All Blackboard Collaborate Reviews
1-25 of 439 Reviews
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Tyana
Individual & Family Services, 501 - 1,000 employees
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
Reviewed February 2022
Easy to Use
Diego Martin
Verified reviewer
Education Management, 11-50 employees
Used weekly for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed May 2022
Very simple and intuitive.
Blackboard Collaborate is an excellent tool which is very effectively in educational environments however for SMEs there are better alternatives with similar features at lower prices.
PROSBlackboard Collaborate is a simple and powerful tool. Features like creating groups and file sharing allow users to improve their user experience while using the software. I appreciate that the video quality would be stable despite of the difficulties in connectivity we could experience. What I like the most is the fact that you do not need to download any additional app to use this software on your phone.
CONSI have not had any problems while using the app however I think that some additional functions can be implemented such as a button to control the level of audio, annotations and a video speed controller.
Kahlil
Education Management, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used weekly for less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
3
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
3
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed November 2021
Understanding Blackboard Collaborate
The overall experience is good as the demands form the software are being met
PROSThe software is suited for online classes. The software has what is described as two factors authentication prior to sharing sound and video
CONSThe bandwidth needed to participate on this platform is high therefore a strong network connection is needed to actively participate.
Reason for choosing Blackboard Collaborate
Functionality of the software is more suited than the other softwares
Regina
Higher Education, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used daily for less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
3
EASE OF USE
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed October 2020
Good for the basics of remote classroom learning
Overall, I think Blackboard is an adequate software for classes to use as far as the basics go (e.g. putting syllabi and class readings online, administering quizzes and tests, grading). The look and feel of the software can be improved upon and it can be made more user-friendly, but overall, it does an okay job.
PROSI like that it has the basic features needed for this type of software, such as the ability to administer and grade quizzes online. It is pretty intuitive to use, but it could be better.
CONSThe whole program looks and feels very dated. Because it looks so dated, it feels like it has not been upgraded in a while and could be difficult to use. It surprisingly is pretty intuitive to use however, but there are still ways that it could be improved upon. For example, grading assignments can be made an easier task that does not need to be featured on a separate page.
Destiny
E-Learning, 51-200 employees
Used weekly for less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed January 2024
Blackboard
I utilized Blackboard for school. It is a great resource for online learning as it is easy for professors to post assignments and information. It is also a great tool to collaboratively work with your peers. I was utilizing Blackboard at the peak of COVID when everything shut down. Blackboard allowed me to continue my education and still obtain the necessary information to succeed in my academic journey.
CONSBlackboard is a bit more confusing to utilize than Canvas. It does take some getting used to however, the more you log on and explore, the easier it gets.
Nikolaus
E-Learning, 11-50 employees
Used weekly for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed March 2020
Good Product, just pricy in comparison to others
We use blackboard for our e-learning webinars and are satisfied
PROSEasy to use, worked everytime we used it
CONSit cost much more than our other webinar software
Reason for choosing Blackboard Collaborate
we did switch from Blackboard to Livewebinar because of the price
Eugenio
Education Management, 51-200 employees
Used less than 6 months
OVERALL RATING:
3
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
1
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
1
FUNCTIONALITY
3
Reviewed December 2020
Old software for newer times
The support was horrible, most of them are salesman and when they redirect to the specialist at the end is openning a ticket because they do not know neither.
PROSIt has the aspect of blackboard ultra, so if you paid blackboard ultra 7000 euros per year, then you can benefit paying 3000 euros more for the collaborate and have it all in one.
CONSThere are not good features in it, other newer platforms have more features, configurations, options and the price is a lot less.
Reason for choosing Blackboard Collaborate
I did not choose Blackboard Collaborate because of the low features and high price.
Reasons for switching to Blackboard Collaborate
Because we need high quality software and lower price, that is why we stop paying blackboard collaborate and ultra.
Anonymous
1 employee
Used weekly for less than 12 months
OVERALL RATING:
3
EASE OF USE
2
VALUE FOR MONEY
3
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
3
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed April 2021
Solid collaboration and communication platform
The general experience is that Blackboard Collaborate is a solid tool for collaboration, team and file management, and communication in video conferences.
PROSBlackboard Collaborate has a broad range of features and comes along with high customizability. The video conferencing is very good, also in comparison with competitors, such as "ZOOM" and "Microsoft Teams".
CONSEase of use and ease of development is lacking. Moreover, the then even more necessary customer support is not always as available as needed and responses solving an issue can take a while. A clearer and simplified design of the overlays could tremendously benefit these issues.
Reason for choosing Blackboard Collaborate
We were more aware of Blackboard Collaborate. Later, we switched to Microsoft Teams.
Russell
Verified reviewer
E-Learning, 1 employee
Used weekly for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
3
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed February 2019
Mostly reliable platform for online classes
Pleased with my experiences with Blackboard. It's incredible that you are able to take virtual classes with this platform.
