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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

(1-25 of 30)
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Mariann Hawken | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Increased support for online/hybrid learning.
  • Increased support for online training & professional development.
  • Increased support for technical support.
  • Increased virtual office hours for student courses & learning.
  • Increased recording views for training & meetings.
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Able to broadcast classes to remote areas of the state.
  • We are able to have meetings across our campuses without traveling to the home campus.
  • Students are more successful in the classrooms because they can review recorded live lectures.
Becca Guler | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Our implementation has been gradual over the last 2 semesters. Students who have used it to access live academic support despite being unable to drive in for face to face sessions have been extremely happy. It is gradually boosting student morale for offsite students, who have long felt they were unable to access services that were paid through fees with their tuition.
  • Multiple support services who have wanted to provide online support but were unsure how they could are more empowered to do so now. The current mood is "what else can we offer online through this, workshops, advising, live broadcast of student org meetings"?
Joseph Axenroth | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Collaborate Ultra has been the most effective for us for training faculty virtually.
  • Faculty have been excited that they can have a remote guest speaker in their classroom, and all they need to do for set up is to e-mail that guest speaker a link to join the session.
  • Collaborate Ultra is beyond useful for faculty to meet with online students who are either across the country, or even in other countries, with tools that really help to focus on course work.
October 03, 2016

Collaborate with Ease

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Without Blackboard Collaborate, we would not be able to tutor remotely with our students.
  • Blackboard Collaborate has a positive ROI due to its availability in different mediums and ease of use for many different users.
Carly Pietrzyk, PhD | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • The program has allowed enhanced communications between teachers and students so that students can get real time tutoring and not rely on back and forth emails.
  • The program gives teachers a platform to come together and participate in professional development activities together and ask questions/make suggestions in real time.
  • Has created an "office" like atmosphere online to help simulate a brick and mortar classroom teacher office where students can feel comfortable communicating with teachers about their concerns.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Collaborate is not an inexpensive tool. However, integration into the Blackboard environment is excellent. If you are already a Blackboard school it is easier to integrate and use than other solutions. So, you may save money and time on learning a totally new environment and you will be more familiar with getting support from Blackboard. As a side note, Blackboard provides really good training documentation for Collaborate.
Mallory Rice | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Makes it easy for students with unusual schedules, or in other locations to participate.
  • Recording classes is very helpful should the student have to miss classes or if someone has to miss a meeting but wants to catch up.
  • Helps keep people up to date and is well known so most people have used it in some capacity before.
December 04, 2015

Review from an LMS Admin

Jacqueline Staley | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Though we have not been faced with an emergency yet, the return on investment we hope will be if we ever for some reason need to hold all classes online, for example in the case of natural disaster. We envision an ability to incorporate all classes into our LMS and get instructors to then activate Blackboard Collaborate to hold class times.
Christine Paige | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Employee efficiency.
  • Office Hours – Allows the college to maintain its model of minimizing physical space needs for our huge adjunct base.
  • Attracting Higher Quality Speakers - One faculty member estimated a potential savings of $3,000-$4,000 by inviting guest experts in his field to his class via Collaborate. Being able to bring these rich learning opportunities to a classroom is invaluable to the learning process.
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