Schoology Reviews

Pros

This is hands-down my go-to LMS for education. Having used a variety of LMS programs out there, and having come from some such as Google Classroom, and 3DGameLab, Schoology is top notch. Constantly being updated, Schoology helps transition the focus from the teacher to the student. The best features are Schoology's ability to integrate with other tools, as teachers can embed edtech tools such as Padlet, Polleverywhere, Thinglink, etc into a Schoology assignment using their LTI integration. As they continue to partner with other edtech companies, some of these then become options within their platform. I have used their integrated Conferences, Lock Down Browser, and more. The ability to transition ownership to the students, monitor their work while letting them work at their own pace is truly remarkable and a game-changer in education.

Cons

There are some things I wish were available such as the ability to share an entire folder of contents with an individual student, or to set separate completion rules/dates for assignments within a folder. Not sure why these aren't options. I also think a way to automatically award badges upon completion would really help teachers cut down on time awarding them.

Pros

Schoology feels like a social media platform. It's easy to use and makes sense when you're using it. It has a tremendous ability to be extended with integrations with Google, Microsoft, etc. and connects well with other learning platforms that are important in K-12 settings.

Cons

At the enterprise level, sometimes support the can be lackluster when dealing with things such as the synchronization between Schoology and PowerSchool. On the positive side, we anticipate with PowerSchool's purchase of Schoology that this might improve over time.

Alternatives Considered

CANVAS

Reasons for Choosing Schoology

We needed more robust features, including a better mobile experience, and the ability to collaborate with other professionals around the country.

Switched From

Moodle

Pros

What I liked most about Schoology is the grade book. The reason why I like the grade book is because its very easy to se if my child is doing well and if they are struggling I'm able to help them with their work.

Cons

What I didn't like about Schoology was the extra courses that weren't needed and I'm having trouble removing them.

Pros

Nothing. Don't know why the administration purchased it. It was not worth the money. Most parents we know can't find anything in there and need multiple trainings.

Cons

Too many features, too many folders, trying to find anything on there is like looking for a needle in a haystack. iI is not intuitive at all - this company needs some apple developers on their staff. Fails to facilitate the most common uses for parents and students, with a focus on easy grade reporting and ease of accessing current assignments and the instructions from the teacher. I can't find anything in here. No parents I know like this software.

Pros

Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy to create quizzes using Google Forms and upload them into Schoology as an assignment. You can also directly create an assignment in Schoology itself which is pretty easy to do. I frequently create math tests on here, because it is so easy and has different options like multiple choice, sequencing, etc.

Cons

I had to take an initial training course to understand this software better. There are a few confusing buttons when creating an assignment - but after a few tries, you get used to it. (I would recommend watching some YouTube videos about how to use Schoology if you're interested in buying this software for your school. They have some very helpful ones on there.)

Pros

I don't have a lot of good things to say about this software. It does allow you to keep up with updates from your child's school such as; grades, attendance, and direct messaging to staff.

Cons

The application won't allow you to view course outlines, grades, or any other information regarding your child's classroom and majors. If you use the website instead you can access everything you need.

Pros

One of the strengths of Schoolology is how easy it is to use. The user interface is intuitive.

Cons

However, it can be tricky to combine various platforms. Google Classroom allows multiple activities with one account, but Schoolology has limits.

Alternatives Considered

Google Classroom

Reasons for Choosing Schoology

Recent students preferred Google Classroom because it is convenient for expanding and accessing the area through Google Meet.

Reasons for Switching to Schoology

Initially, I used Schoology, but then moved to Google Classroom.

Pros

This is the best possible LMS that I have found out there-has several features. Organized folders, quiz giving ability and integration with ExamView, discussions, and district wide setup ability.

Cons

It is very spendy if you want to implement it into your school-hard to justify when Google Classroom is free. I wish the integration with google was more seemless, and the lockdown browser option was free for quizzes/tests.

