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.

Pros

As 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.

Cons

Here 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.

I've been using this for years, and love it, but it has major issues

Pros

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.

Cons

The 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.

BB as an Administrator & a Student

I like Blackboard as a learning platform. I do think, like all software, a few bugs need to be worked out for better administration. Maybe a face-lift would be nice as well.

Pros

As a student the software is easy to use and has an easy to use dashboard. It is nice to be able to email other students or teachers, especially when you get to the university level. I like how there are different options to view your grades and when you submit your assignments there is a confirmation code that is generated. There is also a variety of tools besides email in which communication can take place, like discussion boards, videos, or links to other websites. I also found it handy to keep track of important announcements from campus organizations and professors. As an Administrator I like how the software can keep me organized and track the progress of the students.

Cons

I did not have many issues as a student, but as an administrator I found a few places with room for improvement. At times it was difficult to upload assignments, I would always get an error message. I know I am completing the correct steps because I have uploaded many assignments. Another issue I had was that this software always seemed to go down at the most in opportune times, like right before finals and then an extension had to be given to the students to be fair. I can't say if it was the fault of the school or the software, all I know is it is frustrating.

Your school in one place

Blackboard allows me to work the job I want to work so that I can still get my education at night. I can access and achieve the same things as students going to school during the day, while I am earning a living. For any short-comings the site may have, it has double the benefits.

Pros

You knew that everything you needed was on this one site. For people that may not be as organized or good at remembering dates, this is perfect because it is available to you whenever you need it. If you, (like me) lose important sheets like the syllabus which has EVERYTHING you need to know on it, you can just go to blackboard, that particular class, and upload a copy wherever you are and whenever you need it.

Cons

Although the site is set up for success, it is user dependent on its' success. I have experienced professors who set up their particular blackboard site to be confusing and disorganized, so that you feel unless you have clicked on every possible tab, you may miss something that is due. It takes a lot of time and is a lot to do on top of the normal agenda with multiple other classes. Perhaps a future edition can create a more structured platform for professors so they are guided more when setting up their particular course.

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.

Pros

Everything 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.

Cons

Just 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.

Very Useful Technology!

I liked using Blackboard being able to stay on top of all my grades while staying on top of my assignments is a huge help. Thanks to Blackboard it has made me be a better student.

Pros

I enjoyed using Blackboard as a student of a local community college. I found that it was really easy to use and one of the best programs I had ever encountered! It was so important to me to be able to learn not only in class, but also at home. Being that I had not been in classes in some time it sometimes took me longer than my classmates to understand, and learn things. I was able to use Blackboard at home and they had many different activities that would help you get extra practice from flashcards, quizzes and labs that you could use to help you better understand the curriculum that was being taught that day!

Cons

Sometimes down for scheduled banner maintenance so was not able to access my grades or assignments when I needed to. Thankfully I was always informed of any maintenance beforehand so I was able to see the information needed before it was down! (Not usually very long at all though!)

Student review of Blackboard

Pros

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.

Cons

From 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

Blackboard

Overall I love Blackboard

Pros

The thing I like about blackboard is the ability to download app onto phone and easily navigate through messages, discussion post, new grades submitted.. the list goes on. Blackboard has taken in the evolving approach in technology implemented into this software. You can modify, add or dismiss what you don't want shown. Blackboard if your platform and can customise it as you wish to fit your need. It is very user friendly.

Cons

I don't think there's anything I dislike about this software. Perhaps the one thing I like least about this software is not being able to view attempted assessments via the phone application. It will direct you to use your desktop browser to view details.

Worked with Blackboard for several yrs obtaining two degress as an online student.

I have used Blackboard across the years in different educational facilities as an online student. It has been non-problematic and I've achieved to college degrees and would recommend to anyone looking to set-up a learning environment.

Pros

I like the ease and setup of the course in blackboard. The layout is super-friendly in terms of finding your course materials, your email, instructor information, or accessing discussion boards. As a student in different schools, I found blackboard worked pretty much the same way, no issues in attending my live class sessions or taking my tests.

Cons

No cons regarding blackboard from a student's stance. It is really laid out where anyone can log in and find their way around after a brief tutorial.

Blackboard review

Overall i like using blackboard because it helps me keep all my classes and assignment in one program which is really helpful. And all my grades are shown for each class.

Pros

I really liked using blackboard for all of my classes. It was an easy website or app to go to everyday to check my grade and assignments that are due. It made it easy for me to contact teachers when needed.

