Blackboard Review: Blackboard is a popular system used by many students around the world. Now, it’s also helping businesses and governments. It lets companies teach their employees in a flexible way using phones and computers. It has tools for making lessons and working together.
If your business wants to grow and train its workers, Blackboard is a good choice. There are two versions, one called Learn Ultra which is great for businesses, and another called Learn Original. Some people use both because they like different things about each.
It might be a bit confusing, but it’s useful for learning & training.
Table of Contents
Who is Blackboard for?
One thing Blackboard understands, perhaps better than anyone else, is how to deliver learning experiences at scale. The company has served more than 100 million users in 90 countries, often in very complex environments.
Blackboard is suitable for companies with complex training needs. It does not support e-commerce, so it may not be the best choice for companies that want to sell courses online.
Learn isn’t the easiest platform to use, so if you’re looking for something that everyone can use right out of the box, you might want to check out one of the cloud-native LMSs designed for businesses like WorkRamp or Lessonly.
Blackboard only provides pricing per quote, so you will need to speak with a sales representative to see if it fits your budget.
Some of the key features of Blackboard for Business are highlighted below.
Blackboard Features
The Blackboard platform has detailed features in its interface. There are fewer features in the Ultra experience than in the Original version. I have reviewed the Ultra experience because it is the simplified version marketed for corporate training.
Admin controls
From the main panel, administrators can manage courses, groups (called organizations), calendars, messages, grades, tools, and institution pages. Institutions are basically the home page of your account. Ultra allows you to create multiple institutions and mark them independently, a useful feature for sharing Blackboard online training with different organizations.
Stream is a feed of user activity and messages. It is very well organized.
Learn’s administration functions are as deep as you would expect from a system with such a history. Within courses alone, the options are overwhelming. The labels are not always the clearest, so you will have to spend some time exploring to understand what you can do.
As an example of the depth and complexity of Learn’s management controls, the platform comes with ten built-in features for system users only.
There are also options for institution roles, course roles, and custom roles. An unusual feature is the ability to assign primary and secondary roles to users. For example, someone can be a student in several courses and also a teaching assistant or instructor for others. Blackboard allows you to precisely customize their experiences and access.
Administrators can even control the system tools available to different users and integrate external tools through Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) protocols. This level of control is valuable for organizations that manage very complex populations of users and courses. This is an area where Blackboard shines.
Group notifications
Learn also includes a large number of automatic notifications, allowing users to control how and when they want to receive them. In their profiles, users can forward messages via email, text, or push notifications. They can also select which messages appear in their streams.
Blackboard allows you to create virtually any push notifications you need. Options include institution announcements, assignments, grade updates, new discussions, due date reminders, events, and more.
Course building
You can add content to courses in Learn by uploading or dragging and dropping files. You can also import them through Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, and other Blackboard cloud accounts.
Instructors can incorporate documents, links, folders, quizzes, discussions, and journals into courses. They can also copy an existing course, extract elements from other courses in the system, and import entire course packages.
It is easy to set prerequisites or time limits for viewing content. For example, you can require a learner to complete an activity or reach a certain score before moving on to the next item. Course elements can be grouped into modules that must be completed in a particular order.
Course creation is not the strongest aspect of the Blackboard platform. Its strengths lie in Blackboard’s course management and delivery.
Custom branding
Blackboard allows you to create a custom brand for each institution in your account. Upload an image, assign brand colors, and you have an attractive custom interface.
Blackboard gives you a lot of control over your user interfaces, a desirable feature for businesses.
Collaborate
Collaborate is Blackboard’s native video conferencing tool, a feature that must be purchased separately. Collaborate is Blackboard’s virtual classroom where users can meet, share files and applications, and even work on a virtual whiteboard. Collaborate can be used on mobile devices, making it easy for teams to connect wherever they are.
Blackboard disabled the Collaborate recording feature in March 2020 due to system overloads during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company provides bandwidth management instructions to accommodate the system data load. Read the instructions and consider their potential use when evaluating Collaborate.
Assessments
Blackboard allows you to create tests with a good selection of question types, including formulas. Questions can be automatically graded with options to share correct answers and add explanations. Questions can also be randomized.
A nice feature is the ability to create an access code to secure the exams. Blackboard also offers the option to lock the browser during the exam to prevent cheating.
Portfolio
Blackboard includes a portfolio feature, which is a great tool for corporate training and performance management. Portfolios can be shared with other users to showcase a learner’s achievements.
Administrators can create templates for portfolios to ensure a uniform presentation. Portfolios include a header and footer, pages with as many sections as you need and a menu for navigation.