Pros

Our district uses Schoology as a district-wide Learning Management System (LMS). We switched to Schoology last year and I use Schoology for almost all of my course work. I teach using the flipped classroom model and Schoology's platform allows me to share my lecture videos, conduct assessments of student knowledge and understanding, give assignments, and to provide communication with students and parents. All of my content is available to my students through Schoology 24/7, I can make it available in a variety of ways, and I can make updates in real-time.

Schoology's introduction of the Google Assignment App has me excited about our switch to Chromebooks. This app allows you to attach a Google Doc (say a study guide) as part of an assignment. When students open the assignment the document is copied, renamed, and added to their Google Drive. No more students opening or copying a new version of the document each time they go back to the assignment instead of to the copy they made but didn't actually rename as the directions stated. The document is 'tied' to the assignment and updates no matter where they work on it from (inside the assignment or through their Google Drive.) I also use the platform’s completion rules to give students autonomy while also keeping them on track.

Another great option is the ability to add images to pages, updates, announcements, and folders to give visual information, help guide students, and give them access options. I also am able to hyperlink

Cons

While they've done a great job updating the product, however, I wish the pace of that was faster. For example, they introduced a new "Assessments" feature that was to eventually replace the "Test/Quiz" feature once it had all of the same options. While the question types in Assessments are nicer, it is two years later and it is still missing features of Test/Quiz including the ability to comment on individual student questions, auto-correction and rescoring if you made a mistake in setting up the correct answer in a question, and importantly, they still have not added a question test bank option for Assessments. Without the option to randomly pull questions from question banks I still use Test/Quiz for later end of unit assessments and semester exams.

Pros

Easy to use platform for virtual learning platforms.

Cons

No disadvantages noticed at this time while using schoology.

Pros

•Ease of use - Most teachers, students, and parents learn to navigate the LMS pretty easily.

•Many levels of use - Teachers can begin using the LMS at a simple, basic level with great success, and then progress to use more advanced features that enrich the educational experience of their students. I love incorporating online discussions and media albums in my classes.

•Anywhere, anytime - Teachers can set up their daily classes in Schoology, embedding images, media, discussions, quizzes, and more. This lends itself to all types of teaching experiences from whole class to small group to individual assignments. Assignments can actually be assigned to small groups or individual students, and these will not populate the Schoology feeds of other students. The Schoology course can be used to facilitate the classroom experience, but also allows student access to classroom content 24/7.

•Great integration with G Suite - Schoology plays very well with all things Google. I love the Google Drive Assignments app, which organizes my students’ assignments so beautifully.

Cons

•Cannot create recurring calendar events.
•Badges are only visible on Profile Page. I wish they were more visible on all pages, like they are in Khan Academy. Badges are also not visible on the iOS platform.
•I wish assignments had both “assigned on” dates, as well as “due dates.”

Pros

-Ease of use
-Groups provide online PLNs
-Supportive client services
-Excellent BlendEd Platform
-Can align with CC or state standards
-Allows for competency-based grading (Mastery via Enterprise)
-Parent log in options (one log in for all of their kids)
-App works well on Mac and Android devices

Cons

-Can't create reoccurring events or assignments (yet)
-PowerSchool Pro and Schoology integration in beta only (Enterprise)

Pros

What I like most about Schoology is the ability to integrate multiple external tools within a Schoology course--you can embed videos, apps, and other tools directly within Schoology, which allows students a single point of access for all of the learning tools they'll need for a given lesson. For example, you can easily embed a FlipGrid, Padlet, or EdPuzzle directly into Schoology--this has been a great benefit to teachers and students.

Cons

There are a few small issues that we have a Schoology users--the most notable is the inability to force-submit quizzes and tests on behalf of students who forget to submit their assessments. This makes it impossible for the teacher to grade a students work without having the student go in an press the submit button. Additionally, the inability of teachers to rotate pages in document submissions (i.e. the student uploads a document horizontally, but it needs to be read vertically) adds additional difficulties for teachers as they grade. Finally, the fact that when a student uploads multiple pages to an assignment, Schoology displays them in size order instead of in the order they are uploaded increases difficulty for teachers when it comes to grading because often an assignment is not in the correct order.

