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What Is Blackboard Learn?

Help learners, instructors and institutions achieve their goals with Blackboard Learn by Anthology, a market-leading Learning Management System (LMS) that integrates with the world’s most holistic EdTech ecosystem. Redesigned in collaboration with educators, Blackboard Learn is better than ever. With hundreds of new SaaS based features that foster collaboration, extend accessibility, keep learners engaged, and much more - there's more to Learn. Visit Anthology.com/learn to see what's new.

Who Uses Blackboard Learn?

For colleges and universities, businesses, government agencies, and more.

Blackboard Learn Software - A modern and intuitive learning management system (LMS) designed in collaboration with the global education community, providing students and faculty with a more inclusive, flexible, and insightful experience
Blackboard Learn Software - A truly inclusive learning environment, Blackboard Learn was built to be mobile-first, and was the first LMS to achieve accessibility certification form the national Federation of the Blind and undergoes rigorous accessibility testing.
Blackboard Learn Software - Blackboard Learn supports instructors with multiple formative and summative assessment methods, and features capabilities that reduce stress for students, and offers deep integrations with hundreds of partners to create even more interactive courses.
Blackboard Learn Software - With embedded progress tracking tools and actions tied to those tools, Blackboard Learn makes information readily available, and makes it easier for instructors to help students where and when they need it most.

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Reviews of Blackboard Learn

Average score

Overall
4.1
Ease of Use
3.9
Customer Service
4.0
Features
4.1
Value for Money
4.1

Reviews by company size (employees)

  • <50
  • 51-200
  • 201-1,000
  • >1,001
Signe
Signe
Owner in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Writing & Editing, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Simplifies Grades, Course Communications, & Materials Distribution

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: There are a lot of learning management systems out there, and I've used several of them. Blackboard is my favorite. It has excellent capabilities, improves organization, and makes it very easy to communicate with students.

Pros:

Blackboard is a great tool for communicating with students, distributing course materials, and recording student grades. The "one-stop shopping" approach makes it easy for professors to stay organized in each class, and it also makes it easy for students to stay organized. When used well, Blackboard allows you to do everything from communicating with students to uploading assignment sheets to sending class announcements. As a writing professor, I especially appreciate the SafeAssign feature that checks student assignments for plagiarism. Once I started requiring my students to use SafeAssign, I found that plagiarism attempts dropped off significantly. (So did attempts to recycle papers from one course to another.) In addition, SafeAssign saves me a lot of leg work when students DO plagiarize -- it flags the suspect text as well as the source, so I don't have to hunt it down myself.

Cons:

For me, Blackboard wasn't intuitive to learn. Even after 7 years of using it nearly ever day during the semester, I had some challenges making it do what I wanted it to do. I often spent far more time than I should have trying to customize things for my courses. But, as long as I stuck to the basic features -- which are also the ones I personally found most useful/beneficial -- Blackboard was a great tool for organizing my courses and keeping students on track.

Tanay
Software Developer in India
Consumer Electronics, 201–500 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Wow..an excellent online Learning platform

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: Pandemic-related problems with submitting assignments and accessing information for my online and face-to-face classes. It has become increasingly apparent to me as I progress through graduate school that this site will be useful not only for my coursework, but also for group presentations and collaboration with other students.

Pros:

My assignments and materials are organized in one place. As of the most recent update, it is now much easier to use than it used to be. Assigning assignments and adding details to classes has never been simpler. Now, it's much easier to use than it was before. The process of giving students feedback and organizing my responses is simple. It's also how I communicate with them. As a result, it's easy to refer back to them and remember what I said. I also like that Blackboard integrates well with other apps. When it comes to presentations, I rely heavily on VoiceThread and Panopto. GoReact and Top Hat are also on my to-do list.

Cons:

An update to the mobile app is still in order. There is a lot of work to be done on this project. On the web, the user experience was much better.

Michael
Director of the Global Stuudio in US
Education Management, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

BlackBoard Learn is a Relic of a Bygone Era

2.0 3 years ago

Comments: I have used BlackBoard Learn for 5 years now, and I can report that it's a tool that I've tolerated with a fair degree of frustration, as opposed to a tool that I'd relish and recommend to others.

