Schoology LMS Reviews

“Fantastic for k-12 communication”

Pros

Schoology works really well across K-12 and it includes all the tools needed to keep parents updated and informed.

Cons

One issue that comes up fairly often is that an assignment can appear as if a student didn't submit it, when in reality it was turned in and just hasn't been graded yet.

“secure testing and useful integrations”

Pros

Having LockDown Browser built into the app made secure testing much more reliable for us. We had struggled with other device-level solutions before so the in-browser option has been a much better fit. It also connects really well with other systems and some of those integrations have been genuinely valuable.

Cons

At the same time, I feel like this platform is not maintained as consistently as the other PowerSchool products. That makes me worry a bit about how well it will be supported in the long term.

“clean layout and quick navigation”

Pros

The layout design was the part of Schoology I liked the most. Moving between classes and assignments is very easy. Uploading assignments was simple and checking instructor feedback was just as convenient. I also never ran into any security problems so there was never a reason for me to reach out to customer support.

Cons

One issue I did run into with it was the occasional bug or technical problem. There were times when the platform would not let me upload an assignment because of a software issue. Thankfully, it was resolved pretty quickly by contacting the teacher and they worked with customer support to sort it out.

“provides all school info in one spot”

Pros

Having all my kids school messages and records in a single spot is fantastic. All the communication and information is right there in one place.

Cons

The organization within the software can be confusing as it tends to open a lot of new windows if we are not using the app.

“Great for both young and advanced students”

Pros

This is a great LMS that lets us post advanced work for students while still using an icon-heavy, simple layout for younger kids. When our district moved to standards-based grading, we could build a custom gradebook in Schoology with specific proficiency scales. The options for discussion boards and annotations in courses are also features we love.

Cons

Sharing resources with students is simple for teachers but sharing between teachers is not as easy. They can form groups to post materials but there is no equivalent to Google Drive's make a copy function for entire courses so teachers often have to rebuild content from scratch that could have been duplicated.

“Useful app but has some glitches”

Pros

With the Schoology mobile app, you can check grades, access class materials and submit assignments just like on the website. It also lets us sign in with our school Gmail account which means one less password to remember.

Cons

The user interface feels outdated to me and the mobile app is not very user-friendly. We also cannot remove parent accounts linked to students once you no longer need them to view grades. Plus the site frequently errors out during quizzes, tests or assignment submissions.

“reliable but looks a bit old”

Pros

The platform is reliable and just works as we rarely run into bugs or technical problems. It also offers a good degree of customization.

Cons

Well the design is very unattractive as it looks clunky and old compared to other common LMS products. It also does not feel as powerful or feature-rich as some other systems I come across.

“Makes organizing the school year simple”

Pros

Re-creating a class for a new term is simple and the ability to hide or unhide assignments makes organizing the entire school year a simple task.

Cons

There is really nothing significant to complain about. A while back, the limit on Word documents was an issue but that's been fixed and it now works well with Google apps.

“nothing too special about it”

Pros

Posting assignments for students to see clearly and easily is a major benefit.

Cons

It would be better if linked websites did not automatically open within the Schoology window.

“A hub for the whole school”

Pros

Our whole district uses Schoology as the LMS for all grades, K-12. Since we use PowerSchool, it connects really well with their other stuff, like the curriculum tools for lesson planning. We also use their Professional Learning part. It makes it simple to set up online training for staff, deliver it through Schoology and automatically track their professional development hours.

Cons

Our middle and high school teachers switched from Canvas and they've been frustrated with the quiz features in Schoology. It would be great if it could create quizzes with rules to randomly generate advanced math questions for each student.

“Perfect for managing school life”

Pros

As a parent I really like how easy it is to manage my son's entire academic life through Schoology. Both he and I have been able to stay current with homework, grades and school projects.

Cons

Honestly in the five years I have been using it, I have not come across any real disadvantages.

“a huge advantage for course materials”

Pros

Having grades, assignments and all the course materials accessible on a single platform was a huge advantage for us.

Cons

The platform was not as easy to use as others like Google Classroom. We were also limited to attaching just one link or document at a time.

“Helpful for seeing upcoming work”

Pros

It is so helpful to see a complete list of assignments that are due soon and what's coming up next.

Cons

One thing I would like to mention is that its user interface can be a bit unclear sometimes.

“Handles assignments well”

Pros

I like howit is an easy way to organize work for my students. The assignments are great for collecting and looking at data. I can even make digital rubrics to grade their work.

Cons

The Canvas LMS lets you download a whole class to share with other teachers which seems like a much easier way to collaborate. A lot of the add-ons and embedded features in it aren't very interactive and need a lot of troubleshooting.

“Modern yet simple layout”

Pros

The layout is clear and it is easy to use. I also liked being able to add links to previous learning materials like Microsoft Sway presentations.

Cons

There was room for standard learning materials but during my use, I found it lacked space for highly interactive learning activities.

“easy for students but hard for me”

Pros

It does the basic things really well and my students can figure it out, which is a big deal because they're all learning english as a second language.

Cons

It's not always easy Figuring out how to add something at the top of a list instead of the bottom? I never would have found that on my own (you have to hover until a green line appears). It also just looks really old-fashioned, like DOS or something.

“connects well with other platforms”

Pros

Schoology connected pretty well with other educational platforms we use which I like the most about it.

Cons

With so many different features, it can feel a bit overwhelming when you first start using it.

“simple setup for my classes”

Pros

Setting up several different classes was a very simple process. It is also a great system for my students, as they had no trouble figuring out how to locate and turn in their work.

Cons

Communicating with students was difficult because they did not seem to receive alerts. There also were not many options for customizing our course site.

“Good free features but not for New Zealand”

Pros

The free version came with a surprising number of useful features which makes it better than many.

Cons

To me the system felt very American-centric and did not adapt well to the New Zealand education system which uses different levels and structures.

“organized tool for my class”

Pros

I use this in two ways. First, I use it for my individual classes. I can post lesson stuff and activities in a really organized way. My students can always get to it and it's super easy for me to upload and keep everything sorted. I use it at least every week, especially for bigger projects or when I want to give my kids extra resources. We also use it for professional stuff. My whole school district uses it to share curriculum resources like daily lessons, unit plans, all of that with every teacher. It's also easy to find and organize last year's curriculum in the same spot.

Cons

Some of the outside resources don't integrate smoothly. It can be a bit clunky.