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
LiveWebinar
Score 9.5 out of 10
N/A
LiveWebinar is a cloud-based tool that helps users manage online webinars, meetings, training, live streaming, chats, screen sharing, social media broadcasting and high definition (HD) recording via web browsers. It is a customizable solution that allows users to change logos, room colors, and design layouts, as well as create personalized registration forms to match their business's brand identity, and control email delivery and report designs. LiveWebinar allows users to broadcast…
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).
LiveWebinar is best for individuals holding quick meetings or daily scheduled events. Having friction less meetings for teams which does not require prior app installation or setup makes this the perfect webinar platform for persons with techphobia. Schedule, Send, and Start the meeting. There's even built in surveys and tests which makes the meeting or event more engaging and interactive. Unfortunately for multi-day events, it is very hard to use LiveWebinar for this purpose. Let's say for virtual conferences which has defined dates and times for each session, LiveWebinar won't fit this purpose, or at least, it is very hard to execute this scenario using the platform.
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.
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.
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.
Absolutely love the features of Livewebinar and it's probably the most advanced Live webinar solution that I have used. Even with the absence of a native mobile app, the platform is useable on mobile or tablet screen sizes. There's no noticeable lags during the presentation and users find it easy to use and navigate during the presentations / webinars.
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.
LiveWebinar is an all in one solution for daily meetings and events. I made it a 9 as it is almost perfect in its current form. However, there were some reported issues on mobile connectivity as there is no native app of LiveWebinar for both iOS and Android. Moreover, I'm hoping that LiveWebinar could connect to my Google, Outlook, or iCal calendar to synch events regularly. I'd love to see my calendar inside LiveWebinar which makes it to the top of the feature wishlist for this platform. Further, if LiveWebinar is able to handle multiple day events or meetings with just a few clicks, that would make this platform, a 11/10 rating!
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.
Customer support of LiveWebinar is top notch. They are available almost 24x7x365. I rarely wait for the next response and given that people are not suppose to work on holidays or weekends, their support agents are always there to lend a helping hand. The responses are spot on. It's not that I need help with platform having some issues or anything, but for general account questions, they quickly respond to each and every query I raise over to support. Definitely one of the best things with LiveWebinar.
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
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.