Pros:

BlackBoard Learn is a reliable tool for basic communication, content collection, and assessments. There are convenience factors baked into its framework in the sense that instructors can readily copy and reuse materials from earlier semesters, but other capabilities have far surpassed the benefits of this complacency factor. Also, the price point of BlackBoard Learn is extremely compelling, and they have reliable customer support and service.

Cons:

Doing anything on BlackBoard Learn requires significantly more clicks and testing than competing products. The design is clunky, and it directly contradicts the instructional delivery of faculty who know what else is out there, as well as the learning-design preferences of Gen-Z students.

Sam
Supervisor in US
Education Management, 1,001–5,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Easy for daily use

5.0 4 months ago

Comments: Overall, the ease of use and the ability to have so much content in one place makes it a great product.

Pros:

Blackboard learn is easy to use both for teachers and students.

Cons:

Sometimes you have to use four or five clicks to get where you want to go.

Kayla
Student in US
Biotechnology, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

BlackBoard as a student

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: It's super easy to navigate and find all your resources on. It's well organized and I love it.

Pros:

I really like using blackboard. It is a lot better than other programs I've had to learn for school. It is super easy to navigate. You can find all your assignments there. There's a calendar to make when assignments are due. My favorite part I think, is the fact that you can email another student through blackboard. So if you are doing a project and you've never met your partner, or don't have their information, you can email them through blackboard.

Cons:

There really isn't anything that I don't like about it.

Kim
Administrative Assistant in US
Hospital & Health Care, 1,001–5,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Better Learning Tool Out There

3.0 3 years ago

Comments: Overall my experience with Blackboard was not bad but since using other software I do prefer the others to Blackboard Learn.

Pros:

Hosting courses on Blackboard is better than having another software. Helps with managing your class and multiple users can work together to add work to it. Integration with zoom is great and necessary. Eases the maintenance that comes with large classes for teacher assistants and professors.

Cons:

So many features could be improved. We now use Canvas and prefer that to Blackboard Learn. Need more integration and more improvements on the mobile app.

Amanda
Assistant Director of EM in US
Law Enforcement, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Blackboard Review

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: I found the software easy to use and it was beneficial to providing higher education to those in the workplace and those who attend NU.

Pros:

I prefer Blackboard Learn over other software that I have used in the past and recent events. The simplicity of the system ensures that it is easy to use for all generations, teacher and student, and all of those in between.

Cons:

Right now, I do not think there is anything I would change.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Management Consulting, 201–500 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Perfect and always saves time

5.0 2 years ago

Pros:

The softwares capacity to synchronize contacts and users information.

Cons:

Near to perfect but it has little hitch when it comes to support.

Jocelyn
Student in US
E-Learning, 5,001–10,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

An Honest Review of Blackboard

4.0 7 months ago

Pros:

Blackboard was the tool faculty used most to relay any information about grades, curriculum changes, and other announcements. It made it easier to navigate individual courses, especially in the circumstances in which I needed to miss class. I used Blackboard for four years and could not have survived college without it.

Cons:

I think the biggest con of Blackboard Learn is the esthetics. Unlike other learning management systems such as Canvas, the Blackboard Learn interface simply feels a little more outdated. That being said, with this being my main con, it was overall a wonderful tool in my undergraduate education.

Mark
Adjunct Profesor in US
Higher Education, 201–500 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Blackboard Learn

4.0 9 months ago

Pros:

The flexibility to update information and make changes to coursework is good. If a student publishes an assignment, such as a paper, incorrectly I am able to reset the assignment on an individual basis without opening it up to the entire class.

Cons:

With the more frequent use of mobile devices, Blackboard needs to be more mobile-friendly. Some screens, such as the grade book, offer limited functionality when accessed on a mobile device such as an iPad.

