my online classes. I take 4 online classes a semester and I would be a mess if I didn't have blackboard reminding me of what needs done and making it super easy. Its very easy to upload my assignments and see whats due when it's due. Everything about it is SUPER easy and organized so I can focus all my energy on my school work.

Cons:

I still can't figure out how to export my due dates to my calendar. I'm not sure if you even can, but I can't find any support on it. I don't like how I can't change the names of my courses and Ive had 3 courses that I dont take anymore still showing up and can't get them to disappear.

Complicated but Helpful

Comments: The layout is more complex, and has a great many details missing from other platforms, but it is less streamlined for it. Helpful once you know what you are doing.

Pros:

This software has little details on the student side that is missing from other learning platforms, like specialized involvement for presenting or using collaborative videos/meetings. It gives the students more freedoms and ways to ask questions without leaving the teacher unable to see or change needed items.

Cons:

It was difficult to learn once you open the program, and there is not a tutorial or walkthrough for the overall site. You have to explore on your own, and it can be tough.

Blackboard

Comments: This is our LMS system and we are in general very happy with it.

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.

An effective tool, worth the cost

Pros:

Blackboard is a well-created product that is easy to navigate for both administrators and students. It was intuitive to follow the flow a path to find content needed at a given time. There was no confusion to find lecture notes, grades, or messages from an administrator. I have used multiple learning management systems, and BBL is my favorite

Cons:

Blackboard was more costly than other competitors, so our organization had to transition tools because of this.

seemingly popular but surprisingly clunky

Comments: This is not a minor software and many have found it to be worthwhile, so consider my review in context of your particular business needs. There may be aspects that fit your needs quite well. I just haven't found them in my case.

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.

A perfect LMS for remote learning

Comments: We have since moved on to Canvas at my workplace, and I long for the days when all we used was Blackboard. I have had more trouble with Canvas than Blackboard with my distance learners.

Pros:

Its adaptability and flexibility for the content writer. Information is so easy to add, edit, or remove at a moment's notice, and the changes are reflected immediately.

Cons:

There could be more assessment tools added, but the ones already there are more than adequate.