PROSAs background information, this was used for online classes - so my experiences is limited and based only on that. With that said, though, I was pleased with my interactions with Blackboard Collaborate. Here are the pros: - It has an Interactive Whiteboard feature that is quite helpful. Teachers can add their slide deck or presentation here. The students can then "interact" with the presentation using some nice features (type words, underline texts, even highlight). - Similar to other programs, you can share your device's screen with the class or you can allow other students to share their screen if they need to show a presentation or something. This comes in very handy if used well. - If you've never used Blackboard before, I think it's pretty easy to get the hang of. It's well organized and has a nice user interface. - Without Blackboard, managing the workflow in an online class would be extremely difficult. However, Blackboard does a phenomenal job of allowing information, assignments, quizzes, etc. to be assigned and returned/collected in an organized fashion. - If a student is unable to attend a live session, Blackboard includes a record option so they can go back and watch the lesson whenever possible. This can also be used for remediation and review. - They have some nice little features that often go overlooked, like the quick response or thumbs up/thumbs down features. It's helpful when quickly checking for understanding. - Breakout/small group feature.
CONSHere are some concerns: - While it works well with Chrome, this platform does not seem to work with Safari or Edge. (This could be user error, though.) - This may be user error, too, but I found the audio to be a little off. It seems like they could do some updates here to help it sound a little more smooth and less choppy. Sometimes you don't always hear everything. - Even though the record feature is awesome - it can be annoying because the video and the audio are sometimes off. - I guess this could be based on the WiFi connectivity, but video quality is inconsistent.
Lonwabo
Computer Software, 2-10 employees
Used daily for less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed November 2023
All about Blackboard Collaborate
I had the greatest experience with the platform since it was paid for by my institution.
PROSI like the fact that it makes things much easier you can attend a class, or give a class anytime any place.
CONSNothing much other than the fact that it is very expensive.
Tasneem
Higher Education, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used weekly for less than 12 months
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed November 2023
Amazing platform for online instruction.
1. User friendly application. 2. Easy to access and navigate. 3. Accommodates students learning needs. 4. Video and audio clarity. 5. Easy sharing of files and documents. 6. Best communication channel. 7. Fast updates. 8. Sharing presentations, using a whiteboard, notifications, announcements, and instant chatting are all interesting features. 9. All in one platform for distance education. 10. Easy to organize conference and manage participants.
CONS1. Strong internet connection is required. 2. It is not possible to trace student participation.
Shelby
Education Management, 501-1,000 employees
Used daily for less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed February 2023
Blackboard Collaborate is a useful tool for some of my coursework
Overall, the software was easy to use for the purposes of my courses that opted to use this.
CONSI don't have any complaints about Blackboard.
Cheryl
E-Learning, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed March 2022
Bb Collaborate Brings Life to Online-Learning Courses
Overall, I am very happy using Blackboard Collaborate for my online asynchronous (speech communication) courses, as they have made my transfer to online teaching such an easy one! I can't think of a better way to present material for students, and to help individuals during coaching sessions and meetings. So easy to use, presenting in an inviting and simply way (visually) and my students have found it easy to use as well.
PROSThe easy to use Bb Collaborate helps keep an online class alive. The recording options allows teachers to teach an online course, have the experience recorded, and then uploaded for later viewing for those students unable to attend live. For asynchronous classes, setting up individual meetings, or sessions for coaching students (especially for speech communication courses) is so helpful, easy to use, and very easy for students to simply click on a link to join the meeting. I feel it is a safer version than zoom, and the file-sharing, and screen-sharing options make it versatile and user-friendly for teaches and students alike. My favorite feature is the scheduling set-up: you can easily invite individuals or an entire class by sending the link to them via an email, and creating a time-frame for entering the meeting. The icons on the meeting page are also easy to navigate for first-time users (most of my students are using this for the first time) .
CONSSome of the "how to" features when searching for help in using the application were not as clearly presented (there's a lot to navigate through on those help pages), but this is the only aspect of this teaching tool that I would re-visit. The rest of the software hasn't show to be difficult to use, in any way.
Reason for choosing Blackboard Collaborate
The college chose this product - campus-wide, so I'm not sure if other products where considered.
David
Education Management, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed August 2021
Blackboard Collaborate
Blackboard has been around for a long time and they certainly have a handle on online educational resources. I used Blackbaord as a student and then as an educator. Customization of courses and assignments is clean looking. There are a few different way to organize lessons, modules and the like to fit your teaching and training preferences, or virtual conferences. Assessing assignments and the built-in grading is a really fluid and offers a few different modes for categorizing activities. I usually use weighted system with some extra credit and compared to other platforms I've used like D2L or Canvas, Blackboard is much easier to work with. I Personally prefer Canvas, but Blackboard is really solid. *My institution recently switched from Blackboard to D2L.