Debbie
Manager in New Zealand
Health, Wellness & Fitness, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Blacboard Learn from a Person who is not techie

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: Improving student engagement and outcomes Streamlining course management Enhancing collaboration and communicationImproving reporting and analyticsI could elaborate but theres not enough room hereBenefitsUser-friendly interface, Blackboard Learn has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for teachers and students to use.Customizable content The platform allows teachers to create and upload their own course content, including multimedia materials, assignments, and assessments , Real-time feedback,Blackboard Learn provides real-time feedback to students, which can help improve their learning outcomes. Analytics, Integration, Improved student engagement and outcomes

Pros:

User-friendly interface: Blackboard Learn has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for teachers and students to use.Customizable content: The platform allows teachers to create and upload their own course content, including multimedia materials, assignments, and assessments.Real-time feedback: Blackboard Learn provides real-time feedback to students, which can help improve their learning outcomes.Analytics: The platform provides detailed analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing teachers to monitor student progress and make data-driven decisions to improve their teaching.Integration: Blackboard Learn integrates with other tools and platforms, such as Google Drive, Microsoft Office 365, and more, making it easy to share and access course materials.

Cons:

Cost: Blackboard Learn can be expensive for schools, especially when compared to other learning management systems.Technical issues: Some users have reported technical issues with Blackboard Learn, such as slow performance and system crashes.Limited customization options: While the platform allows for some customization, some users have reported that it is limited compared to other learning management systems.

Lee
Program Coordinator in US
E-Learning, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

BLACKBOARD LEARN – you don’t know how good something is until it’s gone!

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: Blackboard Learn (BBL) was much better than we knew! You don’t always have control over what tools or LMS you have to use, but if you (or someone else) think that you’d prefer a different LMS - BE CAREFUL what you wish for! I loved the Grade Book’s versatility and ability to easily download it for offline management when needed. Also, when we still had BBL (yes, ‘they’ have switched us to a different LMS) I used it for online classes and as an e-Companion to onsite classes. Loading and transferring content and tests was pretty easy. I MISS BBL!

Pros:

I found that Blackboard Learn is much easier to use than other online platforms used in higher education. Being able to easily add materials and instructional documents to an online course is critical especially when a department adopts a new edition of a textbook. The quiz/test builder within Blackboard Learn is also quite user friendly and being able to export exams from a previous course and import to a future course is a real time saver!

Cons:

The discussion board when entering grades can sometimes be a little confusing, trying to determine if the student is replying to a classmate’s post – especially if the student has not included the classmate’s name in their reply, but that’s really more due to a student not following instructions and not the program.

Cary
Assistant Professor - History in US
Higher Education, 5,001–10,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

True and Tried (but also Tired)

4.0 3 years ago

Comments: Please see above :). I've used BB since I was in college (back in the aughts) and regret that my future students at CSUSB will not have access to it moving forward. Even still, I likely won't miss the gradebook, though Canvas' leaves much to desire as well...

Pros:

I know it extremely well, find it to be easy to operate, think its features are strong and easily accessible, and have had very few incidents with students being totally baffled by it. We switched to Canvas this year, and I rue the day the decision was made.

Cons:

The GUI for our version of Blackboard was extremely dated (we did not use Ultra, which frankly seems like a Canvas clone). I would offer the following analogy... Blackboard : Canvas :: PowerPoint : Keynote (... and I'm a PC user). It's boxy, somewhat drab, and looks a bit 'late Geocities // Fark.com'-era. EVEN STILL: I don't mind it - I'd rather have functionality than aesthetics, which is the tradeoff made with Canvas. DEADLY SERIOUS NOTE HERE: The BB Gradebook has always been, continues to be, and seemingly will forever remain an enormous hassle. It is slow, tedious to adjust, difficult to manage, and user unfriendly.

Cody
Director of Online Learning and Instructional Technology in US
Higher Education, 1,001–5,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Blackboard works well enough, still trying to catch up.

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: Blackboard works well enough for what we need to use it for. There are other LMS that work equally as well, if not better, so there is healthy competition to push Blackboard to improve.

Pros:

Blackboard is a relatively stable platform with few major bugs that restrict users from completing tasks. It has a long history and many users are familiar with the LMS.

