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
Kelly
Verified reviewer
Retail, 2-10 employees
Used daily for less than 6 months
OVERALL RATING:
3
EASE OF USE
4
FUNCTIONALITY
3
Reviewed April 2021
Buggy and Difficult for Students to Use
I really wanted to like Blackboard Collaborate, but there are just too many problems and it gets in the way of the actual learning for my students.
PROSThe software does a good job with video, audio and screen sharing. I'm able to easily must students and see when someone has a question. I like that when I record a session, it makes the recording automatically available for the students.
CONSI teach at a community college and recently switched to Collaborate for my class. I teach adults who are able to handle most technical issues, but collaborate has been very frustrating to deal with. Several of my students simply quit coming because they kept getting kicked out. I also like to join on both my phone and laptop so I can demonstrate mobile apps, but Collaborate only allows me to log in once. The help section and knowledge base have a lot of content, but I can never find the answers I'm looking for.
Reasons for switching to Blackboard Collaborate
The college I teach at provided Collaborate for us to use.
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.
Madi
Verified reviewer
Education Management, 51-200 employees
Used daily for less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed January 2021
Powerful online learning platform
Blackboard Collaborate has a bit of a learning curve, but once you click through everything, it is easy to use. Sometimes it can be a little slow, but it holds an entire semester's work of resources, discussions, and videos with ease. Overall, it's one of the better online learning platforms I've used, and it is of a high quality.
PROSI like that Blackboard can contain and store so many things - Zoom links and previous video recordings, slides/presentations, PDFs of complete textbooks, and more. It makes online learning as a graduate student easy, and I don't have to use my limited free Google storage to access a variety of resources that my professors provide me.
CONSSometimes it feels clumsily organized. This may be my university's fault, but it can be hard to find links, or I have to click through 4 levels of links to get to my destination. I'm sure site organization is managed by the admin users, but sometimes it just feels like there are too many options, half of which don't even have anything within.
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.
Jeremy
Verified reviewer
Writing and Editing, 1 employee
Used weekly for less than 12 months
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed September 2021
Classroom in a box. On your computer. But not a diorama.
For schools that want to extend learning beyond the physical classroom, Blackboard Collaborate is a reasonable option. It can get cluttered at times, especially when the class requirements juggle messages, discussion boards, video collaboration, private rooms, not to mention invites, multiple room options, multiple schedules, and other logistical nightmares. But the option to enter a logistical nightmare is there nevertheless, and who doesn’t like options? Simple is fine, but overcomplicated is better. That said, it’s overcomplicated only until the feet get wet and the user finally understands where he or she is walking. Then it becomes a matter of muscle memory. “Where am I supposed to post that assignment?” “Oh, right, in the discussion board.” “Where’s that assignment located again?” “Announcements?” “Maybe.” See? Muscle memory.
PROSIn a time when classrooms look like our living rooms and bedrooms, a service like Blackboard Collaborate rises to the occasion and delivers that bedroom class experience like few others can. Not only does it allow instructors and students to “collaborate” via traditional video, audio, and screen-share methods (how many services do that now?), but it also comes with multiple rooms, a place to list course directives, and a place for students to leave messages, including assignments. As a provider of supplemental instructions (as in, I’m not the instructor but the support member), I could join in the conversation and offer advice in a place where students would read it and even respond. It’s like group text messaging, but better. If I could narrow this down to one “pro,” it’s that Blackboard Collaborate considers all the communication angles and makes them available to all who are assigned to use it.
CONSOther than the convoluted way some features are put together, the biggest issue I had was with the occasional connection problem. On one notoriously hilarious day, the instructor asked me to share some information about the department I work for (a student service), then interrupted me halfway into my speech with, “Well, I guess that’s our answer.” It seemed like she was getting impatient. But the reality was that she couldn’t hear me, and she thought I’d left the class. And she was the only one. All the students and her dean could hear me just fine. Things like that happened every so often. Not exactly great. Definitely not consistent.
Lauren
Primary/Secondary Education
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
3
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed August 2016
I've been using this for years, and love it, but it has major issues
Blackboard Collaborate is such a great option for online teachers. We use it to meet with students and present lessons live on the computer. I use it weekly. It is seamlessly integrated with PowerPoint. The features are neat - you have lots of controls as a moderator. You can allow students to speak, use video cameras, type, draw, add pictures to the whiteboard, etc. You can set how many students can be speaking at once. You can mute them by taking away tools. You can create breakout rooms. You can play all sorts of media. You can remove students who are not behaving. You can lock the room or allow attendees in late. I've met with anywhere from 1 to 700 participants. You can make permanent forcing slides and make sure that students can't do anything without a teacher being present, but there are downsides to those functionalities as well. The app is really great. It is limited, and simple, but I've never had a problem with it.
