Blackboard Collaborate is an online, collaborative learning platform well-suited for the education industry and corporate learning needs. It includes features such as screen and application sharing, web conferencing, and integration with Blackboard Learn.
$300
per year
Dialpad Ai Meetings
Score 7.8 out of 10
N/A
Dialpad Ai Meetings is a web conferencing platform with document management capability that integrates with third-party applications such as Google Drive, LinkedIn, Evernote, and Dropbox. It includes features such as screen sharing, call controls, call recording, and a mobile application.
I would say it is very useful for group collaborations online, as well as virtual classrooms where you wish your students/guests to collaborate in an adaptable environment; however I would advise against using the shared screen to display audio or video, nor would I encourage the use of the shared board with a group of people with disciplinary issues (as there is no accountability for who wrote/drew what).
I cannot think of a scenario where it would be inappropriate however this service is highly appropriate for any occasion. It is well suited as a drop in add-on for Outlook calendars and addition to any other scheduling software you might use. It can even set meeting times using multiple time zones for users who may be in differing locales so nobody is confused as to the time to join.
The Whiteboard feature is perfect for tutoring. We use it to write out formulas, draw diagrams, etc while in video chat to enhance explanations.
The file attachment feature is also very handy. This means we don't have to do a follow-up with a student using their email to send files of handouts, etc.
It's great that we only have to share a classroom access link for a student to enter a session. With other products, they had to set up a username and log-in with an account. Link access means 1 less hassle.
We are currently beginning to use the "record session" feature video sessions to use as training for new employees.
No passcodes are very convenient and so easy to transfer someone into it. Our partner firms have on more than one occasion ask us for a recommendation because theirs is not as dependable.
We use the online portion frequently as well. It's nice to see who joined and when and to see where they are calling from. It's nice to have the ability to lock the conference call down again without the use of a passcode just a simple click of the mouse.
The interface is incredibly user friendly and anyone with just a basic computer understanding can customize their uberconference line.
Some of the newest computer high resolution screens are not as compatible with the interface. The font and windows are much smaller and the user is not able to increase the size of the windows to make it easier to read/navigate.
The audio can sometimes be inconsistent and tune in and out when someone is speaking. This is not every time though and many times the audio is clear.
The login process takes a bit longer to get into the program. You have to go through a few step process and loading time to get into the application.
They've recently undergone a facelift which is nice, but I've found it more difficult for potential customers to connect to their computer audio. I might be missing where to find the instructions, but lately we've been having some trouble with this.
While the screen share function as the presenter is easy, if I ask potential customers to share screen, they are required to go through a few steps. This is okay for folks who are good with tech, but many potential customers have trouble with the download. We've been using the free version - the paid version might eliminate this problem, although I'm not sure.
Another function they've added with the facelift is the ability to show your face via the webcam. I can see this being a nice feature but we often present from a coffee shop or even our cars, and some of our potential customers aren't in a place where they'd like to show their face. It's easy for most folks to disable the camera but some who aren't great with tech don't know how to do this. One of the things we've always liked about UberConference is it's simplicity and this just added an extra step. I wish there was a setting for us to disable this option but there doesn't seem to be.
It is a tool that faculty likes to use. It has so much flexibility to allow students to see a class even if they happen to not be available in the classroom.
UberConference is more expensive than some of its competitors and we have not found a real advantage to using UberConference over certain less-expensive applications. UberConference charges per month per organizer and those costs add up quickly, so we will be moving forward with a more budget-friendly option in the coming months.
Blackboard Collaborate is reliable and feature-rich. It's a great web conferencing tool for teaching & learning, offering polls, chat, video and audio, whiteboard, content sharing, and breakout rooms. Blackboard Collaborate can be used for virtual office hours, lectures, guest speakers, training, professional development, conferences, technical support, academic advising, and so much more. Blackboard Collaborate can be used separately from the learning management system or it can be integrated for a single sign-on experience. It supports recordings, playbacks, private sharing, and MP4 downloads. Overall, it's a solid tool and very reliable.
The interface is intuitive and stupidly simple, no complicated sub-menus or configuration settings. Easy to create a meeting space and then have others join with a link or dial-in PIN on the free tier. On the paid tier it's even easier with PIN-less joining and automatic reminder calls to get participants to join.
The availability of the software is quite impressive. You can access it at any time that you want and from anywhere that you want, but that depends on how the software is set up by the University. There might be sudden outages due to not having enough space on your database, which we had that very issue happen recently here at our University. During that time, you could not access their blackboard at all until it was brought up online again.
The performance of the software is remarkable. The loading speed of the pages is more than satisfying, it all depends on the users internet package. So far, there wasn't any issue of Blackboard slowing down other software or systems when integrated with them
Sometimes they do planned maintenance. Depending on the time zone you’re in, this may be in the middle of the night. That’s great. Sometimes this maintenance isn’t completed overnight however, and you need to use the platform and it is down. I’ve never been able to successfully contact them to report an outage or get assistance when it is down. I just have to wait until it comes back up to go to class, review sessions, etc.
I haven't needed support for the most part, which is a positive for Highfive. It's intuitive and most features are straightforward to use. In the one instance that I did contact them, it took them longer then expected to respond, but they were able to answer my question once they did.
Nearpod does not allow for the same type of synchronous environment that Blackboard collaborate does. Further, Nearpod, as the name suggests is best suited for a face-to-face classroom that is, preferably, one-to-one. While it has some of the same functions as Nearpod, Blackboard collaborate is best suited for remote transmission rather than face-to-face
I have enjoyed using Dialpad Meetings for years mainly due to the following: I feel the cost more than justifies the product It has a very simple user interface that all participants on conferences find easy to use Clear, responsive audio and video quality Dialpad Meetings does not try and overstuff its product with hundreds of features that most people will find useless. It sticks to its main product path and keeps improving upon it. Enjoy their customer support
The reason for this rating is that the software is a pretty good tool that can be utilized for use in all of the Universities around the world. It has the capability to fulfill the needs of various different education systems. Although, there are slight improvements that are needed, therefore the rating is at 8.
Because faculty can schedule sessions on-the-fly without IT involvement, they are able to accomplish goals that they plan for weeks in advance as well as impromptu goals that come up at a moments notice.
Integration with the campus Learning Management Systems provides quick and easy scheduling of sessions that can be joined easily by students in those courses.
Scheduling of meetings can also be done through the web interface directly which enables administrative departments not associated with courses in the learning management system to also schedule meetings not affiliated with courses.
On-campus users can schedule meetings without outside participants by sending an open "guest link" URL that allows users to participate despite not having an account within the system iteself.
Our teams use this every day. It makes it easy to meet with clients and share a screen and display analytics.
Some of my clients thought that they need to register first to be able to contact me. It's bad that they are not notified in any way that it's enough just to enter its names and that's it.
