Classroom Manager vs. Schoology Learning

As we use Classroom Manager exclusively for internal purposes, I can only say something about this area. I would definitely recommend it, it's a great tool. Whenever we use it, we feel that people really thought about the way they have designed the software and the functions they have added. The main reason why we decided on this tool was because of its extensive functions. We currently only use like 10% of what it could do (subjective estimation), but we love that whatever learning challenge arises, the Classroom Manager can handle it.

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

• The automatic generation of certificates after an employee has successfully completed their mandatory training.
• The software supports a variety of learning media (we work a lot with PDF and video).
• A great analytic & insight tool that helps us to understand more about the learning behavior of our employees

• 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

• The tool has a ton of functions, which makes the navigation in the backend sometimes a [little] tricky.
• Nothing to add :-)

• 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.

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.

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

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.

The process of choosing an LMS took several months and involved many different people and wide rating criteria. What convinced us and made us choose Classroom Manager was the feeling we got every time we used the software or interacted with the company. They know exactly what they are doing, they were always there to support us and as already mentioned: when using the software and browsing through the functions, you just feel that this was created by experts that know their stuff.

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

• It saves a significant amount of time and money to have everything in one central place.
• In our industry having skilled people with the right knowledge is a MUST to stay ahead of the competition. With the analytic & insight tool, we can track the learning process of our employees at a glance.
• One of the, if not THE most important point: Employee satisfaction. We have a dedicated area where we provide a wide range of free courses, covering a variety of topics. It started as a test to see if anyone is even interested but quickly became a fundamental part of our company branding strategy.

• 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!