CONSThe major thing I dislike is the "exception error" that I get CONSTANTLY. Basically, BBC can only handle so much data. Because it can't tell which participant needs what, it actually has to save and stream anything within a certain time period and send that out to everyone in the room. So, it really bogs the room down. It is just saving a TON of data at any given time. We've had to create separate rooms for back to back sessions instead of hosting them in the same room for this reason. It'll give an exception error if you try to do too much with too many people in too small a timeframe. Don't try to host a session over a wireless hotspot unless you have unlimited data. One session cost me like 2 gigs of data. Recording can only be done in the main room. If you need to record in a breakout session, you'll have to figure something else out. We use Snagit for breakout room recordings. The administrator panel is very confusing. I'm really tech savvy and I have a hard time navigating. It is definitely not intuitive when it comes to setting up new rooms and adding moderators. The permanent forcing slides are good. No issues there. However, what a pain to set up -- it just makes no sense. I wish it was easier to figure out how to do that.
Jenna
Accounting, 10,000+ employees
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed October 2020
The Future to Learning
Overall, via laptop and webpage, I have had a good experience with Blackboard. If the students' only option to connect to the classroom, however, is via a smartphone or tablet, I would not recommend blackboard due to its drawbacks in the mobile application.
PROSI mostly used Blackboard prior to the virtual first environment, using it specifically for university classes that usually took place in the summer. Summer classes were often in an online or hybrid (online and in-person) format, incorporating significant amounts of virtual learning. Blackboard provides effective resources to collaborate virtually both professors to students and students with fellow peers. It has several features to assist with collaboration such as live video chat capability, the ability to record lectures or view previously recorded lectures, and host discussions. My favorite feature is the recorded lecture. Working individually at home, without the convenience of having the professor and peers around to ask immediate questions, it is an effective tool to have the ability to pause a lecture to take notes or even rewatch a lecture entirely.
CONSBlackboard has a mobile app to provide convenience to its users, which becomes even more important in the virtual first environment. Previously I did not put a lot of weight in my opinion on the app but I think in the virtual first environment it is more important than ever for the software tools to be easy and usable especially the mobile applications. Blackboard's app is not that. It is harder to operate, not as user friendly, and does not provide the same at home peer social environment that other educational platform apps provide -- such as the ability to have live chats and create "rooms" for students to easily break into groups.
Naja
Hospital & Health Care, 5,001-10,000 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed May 2022
Blackboard Collaborate; academic learning tool that supports online learning
Overall Blackboard Collaborate is a multifunctional software that allows bigger businesses and corporations, particularly higher education communities to engage with each other in a variety of ways, including web conferences for courses and meetings, virtual office hours, and training. The user board is pretty user-friendly and is not difficult to pick up.
CONSthere were some difficulties with professors trying to do the poll options, and not being able to load them up prior to the instruction. In addition, I would recommend some additional features to be added that may increase the functionality of the software. Specifically being user friendly with apple pencil.
Melissa
Verified reviewer
Primary/Secondary Education, 201-500 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
3
EASE OF USE
3
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed June 2021
Very Suitable Virtual Classroom Environment
Overall, Blackboard Collaborate has served me well as a teaching platform. I have been able to use its many features to promote engagement, learning, and safety.
PROSFeatures like private chat, breakout rooms, screen sharing, polling, and file transfer are critical to maximizing learning and engagement in a virtual classroom. The capacity to monitor student work and communication is also vital.
CONSThe inability to see all students at the same time is a distinct disadvantage for teachers and students. The degree of resources required for screen sharing makes this an inaccessible feature for many students.
Steve
Government Administration, 51-200 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 2019
Excellent online meeting tool
Blackboard Collaborate is an essential tool for online meetings. Provides more than just voice meetings and allows an interactive experience. This provided an excellent meeting experience for 9-12 high school students in an online environment.
PROSBlackboard Collaborate is an efficient tool to use for online meetings. Meeting hosts can load presentations into a whiteboard space and navigate as the meeting progresses. Participants have a variety of tools available to participate in the meeting including a chat box, emoticons, raise hand, step away and other features. Video for both the host and the participants can be enabled. Whiteboard tools can be activated to allow users to write on the whiteboard space using a variety of writing tools. Meetings can be recorded, downloaded, and saved for users to view at other time.
CONSThis software can have a high learning curve. Very intimidating for non-technical users. Proper customer and technical training is highly recommended. Large groups (100 plus) will lag in Blackboard Collaborate.
Stacey
Education Management, 201-500 employees
Used less than 12 months
OVERALL RATING:
3
EASE OF USE
2
FUNCTIONALITY
3
Reviewed December 2020
Not So Smooth
This program works, but is very choppy. I don't recommend it- there are smoother options. However, it does get the job done if required to use. I'd consider looking elsewhere though, if possible!