Pros

Having come from Google Classroom, Schoology is a more robust learning management system. Teachers can create assignments, discussions, assessments. There is more than just a stream of posts. Folders are necessary to organize content. There is a free version of it that still has decent features but the enterprise version has ALL the tools that you need to manage student learning, grades, feedback, and communication. The online grade-book has the ability to create assessments and rubrics and keep track of student performance. I love that students can use the app, in addition to the Chromebook.

Cons

The learning curve can be steep; the user interface can be overwhelming. I wish that I could link sections of courses so that the I didn't have to re-post the same items in another section. For example, I teach two 7th grade sections. I find myself manually copying and posting in each separately - this takes extra time. Right now this doesn't have grade-book integration for our district, they are working on it. Grade-book integration is truly a requirement. Students and parents also cite issues with things being reported as late/over due that actually are not. Parents may need a streamlined interface or some free training. In terms of communication, it would be helpful to see stats on the message (how many read out of how many).

Pros

It was easy to manage my son's schooling.

Cons

It's clunky you have to go in and out to see different grades instead of being under one easy tab. Don't even think of forgetting your password. There is no reset function available and when you ask for help you get a super snarky email. I will copy and paste

Hi Cmac0521,

We are no longer accepting ticket submissions from Basic users. Helpdesk ticketing support is a feature of our Enterprise subscription. You can see what’s included in Enterprise here.

To support our millions of free (Basic) users, we have invested in providing you easy access to better support resources, like the newly launched Schoology Guide Center. We also recommend visiting the Schoology Help Center where you can access a wealth of information about Schoology as well as engage with our member Community.

Not sure if you’re a ‘Basic’ account holder? Instructors: if you see the word “Upgrade” in the upper left corner of your Schoology account of your account - that means you’re Basic! Parents and Students: check with your instructor!

Sincerely,
Schoology Support

Basically "you didn't pay we don't want to help you, go annoy the school. You're Basic LOL" - Schoology "customer service"

Pros

Schoology's greatest asset is its ease of use. When my institution adopted Schoology as the LMS (to replace a previous, more complicated LMS), we saw a 2/3 increase in active users, effectively transforming our classrooms. Schoology excels at communication (to your entire course, co-workers, or individual students) compared to other learning management systems. Additionally, schoology is an LMS visibly built around a learning centered classroom, unlike the obvious content-centered approach favored by prominent, older learning management systems.

Cons

Schoology's ease of use does mean some loss of complicated features. At first glance, schoology has a smaller feature set than some LMS's. However, if you are willing to be creative, the platform engages very cleanly with third party tools to accomplish any functionality that may have been lost.

Pros

Schoology is a turn-key solution for any school, college, university looking to deploy blended/hybrid learning or develop online courses. Schoology allows for increased communication, collaboration, and connectedness among your class, content, and students. It is extremely easy to use, set up, and navigate for both instructors and students. Its integration with both Google and Microsoft365 increase the efficiency of assignment collection and grading than ever possible in a class without a Learning Management System. Schoology also provides a free version of their platform for teachers who may not be within an organization able to fund the full Enterprise version.

Cons

Schoology needs to devote more of its engineers to expanding the platforms LTI integrations and UI to surpass its competitors.

Pros

Ease in posting resources to keep students in Schoology for research projects and assignments. The ability to assess student learning in multiple formats. Being able to use the Google Drive link to create collaborative assignments across class periods for students to participate in allows all students to participate in one big project.

Cons

Schoology needs to solve the problem of students being able to copy and paste into Schoology. It's too easy for students to plagiarize when they can go outside of Schoology and copy and paste information to answer questions. I can tell students not to do that and remove grade points when they do, but if Schoology could find a way to not allow student accounts to copy and paste, there would be more original work done by students in the platform.

