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Blackboard Collaborate

Blackboard Collaborate

Overview

What is Blackboard Collaborate?

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.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Synchronous Environment: Users appreciate the software's synchronous environment, with many reviewers stating that it allows for real-time …
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Collaborate with Ease

8 out of 10
October 03, 2016
Incentivized
We use Blackboard Collaborate for meetings and for tutoring students, one-on-one or in groups. Our department, the instructional …
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Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

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Pricing

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Classroom

$300.00

Cloud
per year

Department

$9000.00

Cloud
per year

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Details

What is Blackboard Collaborate?

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 to provide a complete learning management system (LMS).

Blackboard Collaborate offers a browser-based web conferencing tool to facilitate interaction between instructors and students. It has a classroom chat feature that offers a messaging platform for students to share images, text, audio, and video. It also supports live captioning to meet the accessibility needs for deaf and hard of hearing students with its Blackboard Live Closed Captioning Service feature.

Its interactive Whiteboard feature is used for conducting presentations using PowerPoint slides for engaging multiple participants with a single presentation. However, Whiteboard content can be added or edited directly from Blackboard Collaborate without opening PowerPoint. And despite being browser-based, Blackboard Collaborate does offer some features through its Blackboard Collaborate ™ Mobile app.

Blackboard Collaborate Video

Blackboard Collaborate: A one click virtual classroom

Blackboard Collaborate Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Reviewers rate Support Rating highest, with a score of 8.9.

The most common users of Blackboard Collaborate are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(118)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Synchronous Environment: Users appreciate the software's synchronous environment, with many reviewers stating that it allows for real-time interaction and feedback. This feature is particularly beneficial in online and hybrid courses where students can ask questions and receive immediate responses from instructors.

Video Option: The video option is highly regarded by users, who believe it adds a personal touch to the learning experience. Many reviewers mentioned that seeing their professors' faces humanizes the online course and makes it more engaging, especially for 100% online courses.

Record Option: The record option is praised for its usefulness in accommodating various needs such as students who cannot attend classes, those with special needs, enrichment/supplement sessions, and content reviews. Several users found this feature valuable for creating training materials or reviewing sessions at a later time.

Challenging Login Process: Several users have found the login process of Blackboard Collaborate to be challenging, particularly for those who are not computer literate. They mention that it is time-consuming and requires several steps, leading to frustration.

Compatibility Issues with Java: Some users have experienced compatibility issues with Blackboard Collaborate due to its reliance on an updated version of Java. This has caused difficulties for students and parents, as well as frustrations related to browser and operating system compatibility.

Cumbersome Access to Recorded Sessions: Users have reported that accessing recorded sessions in Blackboard Collaborate can be cumbersome, especially for professors who are not proficient with computers. They suggest the need for more customizable options on professors' webpages and expanding the range of acceptable file formats for presentations.

Users commonly recommend Blackboard Collaborate for the following reasons:

  1. Users find the platform easy to use and convenient due to its user-friendly interface and lack of software installation requirements.

  2. Many reviewers praise Blackboard Collaborate for its effectiveness in facilitating web conferencing or virtual classrooms, highlighting its seamless experience for online meetings, presentations, and interactive discussions.

  3. Users appreciate the range of features and functionality offered by Blackboard Collaborate, including screen sharing, chat capabilities, breakout rooms, and collaborative whiteboarding. These features enhance collaboration and engagement during virtual sessions.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-22 of 22)
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Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I believe Blackboard Collaborate is a great app/platform, but like similar products; it should be used in tandem with alternatives. Blackboard Collaborate has features that I find in other apps/platforms, yet some are easier to learn and use. Such is the case with the feature to work in different groups, and switching between groups. Similarly, using the chat whilst sharing screen is a lot easier than with alternative platforms. I do believe it could benefit from certain features such as Miro's participation tracking software, when using the whiteboard app, and maybe some improvement to video/sound quality; yet Blackboard Collaborate is most definitely a useful platform for meetings, workshops, and classes.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Blackboard Collaborate is the only program of this kind that I have used so far, therefore I cannot compare against other programs that are alike. But, I would say that I will be using this tool for a long time, because it offers me almost everything that I need as of right now.
Mariann Hawken | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Blackboard Collaborate is ideal for teaching & learning whereas Webex and Zoom are business-focused. While Collaborate may lack some user-desired features, it more than makes up those features with its focus on participant/learner engagement. For example, polling is easier, chat is clear and flexible, and breakout rooms support student interaction. Collaborate, unlike its competitors, allows one to share actual files, which makes co-hosting and co-presenting far easier than sharing a desktop app. When co-teaching or co-facilitating, you want your session to be seamless, not disrupted by shifting host duties or confusion over tools. Collaborate allows one to focus on teaching, not confusing workflows.
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Canvas LMS is a far more superior product, in fact, many schools switched to it from Blackboard while 0 switched from Canvas to BB. The reason is that Canvas is a Cloud-native tool and it is faster at implementing new features, fixing bugs, etc. It has a bigger advantage in the market over BB. In addition, those tools are far cheaper compared to BB and they are more "modern" tools in terms of look and feel. They allow easier integrations with other systems and they don't have "exclusive" contracts with different SIS-es that cost a lot of money to integrate with.
Becca Guler | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Bb Collaborate has educational tools unavailable in Skype or Google Hangouts and is available without the student needing to have an account or log-in information.
The upswing is incredible, with highly interactive video tutoring capabilities. It is also integrated with a tutor and other staff profiles, appointment scheduling and session notes capabilities that are shared across departments, but it was cost-prohibitive for us.
Joseph Axenroth | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Google Hangouts and Skype, while free and easy to use, do not provide the focus on educational settings that Collaborate Ultra does. They also do not provide the features for making a session accessible to attendees.
October 03, 2016

Collaborate with Ease

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
While Skype for Business is nice, it takes a few times to try and get into meetings. Also, Blackboard Collaborate has more tools that allow for the user to write on the whiteboard or on uploaded PowerPoints. Finally, the ability to place people into mini groups and allowing for Q&A and polling is something that makes Blackboard Collaborate superior.
Mallory Rice | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Blackboard collaborate offers so many more features that help make a presentation successful. It offers the option for people to speak or chat at specific times, therefore keeping interruptions at a minimum during classes, but still lets people "raise their hand" should something arise. Skype is much more basic seeming--it allows for chatting, and screen sharing, but I don't know what other features are available. Blackboard Collaborate is well known in education, and for good reason. Skype also tends to be down during busy times, restricting access and potentially postponing meetings.
Laura Abercrombie | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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.
Katie Sabourin | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Blackboard Collaborate is a great fit for an academic setting compared to some of the other products. Its layout is intuitive and user friendly, while providing many advanced features that other tools do not offer.
Jeremy Bond | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
When Collaborate was chosen, other products investigated included Wimba (a predecessor), Big Blue Button, TinyChat, and others. Collaborate, though requiring a greater financial investment, was superior to other options in essentially all respects. Its integration into our existing LMS is seamless and important in our setting. Furthermore, the recording and access to the recordings likewise integrated into the LMS is another highly desirable feature. Finally, and perhaps most compelling for some, is the vendor-hosting model for Collaborate, which does not require clients to setup or maintain the necessary server and other resources.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
While other products can handle more active participants in a meeting at one time, Blackboard Collaborate has a much simpler and easy-to-use interface that makes it an ideal product for one to many presentations. It integrates fully with multiple learning management systems to allow simply scheduling as well as has a separate front-end to allow for use outside of the LMS.
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