Cons:

Some of the tools don't always work as smoothly as you'd like. They are making major improvements but there are still issues that come up to make it a cohesive experience and tools not feel as disjointed.

Angelica
Educator in US
Health, Wellness & Fitness, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Blackboard learn a way of improving virtual times

5.0 last year

Comments: Overall excellent experience when familiarized with all tools even though, their continuous updates make it difficult to say that you know the platform 100 percent

Pros:

Platform organization, accessibility (accessible on mobile devices), and also ensures a safe and protected learning environment.

Cons:

The cost of the platform compared to other learning platforms. Also, complexity when first exposed to it

Albert
Product Manager in US
Computer Software, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Abomination is an Understatement

1.0 7 years ago

Comments: I had the opportunity to go to school online, or check assignments on a web-based platform. I liked that. But other than that, I cannot say a single good thing about it.

Pros:

It is web-based. Some modules can be dragged and dropped. It has a lot of useless features I don't ever need or use, while missing ones that I do need.

Cons:

Let's be real. Blackboard never heard of "less is more." They could learn a lesson from likes of Uber. Here's what students need: 1. Educational content 2. Tasks with Due Dates and eventually grades 3. Chat (Group and Private) 4. Notifications If a millennial designed Blackboard, the entire application could fit into a 3 page app, simple enough for a retard. They went out of their way to make it complicated, so it would seem better on paper. They've put so many bells and whistles that it is an absolute nightmare for both students and professors alike. Confuses everyone and is a bottleneck in our educational system we should be doing without.

Abigail
Student in US
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Fine product, needs updating

3.0 3 years ago

Comments: Blackboard Learn helps students stay organized during the semester or course they are taking by having all the documents, videos, etc. that the teacher would like to share with them all in one place. But, Blackboard Learn is becoming very outdated and could use some serious UI updates, especially when compared to Canvas.

Pros:

It's nice to have all the assignments, documents, and grades in one place. This helps to avoid professors handing out tons of papers or sending emails all the time. The mobile app sends push notifications about grades or upcoming assignment deadlines which is nice.

Cons:

I have noticed some glitches using Blackboard (didn't get notifications, etc). The UI on the computer is outdated and counterintuitive in some ways for both students and instructors. The online service is completely different from the app version which can also be a problem. The online UI needs to be updated to look more like the app.

Prateek
Prateek
iOS Developer in India
Verified LinkedIn User
Information Technology & Services, 201–500 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Exceptional Learning Management Systems Provide Integration With Third-Party Applications

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: The platform helps me because I can continue my education from a distance using the various alternatives offered by Blackboard. It is an entire LMS system, incredibly user-friendly, and connects with a variety of audio and video resources.

Pros:

I love that everything for all of my classes is accessible on Blackboard Learn in a single area. I have access to all of the resources, tests, and homework that my instructors have uploaded. the platform's user-friendliness. For instance, it can be effectively used by both the instructor and the students. You can see all of your selections on the bar to the left.

Cons:

I can't think of anything about Blackboard Learn that I dislike, to be completely honest. It has been an excellent resource for online learning and classes. I may interact with my professor and fellow students, take part in debates, and access and watch my lectures.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Education Management, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Blackboard LMS

5.0 6 years ago

Comments: Classrooms disorganized?! Not with Blackboard! This will make classroom administration a breeze, saving your instructors and administrators a lot of time and make your classroom management 1000% more efficient!

Pros:

The greatest feature of this product is the ease of use with regards to its navigation. When we started using Blackboard LMS, I literally trained a large portion of our staff on the ins and outs of the software in less than 2 hours. This has made classroom organization the easiest it has been in decade. Our instructors can distribute class materials, assignments, and grades with a few clicks. It is absolutely amazing!

Cons:

Installation can be both lengthy and problematic if you are moving from an incompatible LMS. While we were lucky, we still ran into bugs while making our transition. This was frustrating, but was luckily done during the summer, when attendance was at its lowest.

