Blackboard Learn Software Reviews

“Decent interface with room for improvement

Pros

You can jump right in without spending hours on training materials. Even people who struggle with technology find it simple.

Cons

The interface could still be better. When I'm entering grades, I can't easily move between all my assignments.

“Frustrating keyboard shortcuts

Pros

The interface looks much tidier since the 2017 updates came out, which I really appreciate.

Cons

Can be frustrating when you're trying to use keyboard shortcuts.

“Easy to learn

Pros

I've been using this for years and appreciate how familiar it feels. Most people already know the basics. Getting new team members up to speed is pretty easy since there's not much of a learning curve.

Cons

The layout can feel limiting at times though I suppose that's what makes it simple for beginners to pick up.

“convenient app

Pros

The interface keeps things simple right from the start. Having everything accessible through the mobile app makes my workflow much more convenient.

Cons

Sometimes the app freezes on me but restarting it usually does the trick.

“enables collaborative learning

Pros

To me it seems that the group features and discussion boards really enable online collaborative learning in a meaningful way.

Cons

Complicated at start for instructors and I wish the design was simpler.

“Organizes training courses

Pros

Really appreciate how it organizes training courses for faculty and staff to attend different sessions.

Cons

Nothing really bothers me about this platform. It works well for what I need.

“no problems so far

Pros

In my experience it's easy to use and there are tons of professional development and educational options available.

Cons

Haven't encountered any problems so far.

“recommended!

Pros

I find this tool really helpful and reliable for my daily tasks. I'd definitely recommend it to others.

Cons

Honestly there aren't many things that bother me about it

“Difficulty of moving around

Pros

What I really appreciate is how easy it is to access all the training materials. When our university made the switch from TimeClockPlus to Workday, things got pretty messy with lots of issues popping up. But being part of the Finance and Business Concierge group has been a lifesaver as they constantly share helpful videos and guides that walk you through different processes. It's so much more efficient than getting bombarded with tons of emails since they can push content to everyone at once.

Cons

Finding my way around this system is honestly my biggest headache. Sure the notifications area is simple enough but everything else feels like a maze. I'm constantly clicking through multiple screens just to reach a class page then clicking through even more to upload or submit anything.

“no tutorials needed

Pros

I jumped right in without needing any training or tutorials. Feels natural and I like how all documents are organized in a way that makes sense. The gradebook feature is particularly useful since I can update grades and students can access them from home.

Cons

Sometimes folders fail to load properly which creates confusion for both students and faculty. The grading methods can vary between professors and this inconsistency confuses students. It would be helpful to have a space above the gradebook where instructors could explain their grading scale.

“Love the collaboration suite

Pros

Offers so many tools to boost student engagement. The collaboration suite is my favorite feature as an advisor. It keeps all my learners connected and engaged. Having everything centralized makes it easy for me to monitor and manage all activities whether they're academic, career coaching sessions or just helpful resources that support my students' growth.

Cons

Hard for students to find what they need. My students constantly tell me they get lost trying to locate things. Even though there are organized tabs and folders, every instructor sets up there course differently so students never know where to look for materials or assignments.

“interactive tools

Pros

Really appreciate the variety of tools available for engaging students and gathering their feedback. The moderator interface is user-friendly which makes my job easier. The polling and breakout room features are particularly valuable for encouraging active participation from both students and myself as the instructor.

Cons

Managing multiple windows gets confusing since the dashboard setup is pretty restrictive. When I'm working with bigger student groups, staying on top of all the comments and feedback becomes a real challenge. You can't stretch the dashboard window past the page length which makes everything feel cramped.

“Collaborate feature for group projects

Pros

I find it really convenient for sharing materials with my students and collecting their assignments. The discussion forums work great for getting conversations going and I love that I can access everything from my phone or tablet. The Collaborate feature is perfect when students need to work together on group projects.

Cons

I don't really have complaints about the software itself but how effectively it gets utilized comes down to whether individual professors actually take the initiative to use it properly

“Different access levels

Pros

Great for managing classroom interactions. It handles discussions, file uploads, sharing documents, running tests and grading all in one place. Being able to set different access levels is really helpful and I can load content ahead of time and schedule it to open exactly when I need it to. It's basically everything you need for class management in a single tool.

Cons

The essay grading tool is pretty frustrating as it's hard to make grammar and spelling suggestions. There are weird naming restrictions for tests where you can only use letters and numbers which gets annoying. While having lots of features is nice it can be overwhelming for students who aren't as tech-savvy and some functions just feel unnecessarily complicated to use.

“fits our needs

Pros

We don't utilize every feature in the suite but the components we do work with handle our requirements really well.

Cons

Without proper familiarity with the end-user experience it's easy to accidentally create a confusing setup that frustrates customers.

“Lots of features

Pros

Setting this up was not complicated and I appreciate how it standardizes everything across the board. Scheduling exams is simple. There's actually a ton of functionality built in though I've noticed many of our faculty haven't figured out how to tap into all the features yet.

Cons

Students struggle to locate content easily and they tell me Canvas feels much more user-friendly. The interface gets confusing unless you customize it first. Switching to instructor mode through the mobile app doesn't work smoothly either.

“allows for easy collaboration

Pros

It is easy to collaborate with my team through this platform. That feature was definitely lacking in other solutions I've tried before.

Cons

The file upload can be pretty clunky and doesn't always accept different file types or larger sizes.

“Simple scrolling

Pros

Simple to get around and offers tons of flexibility for sharing different kinds of data

Cons

The interface looks a bit outdated though it's not really a major issue for me

“has everything in one place

Pros

Everything stays organized in one place and it's not complex.

Cons

Students still have trouble locating certain features since some functions like email appear in multiple spots which creates confusion about where to find what they need.

“user-friendly for everyone

Pros

The interface is userfriendly enough that students, teachers and admins can all use their respective functions without much trouble.

Cons

The system requires too many updates and puts everything on hold overnight which means we can't work late hours when needed