Blackboard Collaborate Reviews

Pros

Blackboard 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.

Cons

I 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.

Pros

Ease of Navigation
User friendly
Multiple avenues of communication (video, audio and live chat)
Break out rooms options for group collaboration during classes
Ability to schedule and create multiple classes that can be conducted simultaneously without disrupting each other
Hands up feature
Polls
Recordings available

Cons

Initial learning curve as the platform is not similar to others that’s i’ve used before.

Pros

I 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.

Cons

The 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.

Pros

What i like most with blackboard Collaborate is the video conferencing. Aside the the LMS feature, data storage and assessment feature, the video conferencing is already there. Students will be reminded of the schedule of class and when the teacher is already in the virtual classroom. Conferences can lso be recorded ang uploaded in BB.

Cons

I dont have anything against this software, i love how it can be easily manage by the teacher as well as the students.

Pros

As opposed to web casting and video conferencing software, Blackboard Collaborate has interrogations and features that are specifically designed for engagement with the learners/audience

Cons

I am a new user of the Blackboard Collaborate's license so far nothing to complain about. Although the budget for this product is more expensive than our previous option

Alternatives Considered

Webex and Google Classroom

Reasons for Choosing Blackboard Collaborate

We have the budget to try an alternative as we are looking for a platform that can help us syndicate and sell our content directly to the learner/audience

Switched From

Zoom Meetings

Pros

Great for large groups, has enough features to keep up with the competition including: breakout rooms which work great, screen sharing, whiteboard for demonstrations, moderating for a smooth meeting flow. It's somewhat easy to use, so that's always a plus.

Cons

My biggest problem is reliability and stability. The software has crashed on me quite often, even with a robust and very capable laptop. For a software that's supposed to make collaboration easy, these issues are big drawbacks for me, and it's why we switched back to our original software.

Pros

The software is suited for online classes.

The software has what is described as two factors authentication prior to sharing sound and video

Cons

The bandwidth needed to participate on this platform is high therefore a strong network connection is needed to actively participate.

Alternatives Considered

Zoom Meetings

Reasons for Switching to Blackboard Collaborate

Functionality of the software is more suited than the other softwares

Pros

In 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.

Cons

Other 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.

Pros

Blackboard is the veteran of online course environments for universities. The platform is versatile and offers the integration of many services, such as file upload, grading, assignment submission and interface customization.

Cons

At the beginning, the platform's functionalities can be a bit overwhelming and navigation can be confusing.

Pros

Overall, the software was easy to use for the purposes of my courses that opted to use this.

Cons

I don't have any complaints about Blackboard.

Pros

The 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) .

Cons

Some 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.

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.

Pros

This 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.

Cons

Honestly 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.

Alternatives Considered

Google Classroom

Reasons for Choosing Blackboard Collaborate

Is more popular

Switched From

Google Classroom

Reasons for Switching to Blackboard Collaborate

I use more google

Pros

Board 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.

Cons

The 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.

Pros

Collaborate 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.

Cons

For 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.

Pros

Blackboard is sufficient when it comes to completing assignments, taking exams and posting on discussion forms. It is simple to see what your grade is in the class and what assignments you have to complete.

Cons

The user experience of this software is subpar. The main course page of the website needs to be redesigned. The design of the page is bland and there is a lot of unused space on the website. The text box that students use on Blackboard is terrible. The autocorrect of the text box is unable to recognize a lot of words and claims that it is not a real word and gives a red line underneath. There are also multiple times where pressing the spacebar does not work and you have to click out of the box and click back in in order for it to work again.

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.

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

Pros

I love the overall functionality of this software as you can post grades, assignments, video tutorials, and various educational-based resources. The ease of usage with this software is comfortable as it is easy to comprehend.

Cons

I honestly don't have any cons from usage associated with this product. The overall learning curve and navigation of this product are easy to comprehend.

Pros

I 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.

Cons

I 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.

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.

Pros

I 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.

Cons

There 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.

Pros

I've used Blackboard Collaborate for years as a higher-education student and appreciate how customizable and flexible the software is. From discussion board capabilities to automatic quiz grading, embeded videos, and easy-to-find tutorials on the way the software operates, using Collaborate has always enhanced my experience in higher education courses.

Cons

I would appreciate it if Blackboard would automatically save discussion board replies that were written, but not pposted, as a draft. Many students I've interacted with, along with myself, have written a lengthy discussion board reply in Blackboard only to lose internet access or be interrupted, and come back later to find that their reply was lost.

Pros

Blackboard Collaborate is a powerful tool for video and teleconferencing and information sharing. I like the ease with which information can be shared. The platform have a host of interactive features such as real time polls, group and private chats and break out groups. Participants can also be elevated to presenters at any time with a click of a button where they can share screen and other applications. The platform is also available as a mobile application for on the go access.

Cons

Mobile application have limited capability.

Pros

This software aggregates everything needed to administrate or attend a class. It has many tools, such as group email, and many ways to organize content. Administrators can add assignments to a calendar, and use the platform as a gradebook. It's a great all-in-one software.

Cons

Occasionally, the interface can be confusing, such as a collapsing menu bar. There is a brief learning curve to get used to the navigation.