CONSBlackboard comes with themes and font styles, but the over all look is kinda of boring, despite the various backgrounds it offers. Blackboard also offers some embedded applications like Wikis, and other educational resources from publishers like Pearson, and while most of them seem to function, I've had many issues with these connected resources being broken. Hyper links seemed to constantly break in my announcements after some time, this could be me or an issue with one of my student's browser though, but I thought I'd put it here for people new to this software.
Axel
Verified reviewer
Automotive, 2-10 employees
Used weekly for less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed June 2022
Awesome page for study
In was using this app since I was in high school and I really use it for study and sent my homeworks and works, it was so easy to use, and now with my industry I been thinking in use this app, and my workers love it, beacuse is like a stay in the school, and you can sent all the works or anything that they need to show me.
PROSThis app is for all the people who are studing or working in houses, is so easy to use and they have a lot of settings to had more control. You can upload any document for all your workers or for your students.
CONSHonestly this app is a little outdated but it's a good app. I mean nowadays there are a lot of this type of page for students and for some industry, and this app has not more diference than the others.
Reason for choosing Blackboard Collaborate
I use more google
Reasons for switching to Blackboard Collaborate
Is more popular
Yina
Verified reviewer
Pharmaceuticals, 501-1,000 employees
Used less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
3
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed November 2020
Blackboard Collaborate— not the best, but better than most
Blackboard Collaborate is a single tick virtual study hall and online cooperation apparatus manufactured explicitly for establishments who need to convey additionally captivating, customized, and adaptable learning alternatives for understudies. Although it isn't perfect, It works out positively past customary web conferencing to meet the broad and fluctuated cooperation needs of the present instructors and students.
PROSBoard Collaborate is a direct and consistent online collective learning stage. It is a totally overhauled administration that gives a degree of commitment in which students and instructors become one. The capacity to welcome outside visitors (like guests) makes this device a significant asset in furnishing understudies with introduction to an assortment of speakers and points. Generally, it is anything but difficult to set-up meetings, start and end them, and to make accounts of the gatherings and occasions for documented use. A particular favorite feature of mine is the screen sharing feature; it permits presenters' demonstrations to be displayed for students to follow along.
CONSThe audio-video synchronization is rather inconsistent; often times, the video and audio aren't in sync. Additionally, revisiting to meetings after they've been recorded is somewhat of a pain. It is particularly hard for teachers and students who are not as tech-savvy. Another con is that teachers and students regularly lose connectivity, regardless of how strong their internet connection is. Lastly, the quantity or participants in a single session makes it nearly impossible for synchronized verbal communication compared to many other software on the market.
Anonymous
501-1,000 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
3
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
3
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
3
Reviewed October 2019
A great starter program but with a lot of issues for long term users
Since spending 5+ years with Blackboard and Collaborate, we have since switched to Canvas. I am not seeing any issues here, albeit it has only been a year and counting since the switch. I have not had any error messages, and I've conducted live chats and webinars with students without issues. Crossing my fingers that it is the program we've been waiting for and it will keep performing for many years!
PROSCollaborate is easy to set up initially, and it allows online collaboration - hence the title - between students and both their peers in the virtual classroom and their professor.
CONSFor short-term use, the program excels. For long-term users, there are too many bugs in the program for it to be viable for higher education use. We expect our students to be tech savvy, and it is embarrassing when our software does not hold up to this same standard. I frequently got "unavailable" or "error: contact your program administrator" messages, costing me valuable time with my students. There were also times when the whiteboard would freeze, and I'd have to reboot my entire computer while my students waited.
Reason for choosing Blackboard Collaborate
Administrators chose
Ariella
Computer Software, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used daily for less than 12 months
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed January 2022
Blackboard Collaborate for online learning
Blackboard was my first online learning experience and it was a good one. The course I followed was a twice weekly live event with lectures in a virtual course room, and the rest of the week material was uploaded for us to study in the module section, this could be more lectures via uploaded videos or uploaded reading material.
PROSThe way our Blackboard Collaborate was set up meant that the layout was well organised and it was very clear how to navigate all the different menus. It did help that I only had 2 courses per trimester, but still the layout is very good. Module content was easy to find. I liked how you could leave questions in the discussion group and either the lecturer or other students would answer and it felt like you were not completely studying on your own. I think the way the class tests were set up is very good, also the questions are randomly allocated to every student to try and prevent cheating, which I think is a very clever thing to do.
CONSThe uploading of documents was not always straightforward and sometimes I wouldn't be sure if the work was submitted. Joining a course room to join a live lecture would not always work. Also I tried joining a course room on my phone a few times, but not very successful, audio would be there, but the visual (slides usually) could not be seen.
