Blackboard for Business Reviews

“very outdated look”

Pros

The course layout works well and there's plenty of editing flexibility to customize the classroom around our students specific needs.

Cons

Honestly it's just not very visually appealing. The platform feels dated, still needs a design refresh and can be difficult to use.

“well-structured tool”

Pros

Blackboard does a really good job of organizing training courses in a clear, structured way which makes everything much easier to follow.

Cons

It usually takes a little time to get used to the platform before you feel completely comfortable using it.

“training videos miss the mark”

Pros

The app itself seems fairly easy to use and the training videos were put together nicely overall aside from the issues mentioned below.

Cons

A number of the training videos were hard to follow because the narrators had very strong accents. It was clear English was not their first language and it felt like an effort to promote diversity ended up coming at the customer's expense.

“Got powerful learning tools”

Pros

It has been proven a really good Learning Management System for us. It comes with strong capabilities especially for grading learner assignments, handling communication, managing coursework and giving feedback on activities. It also does a good job supporting accessibility for different users across a range of devices and browsers.

Cons

In the beginning it can feel a bit overwhelming for new users. Also a lot of people on our side have mentioned that the interface is hard to navigate.

“limited customization options”

Pros

One thing that worked well with Blackboard was its clean interface and it made group e-dialogs very simple to manage. Uploading files and sharing links including links to files was also easy. Overall it served as a practical platform for posting materials for users. From the user side, it was very simple to understand, navigate and access the materials my instructor had provided.

Cons

The biggest downside was how limited it was for page and template design. You were basically locked into the page structure it provided, with very little room for customization. On top of that according to upper management, it was a bit more expensive than other LMS platforms which ultimately led to the decision to replace it with another system.

“secure but dated platform”

Pros

Years ago I used this in my classroom and now I am using it again through my daughter's school. It feels secure and I think it works well for elementary school use.

Cons

At the same time, it could do a better job of keeping up with current needs and being more user-friendly. Navigating it can be difficult at times.

“early online learning pioneer”

Pros

It was one of the first major players in online teaching and learning. The colleges I studied at and worked with were quick to adopt the idea of putting course materials online. Back in college, I was part of an educational technology support team that helped influence which platform would be officially chosen for online courses. The two main options were Blackboard and WebCT which Blackboard later acquired. Our college ended up selecting WebCT but Arizona State University, where I earned my BS in Computer Science and M.Ed. in Educational Technology, used and still uses this tool so I have had substantial experience with both systems from several different angles.

Cons

On the downside, the company came across as very monopolistic and seemed to file lawsuits against nearly every competing LMS vendor for building online learning platforms, as if it believed it had invented online teaching and learning itself.

“well organized and familiar platform”

Pros

The software lets me structure my course in a way that students can navigate without confusion. The layout and overall design is also very similar to other competing platforms so new users tend to pick it up quickly. Setting everything up is simple too.

Cons

It does have the occasional quirk especially in the gradebook. The platform is also always changing which can be frustrating at times, even though those updates can sometimes be beneficial.

“provide all classes in one place”

Pros

Having Blackboard keeps classes and course materials organized in a way students can access without much hassle. Class schedules, virtual classrooms and student chat spaces are all brought together inside one application which makes everything feel more centralized.

Cons

One thing that causes problems is how this tool collects assignment due dates for some tasks but leaves out others. That inconsistency ends up creating confusion for a lot of users.

“steep learning curve”

Pros

It works well for educators and college-level students, offering features that cover many different parts of higher education.

Cons

Compared with competing platforms, I find it harder to navigate and takes more time to learn. Once you understand how it works, it does the job well but getting to that point is more challenging than with other software.

“perfect for learning”

Pros

Having all my classes available in one place was a huge plus and it really helped simplify the way I managed course assignments.

Cons

There were occasional times when assignments wouldn't load properly and had to be submitted again.

“user friendly tool for students”

Pros

As a student, I find it very easy to navigate and use.

Cons

Its communication features aren't as efficient as what you get with other platforms.

“organized platform with room to improve”

Pros

The system is well organized and is fairly easy to navigate, even if it is not as user-friendly as some other products.

Cons

As per me the email feature and discussion forums still need more development, as they could be made much easier to navigate.

“discussion boards that deliver”

Pros

Well the discussion board feature gets the most use on my end and it's one of the parts of the platform I appreciate most.

Cons

The interface is a little dated compared with newer LMS platforms. The colors, fonts and overall design could definitely use an update.

“Has the best learning tools”

Pros

Blackboard Learn now Anthology completely changed online and distance learning by bringing a strong set of features together in one platform. The interface is user friendly and the range of tools and integrations helps make the learning experience more enjoyable and efficient. Educators can handle courses and users in just a few clicks, track activity streams and create assignments and tests with the support of AI. The addition of AI features really pushed this one forward, since it can generate text, activities, tests and assignments directly within the platform instead of relying on ChatGPT-based tools.

Cons

There are still a few gaps especially around system requirements. I regularly run into crashes and lag while using this platform. I also still have concerns about cloud-based systems and its file size limits don't support large uploads which feels odd because educators often need to work with bigger files. Another downside is that it's not really a good fit for small businesses.

“helpful once it clicks”

Pros

It is fairly easy to use overall. There's definitely an adjustment period at first and a few features don't really make much sense until you've spent some time using them.

Cons

It comes with a learning curve that you have to adapt to.

“beginner-friendly onboarding”

Pros

I find this tool easy to use and bringing new users on board is especially simple for beginners.

Cons

The folder structure can feel a bit tedious to work with at times.

“Getting better over time”

Pros

The platform handles what it's supposed to do and it has gotten better over time.

Cons

At the beginning, the user interface wasn't very good.

“reliable learning platform for everyone”

Pros

Blackboard Learn gives everyone involved dependable information that supports learning.

Cons

It has been consistent and I haven't come across any drawbacks.

“announcements are proven helpful”

Pros

Creating announcements and using the features is not hassle.

Cons

Removing content takes too many steps and it can feel confusing at times.

“mixed navigation across departments”

Pros

Getting around the different department sites was fairly easy and made it simple to find what I needed.

Cons

It fell short when it came to data storage and collaboration and those areas were difficult to work through and navigate.

“thoughtfully built for learning”

Pros

It's incredibly functional and is thoughtfully designed for both students and instructors.

Cons

The interface can feel a bit plain at times especially when typing your own responses on the platform or using it on a mobile device.

“organized classes but confusing app”

Pros

This tool did a great job of keeping online classes organized and the content wasn't hard to locate.

Cons

Using the app didn't feel very user-friendly and across the organization there were too many university-wide outages and breakdowns.