Reports
Learn includes a number of predefined reports, many of them limited to certain user groups. Administrators can get statistics on attendance, usage, and system recordings. I’m not sure why you would want a full breakdown of recordings, but it’s there if you want it.
Instructors can view course activity, performance against objectives, user activity, and participation in journals and discussions, among other metrics. Reports can be run for specific users and user groups.
Blackboard provides advanced reporting only for hosted and managed clients. In general, Learn’s reports are not compelling.
Blackboard Ease of Use
The ease of use of Blackboard will depend on your taste for detailed documentation and exploration. For the learner, it’s easy to log in and stay on top of your work. For teachers and administrators, it’s a beast, with an unintuitive interface.
In addition, there are a lot of features tailored to the academic world (a plagiarism detector, for example) that clutter the interface. For this reason, it’s hard to recommend Blackboard over the many systems designed specifically for employee onboarding and development.
Blackboard Pricing
Blackboard’s pricing is only quoted on a per-quote basis, so you will need to contact a representative to determine what it would cost your company. Pricing is based on subscriptions and some features are charged separately.
Blackboard Support
Support is one area where Blackboard shines, with phone, web, and chat support. Blackboard also offers video tutorials and online courses for instructors and administrators, as well as a help center.
In addition, you can receive on-site or remote training depending on the package you purchase. You can also take advantage of Blackboard’s active online user communities for ideas and tips.
Benefits of Blackboard
Blackboard is an established learning management system (LMS) with strong course management and delivery capabilities. It can be customized to create a Blackboard online learning environment that meets your exact specifications.
You can host multiple organizations within your account with individual brand experiences. Some features, such as user and account management, are highly developed, while others, such as reporting and course creation, are less competitive.
No Substitute for Experience
It’s easy to throw stones at the giant, but Blackboard is a proven learning system that offers advanced course management and delivery features. Many of the latest learning systems are based on Blackboard.
While Blackboard still seems to be sorting out its approach to Learn and Learn Ultra, both are good versions of a solid LMS with many redeeming features. It’s definitely worth accessing the free trial site, CourseSites, and talking to a sales rep on your way to finding the best LMS for your business.
How Blackboard Compares
| Product | Mobile | E-commerce | Onboarding | Phone Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackboard | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Canvas | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| TalentLMS | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Lessonly | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Adobe Captivate Prime | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
FAQs
Can Blackboard support large-scale training needs?
Yes, Blackboard is well-equipped to handle large-scale training requirements. With a track record of serving over 100 million users across 90 countries, the platform demonstrates its scalability. Its admin controls allow efficient management of complex user populations, making it suitable for businesses seeking to provide training to a widespread and diverse audience.
Is Blackboard suitable for e-commerce and selling courses online?
Blackboard is primarily designed for corporate training and education, rather than e-commerce. It lacks built-in e-commerce capabilities, making it less suitable for companies aiming to sell courses directly through the platform. Businesses focused on monetizing their courses online might consider alternative solutions with dedicated e-commerce features.
Can Blackboard be customized to match a company’s branding?
Yes, Blackboard supports custom branding, allowing institutions to establish a unique and cohesive online presence. This feature empowers administrators to upload institution-specific images, set brand colors, and create a distinct interface that resonates with the company’s identity. By aligning the platform with branding elements, organizations can reinforce their corporate image and enhance user engagement.
Is Blackboard a suitable choice for businesses looking to conduct virtual classrooms and web conferencing?
Blackboard Collaborate feature is well-suited for creating virtual classrooms and facilitating web conferencing. Collaborate enables users to convene online meetings, share files and applications, and even collaborate on virtual whiteboards. The tool’s compatibility with mobile devices ensures that teams can seamlessly connect and collaborate, regardless of their geographic locations. It’s a valuable resource for businesses aiming to promote remote communication and real-time interaction among participants.
What kind of support does Blackboard provide?
Blackboard offers comprehensive support options to cater to diverse user needs. These include direct communication channels such as phone, web, and chat support, ensuring timely assistance. Additionally, video tutorials and online courses equip instructors and administrators with in-depth training. The active online user communities serve as valuable resources for sharing insights, best practices, and innovative ideas.
Mike DaVinci HighTechBlogging.com
Mike DaVinci is a skilled content writer with a talent for storytelling. He specializes in creating captivating narratives that engage readers and leave them feeling inspired. His writing has been featured in various publications, including magazines, blogs, and business websites. Mike’s particular interest in human interest stories allows him to uncover the heart of any story and convey it to his readers in an emotional and authentic way. He believes that storytelling is a powerful tool for connecting with people and inspiring positive change in the world.
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