Anonymous
10,000+ employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed September 2020
Blackboard Collaborate Review
Overall, I think Blackboard Collaborate is a very easy program to learn and use. It has it's kinks but it gets the job done at the end of the day and has so many features available with it.
PROSBlackboard is so easy to use in comparison to other whiteboard applications I have used throughout my work career. It has a slew of features to it including video and voice chats, typing chats, whiteboards with multiple different tools available to use with it, file sharing, and weblink sharing among many other features.
CONSThe biggest and most frequent issue I have run into with the Blackboard program would be the freezing. At least two or three time's a day the program would freeze and you'd have to exit and reload the Blackboard room in order to continue using the program. Sometimes the sound would cut out or the video would be grainy and sometimes attachments and files would not send through on the first go around and you'd have to resend them.
tiffani
Verified reviewer
Education Management, 201-500 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
3
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed November 2018
Student review of Blackboard
I used this platform while in college. All of our classes were accessible in one place and we had access to teachers/classmates at all times. Could ask questions and get immediate responses. Could submit papers/assignments so you never had to worry about your dog eating it (). Calendar kept you organized on due dates and class material. Grades on classwork/tests were easily accessible at all times.
CONSFrom a student perspective it was a great program. There were only a couple of things that I found difficult but I think it had more to do with the teacher who set up the class on Blackboard. Some material was hard to find. Too many options to put assignments. They should all go in one place. Didn't like the fact that I had to open up 5 folders to find reading assignment or questions to be answered. Discussion board could get overwhelming and looked very disorganized
Anonymous
1 employee
Used daily for less than 12 months
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed April 2020
It's alright, but could be better
Compared to Google Classroom it has some advantages, but also lacks in many areas. I wish the app was more reliable and didn't fail at loading many assignments. You get used to the interface, but it could be a lot simpler and I wish the designers would look to Google Classroom as a model.
PROSBlackboard has the ability to include many different types of media like powerpoints, spreadsheets, pdfs, and work documents all in one place
CONSThe interface is very outdated and could use a redesign. There is a lot of unnecessary links and pages that you need to go through in order to access something as simple as homework. I also wish the login page was easier and actually didn't require me to log in every time.
Kheirallah
E-Learning, 1 employee
Used daily for less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
4
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed January 2021
Interconnected and Efficient
This educational software has allowed me to easily access all my courses while having all the tools necessary to carry on my education. This software has made the lives of instructors and scholars easier and I recommend more facilities other than colleges and Universities to use it more often.
PROSThis learning software has been such a blast to work with throughout being in university. Even before the Pandemic occurred Blackboard Collaborate was a platform where all work can be completed and submitted while having the tools necessary to succeed.
CONSThere is a learning curve that all users of this software must overcome to understand how to use this software. For instance, there are specific tabs each instructor or student must be familiar with to navigate to their desired destination. However, there aren't many negatives because it does not take long to understand how to work around the software.
Sal
Higher Education, 10,000+ employees
Used weekly for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed June 2021
A Full-Featured Digital Classroom Software
I have found Blackboard Collaborate to be a full-featured program that covers the majority of my needs for the online classroom environment. From monitoring the room, to screen-sharing, to voice chat and video, to uploading recordings, Collaborate shines.
PROSI have found Collaborate to be very intuitive to use, all the more important in a fast-paced, online classroom setting. It is easy to modify student permissions and roles in the event things get of-track, and it is easy to review chat messages as well as ensure recordings saved, uploaded, and distributed. It is also easy for me to monitor classroom attendance at a glance and separate students into smaller breakout sessions.
CONSI would like some sort of centralized view of the breakout sessions. As one classroom leader, it is difficult to monitor all chats at once, as I found some students would get off-track and it took me a few moments to visit each separate room. It is possible I missed some sort of easy-switch feature that would allow me to do this. Overall, my experience has been very good.
Anonymous
1,001-5,000 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
3
EASE OF USE
2
FUNCTIONALITY
3
Reviewed January 2019
Great teaching/training tool, but lacking on data and accessibility
BBC has some nice tools and features, but in order for this to have real value additional features and improvements are needed.
PROSI like the BBC teaching tools and features (drawing tools, image captures, breakout rooms, etc.). This is a great tool for the classroom setting and virtual training events. I also like the teleconference bridge feature.
CONSThere are many frequent technical issues, often making it impossible to access. Audio can be tricky at times as well. It's not great for use as a marketing tool, especially due to the fact that it requires downloads to access. The other major issue is the lack of attendee data or ability to easily capture or store participant engagement data.
Asaf
Computer Software, 51-200 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed May 2023
Great software for Higher Education
All in all, Blackboard Collaborate is a great software for managing education materials.
PROSI can easily log into my account and see all courses that I got. Also, nice interface make this software special because I use it daily. I can download or upload materials without any problems.
CONSI am actually using it in education purpose only and I have not faced with any problems yet.