Bridge Learning Platform vs. Schoology Learning

Bridge is suited for scenarios where you need ppl to complete steps in order or test that they received the correct amount of knowledge after watching a video. I do think Bridge is less appropriate for companies that use it in external training scenarios as there is some key functionality missing. We gotten very good at brainstorming and finding solutions/ways to get Bridge to work the way that we need it to

Incentivized

Schoology does the job well enough, but there are enough areas of contention that make advanced use of the system unwieldy. District staff does not have easy reporting ability to determine adoption and use of the platform without having to export to another program for analysis. The reliability of the system is a huge pain point as we need to deliver the curriculum but cannot count on it being available when we need to use it.

Incentivized

• Bridge is designed for the user so it is intuitive and easy to use.
• Bridge includes an authoring tool so building custom content is fast and easy.
• Bridge does a good job of providing user information for managers. Managers can quickly and easily see how many courses their reports are enrolled in and if anyone is overdue on required courses.
• Bridge is also built with learning science in mind. There are multiple options for assessments, including an option for verified tasks to be completed to demonstrate proficiency.

Incentivized

• Assessments - Much more interactive and have more grading options than Google Forms
• Auto-rostering - We are able to use Infinite Campus to automatically roster classes and there are no extra steps
• Family/Guardian access - Schoology allows families to have a sign in and see student grades & work.

Incentivized

• Bridge could improve their categorization feature for trainings; folders would be great!
• I'd like to see more ways to add content in the Bridge native environment in the future. Being able to create tables, infographics, and other training materials right in the system would be a great time saver.

Incentivized

• While this product constantly seeks to make improvements, certain features need tweaking. As educators enroll in various courses, these course tend to accumulate. If the educator is not an administrator of the course, it is next to impossible to get out.
• Switching from one course/group to another course/group takes several steps. Not always easy to find the course/group needed.

It has been very useful to our organization in getting compliance training complete. We have a 24/7/365 organization with some folks only working 2 days a week during the summer only, many work full-time jobs elsewhere and can't make weekday programs and facilities don't have to alter schedules to get mass numbers of people through training like you have to do with live training..

Incentivized

While we have taken time to re-evaluate our selected 1:1 devices, Schoology's impact on student learning is unquestioned. Students are able to connect with other learners, create and share products of their learning, and develop their digital fluency through their use of Schoology.

Even our folks who fought using it realized how easy it was once they took their first course.

Incentivized

It's very easy to use Schoology. As with any LMS, it helps to learn some tips and tricks prior to getting started. But, each item is clearly indicated within the platform. If I want to add materials, it is right at the top of my screen. If I want to view the calendar, it is indicated to the right of my screen. Navigating a course and the platform is quite straightforward. Additionally, the benefit of Schoology's help center and user community makes asking and answering questions quick and easy.

Generally good, but issue self-reporting has become a problem. When there are issues, it can be 20 minutes to an hour before it gets noted on the status page

Course saves or transfers can take several minutes and up to an hour

Always timely and knowledgeable assistance. Very patient explaining answers to novice users.

Incentivized

We have county-level support and district-level support, but their HELP page offers everything that is needed to answer questions and to find "how-to" information for staff. This includes video and written directions for every available feature. Schoology has also worked with our district to improve their product.

Too surface level with no follow-up. A

Sit and get with very little hands-on time. 5 minutes to try out a feature/question type, etc. is not enough time. Once your training is done, there is no option for new employees to get that training without having to rebook and pay for the training again. If you pay for basic training, that should be available to a district to use in the future.

Our challenges were internal - nothing with Bridge. We had regular, productive meetings with our implementation representative.

Incentivized

Our previous LMS was Symphony. Hands down, there is no comparison. Switching to Bridge was the best decision made by our management team. All we used Symphony for was for our monthly compliance training. Many times people would complain that they would need to retake their compliance course as Symphony would lose records. It became a hassle having to retake a course because you didn't save a copy of the completion certificate. Bridge allows for more than just compliance training AND we are able to see if learners didn't complete their courses via the reports.

Incentivized

I have taught using both Edmodo and Google Classroom. While both were easier than Schoology was to get in the beginning, Schoology is infinitely more powerful than either of them was. I can do so much more, and differentiate so much easier using Schoology than I could with either of my previous LMSs.

Incentivized

We use it 5-12 so scalability is not an issue but sharing materials between departments including common assessments is difficult without paying for add-on features

• Certainly, Bridge was not an inexpensive option when we were reviewing platforms. To date, we have not seen a positive ROI but believe that will happen in the near future as we expand an offering of an additional program.
• Reviews from our users indicate that they appreciate the professional and easy to use features Bridge provides, along with the video based design of the program.
• The program we developed with the Bridge platform supports our position as educators in our industry.

Incentivized

• Using Schoology to build a foundation for a blended learning model has helped increase my students ABC rate between 15-20% in all classes!
• Using Schoology is forcing my students to become responsible for their own learning!
• The only negative thing I have encountered is the students resistance to change!