Blackboard Collaborate Reviews

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.

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

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.

Pros

Blackboard Collaborate is accessible from most device types, which is helpful when dealing with larger classrooms, and and technically-challenged professors. The platform is also accessible for students with language and physical needs, which really extends the lecture opportunities in ways not really available in a real classroom. Also, unlike some other LMS programs, Blackboard Collaborate doesn't try to reinvent the wheel when it comes to features and user interaction. Much of the functionality feels similar to existing and common software that users will likely be familiar with, so the learning curve is not steep.

Cons

Blackboard Collaborate can be slow, awkward, and suffers from the same sort of limitations as other digital conferencing tools. Yes, there are features not dependent on real-time, two-way communication, and it can function without all users on board, but it can't replace many normal lecture/class use cases. That means that educators and administrators have to think of new curriculum and instruction plans just to use the software. This is not so much a technical fault as it is just a limitation of the concept.

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.

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.

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.

Pros

I like that they don't try to update it every two days. Typically with updates come new issues that slow down the process of student learning to deal with technical issues.

Cons

I have students who only own Apple computers, they cannot copy and paste in collaborate without having to go through additional steps. To ask a 6th grader to complete that is like asking them to perform brain surgery. In addition, although it is "tablet friendly" students on tablets cannot write on the "whiteboard", or have the same functions as students on computers. This also slows down learning. It ends up being me trying to teach a lesson, and then having to rewrite on the "whiteboard" what the student has written in the chat box so that when the file is saved their work/words show up.

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.

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.

Pros

Sharing my entire screen is so easy, so no matter what program I am sharing or switching to, all can easily be seen. I also like that I can easily set up all the live chats for the whole month.

Cons

Sometimes it would take a while to load and my students would be late to the live chats. But in reality it was that big of a deal. I think ti still works great compared to BB Collaborate Ultra!

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.

Pros

I enjoy to preparer the scenario previously and while the students login to the platform, I chat with them: "Hey, welcome" and I invite them to change their profile, after that, I share with them my PowerPoint files or I give them the guideline to share their files.
To assign or change the session-role with the students has been a great experience: let them drive the class and expose their jobs from their device, sharing their desktop, letting them to use any software to show it.
Its `no necessary a big bandwidth of Internet, it works fine with medium/low bandwidth, in this way the video and the sound communication are pretty good, considering this.

Cons

I must take time to teach/familiarize previously for the students in the use of the platform, it is not an intuitive software.

Pros

Very user friendly. Easy to be navigated by students and faculty. Smooth integration with publisher's materials.

Cons

If they can add a delete button on announcements. I copy announcements from previous semester and I would like to see that you can select several announcements to be deleted in one click.

Pros

I am a part-time graduate student and took several online courses to save commute time. Blackboard Collaborate makes it easy to have a fully-engaged audience without being physically present. You can communicate with the instructor or other students via audio or by typing messages. And it would allow you to record the session so that the students who miss it can have access to it at a later time.

Cons

You will need strong internet connection to make it work well. If the internet slows down, you may get kicked out of BB collaborate. It is not very intuitive and it may require some training before you know how to use it properly.

Pros

- Ability to break out into private groups while still remaining in the main session.
- Chat system, audio, and video capabilities.
- Able to draw on the screen during presentations.
- Admin can restrict permissions or grant permissions for specific users.
- Ability to receive a recording of the session
- Ability to test demo a room by yourself to practice beforehand.

Cons

It could be laggy sometimes, but not too often (this may have also been due to users' internet speeds). Trying to fast-forward in the records sometimes caused the entire session to start over from the beginning.

Pros

Blackboard allows large or small meetings in which one or two people only will be on video or speaking at a time.
There is a whiteboard functionality that allows all users to contribute at the same time

Cons

Blackboard can be counted on to freeze and/or completely crash for at least one person per meeting, without fail. I've used this software both for school and for business use. While using it for work I was unable to stay connected to a meeting for more than 15 minutes at a time for about 6 months. At one point my employer replaced the computer I was using thinking the issue was hardware related.
Several outreaches were needed to customer service and tech support. Both phone and chat options were extremely slow to respond- I had to wait over an hour for a phone rep and about 25 minutes to reach a Chat Specialist
The specialists were very friendly and provided several tips but the troubleshooting didn't fix the problem. I ultimately found a solution online through other forums.

Pros

I enjoy the capabilities of this software. I used this platform while enrolled in school and we heavily relied on the grading, scheduling breakdown, and messaging.

Cons

I believe adding a planner to the platform would greatly benefit students. Should investigate this option.

Pros

I like that you have the ability to connect with your classmates and professors. It made it easy to work on group projects with everyone's busy schedules.

Cons

This software seemed to be down a lot. I understand that maintence needs to happen, but it became inconvenient.

Pros

Blackboard Collaborate makes it simple for me to attend online meetings and meet virtually with my students across the state of Florida. I can easily upload PowerPoint slides, play videos, and distribute files.

Cons

The Exception Errors are pretty common - sometimes I get booted out or my software freezes. It seems like the higher the attendance, the more likely these errors are.

Pros

I like that you can add so many different modules to it and make the experience more dynamic for all the users

Cons

Sometimes it does feel a bit clunky and messy. Depending on the admin different modules are used in different ways, making it hard to all be on the same page

Pros

Being able to find documents and upload assignments are features of this software that I appreciate the most.

Cons

Software page layout could use work. Page layout is chaotic and confusing to interact and navigate with.

Pros

This software allowed me to register for classes, register for graduation, view my grades, and access online courses all in one place.

Cons

I think the software system should develop an app for IOS and android that allows students to be notified when a class opens up.

Pros

I like that Blackboard Collaborate allows users to access the meetings via desktop, laptop, and mobile device. I also like that users can create their own rooms and breakout rooms within the main session.

Cons

I don't like that users who access the meetings from mobile device have limited abilities to use the tools within the session. I feel as though a mobile device would make it easier to use the whiteboard tools and options, but they are completely shut down for participants who attend via a mobile device.

Pros

The overall quality, ease of use, features & functionality of blackboard make it a great software for college students and college campuses to invest in.

Cons

BlackBoard apps should have a feature that allows students to be notified of financial aid reimbursement.