Prutha
Student in US
Education Management, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Great LMS for University

5.0 2 years ago

Comments: It is very customizable to your individual class/course. I would highly recommend it.

Pros:

I have used this as a user and as an administrator and it is a great LMS. I allows for easy communication sent to all students/teachers in a course.

Cons:

There is limited activity tracking for students and visuals could be improved.

Joshua
Administration in Australia
Mental Health Care, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Great LMS for school or uni

3.0 2 years ago

Pros:

Blackboard is reliable and easy to use LMS, requiring little to no direction or training for new users. Communication and notifications are great, found all in one place for easy access and viewing. Gradebook is another fantastic feature. All the information about your assessments can be found in one place, including submission dates, marking criteria and overall grades. Submission process is great, allowing users to thoroughly review their documents and their similarity report before submission.

Cons:

UI could be updated to be more user-friendly, e.g., minimise clicks, add more shortcuts for site navigation. Features to allow for collaboration in group projects/tasks would be useful as many users prefer external software for collaboration, communication between students and instructors and productivity. However, it is perfectly adequate for users familiar with the LMS.

Justin
Coordinator, Office of Teaching Effectiveness in US
Primary/Secondary Education, 201–500 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source
Source: SoftwareAdvice

Blackboard Learn

1.0 7 years ago

Pros:

Blackboard is one of the giants of the e-learning industry, so you can expect resourcing and the support indicative of a premier product. The mobile experience was relatively intuitive, which is a must in the current environment where students may be working full time while earning an online degree.

Cons:

Compared to other learning management systems (such as Canvas or Schoology), Blackboard reflects the features and structuring of learning management systems of days gone by - specifically, it is structured most closely around a 'document dump' approach to online learning. This approach has been soundly refuted in the research, and while one can certainly design a quality learning environment, many of your end users will likely not have the discernment to do so. From a student's perspective, it is often difficult to access key pieces such as messaging and grades when enrolled in multiple courses at once.

Christopher
Undergraduate Student in US
Education Management, 201–500 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source
Source: SoftwareAdvice

Undergraduate Learning with Blackboard Learn

4.0 5 years ago

Comments: My overall experience with Blackboard Learn was optimal as a student in college.

Pros:

I found this advantageous when I was in college as an undergraduate. It was great to track my course work and online assignments through this LMS. For its time it was adequate with the UI layout but to modern look and feel of websites and web application software in 2020 it would be outdated unless they revamped the display of everything.

Cons:

It was just a bit clunky at times and occasionally a pain in the @$$ but it still got the job done. It might have been that my student user rights weren't fully configured and there was a lack of training from the university for students to use the tool and not on the fault of Blackboard Learn.

Rebekah
Sole Proprietor in US
Marketing & Advertising, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Functional, with some philosophical flaws

3.0 3 years ago

Comments: It served its purpose and I don't recall any major issues with use, but when I graduated high school I was delighted to switch to Canvas in college instead. Everything about Blackboard struck me, as a student, as outdated and depressing.

Pros:

Blackboard is easy to learn and usually intuitively easy for any goal you have. It helps coordinate large teams or classes, and with creative use can be set up to use most styles of teaching (group discussions, online learning, video/attachments, etc).

Cons:

My concerns with Blackboard are at the philosophical level. From the way it is systematically set up, you can tell that it uses some outdated methods of teaching. Use as a student can feel oppressive, with students too easily shut down and overruled and the general aesthetic vibe being a bit darker and more confined than examples such as Canvas.

Krystal
Instructor in US
E-Learning, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Gets better every year

5.0 5 years ago

Pros:

I like that I can add content, links, video's that can be played right from Blackboard. Each year this system gets better and more versatile to use. It also does not require much training to lean how to use it which make it user friendly on both sides. I also like that I can pull it up on my my phone even if the fromat is not always right.

Cons:

It can be hard to find certain things and often tabs are hidden withing other tabs. This an also be frustrating to students when trying to locate content. The mobile app does also have some kinks, it does not format well. It is nice to check things like grades but not alot of work can be done from the mobile app.