PROSBlackboard Collaborate has video conference abilities. The program has a 'whiteboard' that can be shared on the screen and interacted with by both administrator and users. (teacher and students) They make it so you can upload PDF into files, and share those with the users on the screen. This feature is nice as you only have to upload it once. They allow share screen with any open tabs as well.
CONSIf there are more than 4users on the call, you cannot see more of them. It is impossible to see everyone at once, or to scroll through the other users. There are many connectivity issues with Blackboard Collaborate making it challenging to provide quality interaction with users. It has a lag in timing between what is shown or said and when the other users see it on their screen. The whiteboard feature is nice, but writing on it is challenging as well as when you erase, you have to erase the whole 'whiteboard' rather than controlling what pieces to erase and which to keep.
Reasons for switching to Blackboard Collaborate
My business required Blackboard Collaborate.
Rebecca
E-Learning, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed November 2018
Equips you to be organized
I have completed several courses both in class and online through blackboard and have minimal negative comments. I have taken it for math, science, and even art courses and each were fairly easy to navigate. Having electronic copies of important documents, like the syllabus, is invaluable because it is always accessible for your reference. The more you use it, the easier it becomes to navigate.
PROSEverything you needed for the course could be found under its heading, so you always had access to your syllabus and course requirements. It allows the unconventional student to be equipped with everything they need to still learn outside of the classroom - at the convenience of their own time.
CONSJust because all the information is provided does not mean you are automatically organized - toggling between tabs creates the possibility of potentially missing an assignment, as blackboard does not alert you when something is due. therefore, if you happen to skip over a tab in the class you may also be skipping over an assignment.
John
Marketing and Advertising, 1 employee
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed January 2021
Great for any Educational Program
Overall experience, I would like to see if blackboard has an app. If not, I would recommend switching to Canvas and using that program since that program is easy to use and the app is rather great. Blackboard is still a great program and I had no issues with it but we all want the simplicity of a program from students to teachers because we as humans just want programs to work and work with us to achieve goals.
PROSGreat product that I use when I went to a community college. We use to use this as our online resources for materials like class work or books and etc. It was easy to use and I loved the simplicity of the layout
CONSNo cons to generate because it was a fairly easy program to use and I would definitely recommend to anyone who is in the educational background to use. ONE CON - not sure if they have an app now but Canvas has an app and that program works great. So I would definitely recommend looking into that.
Michelle
Education Management, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed April 2020
Great Product
It is a great tool that I previously used for snow days to keep learning going in my classroom but now I am using it for all my online classes and it has been a great tool that the students and I use to continue our classes.
PROSIt was easy to set up a virtual classroom within my Blackboard classroom. It is easy to upload your power point presentations to present lectures, it has a polling feature where you can ask live questions and get immediate feedback as the students answer the question. It has a whiteboard feature that you can write and draw on for equations or flow charts.
CONSThe product works only through google chrome so if a student does not open it in Chrome then they will not be able to get into the virtual classroom.
James
Research, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
3
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed March 2022
Higher education essential platform for sharing resources
Good, it does the job that is intended for it. We use it for providing learning materials and tracking assessments, which it does very well and can manage large sets of students/users. It could be sleeker and improved in its function and overall interface.
PROSThis software allows us to share lecture slides and online recordings with large groups of students. We used this pre-pandemic but it has become even more important in the current climate. Relatively easy to use for providing learning materials and tracking assessments.
CONSThe software doesn't have a function to see whether an individual student has downloaded or accessed a certain material, this would be useful. The interface and overall look could also be improved.
Kaitlin
E-Learning, 51-200 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
3
EASE OF USE
2
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
3
FUNCTIONALITY
3
Reviewed February 2020
Basic, old-school software
I use Blackboard Collaborate daily and have learned to use its functions well for my class. It was not easy to learn, and it frequently has technical issues that disrupt learning.
PROSI like that blackboard works well with Microsoft Power Point slides and that allows users to collaborate with chat, microphone, and board tools. I also like that it allows recordings to be made.
CONSThis software is difficult to learn to use well and is NOT intuitive. It frequently crashes at our organization, which impacts student learning. You cannot record in breakout rooms which makes small group work a challenge. It does not load Google Slides well which limits the other software one can use to create the slides.
Jamie
Primary/Secondary Education, 201-500 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
3
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed January 2020
Blackboard is overall easy to use but often glitches!
Blackboard is overall easy to use. Students and teachers can hear and see each other. However, it lags and sometimes glitches when too many people talk or use the camera. It is easy to load content and teach from. I like the ability to have students appshare their screens and my ability to take control of their computer if needed to help them.
CONSBlackboard often freezes or glitches. This makes it very frustrating for students/parents and teachers who are using it. It often lags or glitches when too many people talk or use the camera. I wish they could figure out a way to fix these issues.