Pros

I love how easily Schoology is to manage, for students to use it, for me to be creative when working with it, for the programs embedded in and can be synchronized with it, and more. Schoology has extended my learning as a teacher and my students’ learning as well.

Cons

I wish that there was more language support other than Spanish for the site languages. Swahili and Arabic would be helpful to add since they are highly spoken in our district.

Pros

I like that we can set up folders and organize our course how we would like. I work with upper elementary so it worked fairly well, but definitely had a learning curve. Announcements were pretty easy to post. I also liked students messaging in schoology, they found this feature easy to use. I like that I also got an email when they messaged.

Cons

As a specialist teacher, it was confusing whether to work with the classroom teacher or have our own Schoology accounts. When giving feedback on assignments, students could never find it, they didn't get notifications. Students also struggled with how to turn in assignments and would do it differently. You could connect google docs and things, but was super confusing and students also didn't do this correctly. It also does not look modern, there are so many other platforms that look nicer and more kid-friendly. In addition, I like students to share photos and videos with one another and the social discussions/sharing piece was definitely lacking. we liked flipgrid but was not easily incorporated within schoology.

Pros

Schoology is a robust yet flexible tool that helps teachers provide content, instruction and feedback to students and families. It is highly customizable and allows teachers to integrate most any other digital tool to meet the diverse needs of learners. Schoology can be used in basic to deeply developed ways. One of my favorite features is the ability to save and build content and items from course to course. You are able to save time and build stronger learning experiences as your skills and created items grow.

Cons

The biggest challenge with Schoology is the shear volume of customizable features and functions. The basics are relatively easy to learn, but it does take time to play and learn the full capabilities this product has to offer.

Pros

What I like most about Schoology is it's ease of use. The interface is clean and takes on a social media feel which most of its users will be used to and appreciate. I also love how you can integrate many of the top educational programs and apps right along with Schoology such as quizlet.com and nearpod.com.

Cons

What I like least about Schoology is how certain features that would seemingly be easy to fix take so long to be developed or go into affect. For example, the launch of the new assessments feature was very exciting because it open up more question types, but lacked some of the features so beneficial to students and educators. These features include the Spanish keyboards, quetion banks, and printable assessments.

Pros

Schoology is easy to use, provides an intuitive interface, and leverages the benefits of social media. As an Enterprise user, I have access to the full suite of analytics and universal settings, which are powerful. The mobile apps are feature-rich as well.

Cons

Schoology is not the ideal platform for higher education. The interface, while easy to navigate, is juvenile in its icons and profile images. And while it features a social media "wall" of recent activity across one's courses, the interface looks like an old Facebook. Also, Schoology's font, which cannot be altered, even by Enterprise users, is too small. This raises ADA compatibility concerns.

Pros

+A huge community of teachers and learners looking to sharing their experience and support one another in the usage of the platform.
+A recognisable user interface which makes the learning curve for new users simple and intuitive.
+Superb flexibility to create bespoke learning environments for teachers and learners.

Cons

- Some limitation of iframe embed due to the HTTPS protocol requirement. Use of HTML code editor often strips the inclusion of more advanced features such as Java functions.
- Limitation toe badge and gamification of learning.
- LTI integration not fully functional, relying on apps developers to plug the gaps.

Pros

I found the folders setup to be very helpful so all content, assignments, and resources could be placed in the same folder. Sub-folders could also be added. Mimicking a computer storage system was helpful to many students. Next, the album feature was also very beneficial to display student work in a virtual environment. Also, badges can be given to students for positive reinforcement motivation. Finally, it was helpful to integrate tools such as Microsoft or Google products.

Cons

Due to having many folders, there is a lot of clicking for students to get to an assignment. Late assignments are marked missing and the teacher must manually make the correction. It would be helpful to see a list of missing work.