Cons

I don’t love the set up of the website when you log in. It takes some getting used to to fully understand it. I also didn’t like how it showed all the classes i took in past semesters first so i had to go to the bottom of the page to find the classes I’m currently enrolled in.

Good collaborative tool for long-distance learning

Pros

Lots of useful features for professors and students that makes online learning feel more personal. Instant messaging works well and the interactive whiteboard is indispensable. It's a nice touch that it's browser-based, so there's no need for students to download a desktop version as it can be accessed anywhere. Students seems to benefit from the instant interaction with the teacher with the two-way webcam capabilities. Uploading files, slides, and videos is smooth and useful.

Cons

All features are hard to realise if you don't have a lot of IT resources or experience. Students should be able to record private sessions/breakout rooms. Sometimes students find that the more people in attendance, the more instance of freezing and errors. Some students have also mentioned issues interacting with the MacBooks. Tablet/mobile capability could also be tweaked as the interactive whiteboard seems to have issues on these platforms.

Best way to organize assignments for classroom

I used blackboard as a student. I always liked when a teacher would use blackboard to upload assignment, post grades, have PowerPoints available, and even when test and quizzes there.

Pros

Seeing grades posted throughout the semester, referencing resources that teachers posted, and taking quizzes and tests on it. I also appreciated that they worked with group projects to connect with other students in the class and to upload assignments.

Cons

It would crash every so often, not enough to make a huge deal about it.

Blackboard is a must for a modern learning work environment.

Pros

The most important part of this program is its web conferencing feature ,which gives us access to functionalities needed to support a modern teaching and learning work environment, such as 2 way VoIP, built-in phone conferencing,multi-point video,rich media ,mobile collaboration , interactive whiteboard, application and desktop sharing, breakout rooms, and session recording.

Cons

Blackboard is restrictive in terms of the file formats, we are able to play. Also there is the tendency for text boxes and some dialogue components within the Blackboard framework to suddenly malfunction.

Great Transact system

Pros

The software is very detailed. There are many part to one action, you can control everything you need to. It is easy to learn, which i have had to do. But also it is easy to learn and study on your own. The outcome results for example as on a register, is also detailed and self explanatory.

Cons

It is an older system. I think it needs to be updated where there is not so much room for error. It is very 90s set up.

Fantastic collaboration platform!

Pros

- I used Blackboard as a student for both local college and distance learning programs. It is so easy to use and all of the course resources (outlines, notes, etc.) were easy to locate for each lesson.
- Contacting the course professor was simple through the interface, and the live chat was great!
- The interactive whiteboard is amazing during lessons

Cons

- File formats were limited in terms of what types of files could be hosted/played.
- Blackboard would, on occasion, crash and cause me to relaunch the site. Not a huge deal as it didn't happen that often.

Super Easy Way To Communicate With Students and Upload, Organize and Grade Assignments

Pros

I used this software when I taught business courses for Ashford University. It was incredibly easy to use and I was able to upload video as well as the text for each chapter of the book. Once you have put all the work into setting up your course it is super simple to duplicate.

Cons

Every once in a while a student would have trouble uploading their paper or assignment to blackboard, however this was an easy fix with a call to support. Every time I called support they were able to quickly resolve the issue the first time I called.

Blackboard Collaborate

The ability to hold virtual meetings for business as well as academics is great. Our instructors love using Collaborate for virtual office hours and our HR department uses it for job interviews and board meetings. Great program.

Pros

Ease of use and integration into Blackboard courses with the additional capability of use outside of the LMS. The ability to hold virtual meetings for business as well as academics is great. Our instructors love using Collaborate for virtual office hours and our HR department uses it for job interviews and board meetings. Great program.

Cons

The compatibility with browsers other than Chrome has caused issues for faculty in the past. It is our understanding that Collaborate is made specifically for Chrome, which is not everyone's browser of choice.

Easy to use

Pros

Blackboard is easy to use for students and professor, it's nice to have all of our classes and information located on one platform.

Cons

Our school sometimes shuts down Blackboard or has an outage, I'm not sure if this is the fault of FSU or Blackboard

Great tool for college classes.

Saved time and effort during a busy college life.

Pros

There is so much to keep track of with classes, assignments, grades, etc. and blackboard lets everything stay in one place so students and teachers aren't spending too much time just locating items.

Cons

It can be a little glitchy at times but overall, the pros greatly outweigh the cons for blackboard as a student.

Great Platform for Studnets

Pros

I have used Blackboard for years as a college student. It has a lot of great features, like built-in messaging and grading scales, that make it easy for students to communicate with professers and understand course requirements.

Cons

Blackboard is not the most intuitive, and it takes a while to get the hang of.