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Blackboard Learn by Anthology

Blackboard Learn by Anthology

Overview

What is Blackboard Learn by Anthology?

Blackboard Inc. is an enterprise learning management systems vendor. Blackboard was founded in 1997 and became a public company in 2004. The company provides education, mobile, communication, and commerce software and related services to clients including education providers, corporations and…

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Smooth User Experience: Many users have praised the smooth user experience of the product. They have mentioned that the interface is …
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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

Popular Features

View all 12 features
  • Assignments (30)
    9.0
    90%
  • Learning reporting & analytics (26)
    8.9
    89%
  • Mobile friendly (30)
    8.9
    89%
  • Learning content (27)
    6.1
    61%
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Pricing

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What is Blackboard Learn by Anthology?

Blackboard Inc. is an enterprise learning management systems vendor. Blackboard was founded in 1997 and became a public company in 2004. The company provides education, mobile, communication, and commerce software and related services to clients including education providers, corporations and…

Entry-level set up fee?

  • Setup fee optional

Offerings

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

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What is Open LMS?

Open LMS (formerly Moodlerooms) is an open source learning management system for educational institutions, formerly supported by Blackboard, and now part of the Learning Technologies Group.

What is Tovuti LMS?

Tovuti's cloud-based learning management system (LMS) gives users tools to create, deliver, and track the effectiveness of eLearning programs. It helps users to create engaging interactive courses in minutes with Tovuti's interactive modules and a course creation suite. Users can build as many…

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Product Demos

Navigating Your Course in Blackboard Learn

YouTube
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Features

Learning Management

Features of LMS and LCMS systems, related to designing, administering, and consuming learning content in an educational, corporate, or on-the-job context.

8.6
Avg 8.2
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Product Details

What is Blackboard Learn by Anthology?

Blackboard Learn enables educators to deliver the inclusive, consistent educational experiences learners design, while operating alongside current tools and integrations. Backed by a community of millions of students, instructors, and administrators across more than 70 countries, Blackboard Learn has supports collaboration with educators.

With hundreds of SaaS based features that foster collaboration, personalize the learning experience, extend accessibility, and keep learners engaged, Blackboard Learn provides collaborative workflows for students and instructors alike. Some key benefits include:

Mobile-friendly course experience
Blackboard Learn encourages a more consistent experience across a student’s courses, allowing them to more easily locate what they need, even on-the-go.

The best test taking experience for learners
Flexible assessment types and customizable feedback options allow instructors to support unique learning needs.

An inclusive learning environment
Every learner is unique and expects a personalized learning experience. Blackboard Learn empowers students to express their identity and present themselves as they want to.

No charge for crucial data
Institutions, instructors and learners need access to actionable data insights to create engaging learning experiences. This is part of a Blackboard Learn license, enabling learners to keep track of their own progress and get the support they need, and empowering instructors identify struggling students early on.

An LMS built in collaboration with educators
Built in collaboration with instructors and learners from all over the world, Anthology states they focus their product roadmap based on user needs. Its users help guide the direction of Learn through the insider program, weekly focus groups, Anthology Idea Exchange, and a community site.

Blackboard Learn by Anthology Features

Learning Management Features

  • Supported: Course authoring
  • Supported: Course catalog or library
  • Supported: Player/Portal
  • Supported: Mobile friendly
  • Supported: Progress tracking & certifications
  • Supported: Assignments
  • Supported: Compliance management
  • Supported: Learning administration
  • Supported: Learning reporting & analytics
  • Supported: eLearning
  • Supported: Assessments
  • Supported: Live online learning
  • Supported: In-person learning
  • Supported: Video learning
  • Supported: SCORM-compliant
  • Supported: Social learning
  • Supported: Gamification
  • Supported: GDPR Compliant Learning
  • Supported: Single Sign On (SSO) Enabled Learning

Blackboard Learn by Anthology Screenshots

Screenshot of A modern and intuitive learning management system (LMS) designed in collaboration with the global education community, providing students and faculty with a more inclusive, flexible, and insightful experience.Screenshot of Fostering a sense of belonging is essential to student success. To truly create an inclusive learning environment requires a holistic approach, and Blackboard Learn leads the market in many critical areas which allow your institution to meet students of all backgrounds where they are. Built to be mobile-first, Blackboard Learn is the only LMS that provides the same great experience on PC, tablet, and smartphone. And we're proud that Blackboard Learn was the First LMS to achieve accessibility Certification from the National Federation of the Blind and all of our interfaces undergo rigorous accessibility testing. Learn also has the best integration with our market-leading accessibility product, Ally, of any LMS. Learn also ensures that every user has an experience which reflects – and celebrates – their unique identity. To take just one example, users can record their name pronunciation, and choose their preferred pronouns.Screenshot of Blackboard Learn supports instructors with multiple formative and summative assessment methods, and features capabilities that reduce stress for students. For example, we’ve recently released features that allow students to use different test-taking strategies and understand their progress through assessments – including a timer that can be hidden – to maximize their result and minimize anxiety. Grading workflows have been designed to increase efficiency for instructors and give more insightful feedback to students. For instance, we’ve recently revamped the overall grade functionality to make it easier for instructors to change weightings between tasks and tailor to individual students. Blackboard Learn also offers deep integrations with hundreds of partners to create even more interactive and engaging courses, including the deepest interaction of any LMS with Microsoft Teams.Screenshot of Blackboard Learn presents insights embedded right into instructor and student workflows - making useful information readily available, and making it easier for instructors to help students where and when they need it most. Learn's progress tracking tools help students and instructors always know how they're tracking to achieve their goals - and where there is opportunity for improvement. Quick actions are tied to these insights, like following up with students in groups or individually. Blackboard Learn also provides built-in value with Blackboard Data Reporting to help leaders understand how the LMS is being used, student performance, and surfacing opportunities for continuous improvement.

Blackboard Learn by Anthology Videos

Blackboard Learn by Anthology - Product Overview
An overview of Blackboard Learn Ultra presented by Anthology's VP of Product, Jim Chalex.

Blackboard Learn by Anthology Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsWindows, Linux, Mac
Mobile ApplicationApple iOS, Android, Mobile Web
Supported LanguagesArabic, Chinese- Simplified, Chinese- Traditional, Danish, Dutch, English- Australia, English- United Kingdom, English- United States, French- Canada, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese- Brazilian, Portuguese- Portugal, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Welsh, Czech, Polish, Malay, Thai,

Blackboard Learn by Anthology Downloadables

Frequently Asked Questions

Blackboard Inc. is an enterprise learning management systems vendor. Blackboard was founded in 1997 and became a public company in 2004. The company provides education, mobile, communication, and commerce software and related services to clients including education providers, corporations and government organizations. As of December 2010, Blackboard software and services are used by over 9,300 institutions in more than 60 countries. Blackboard Learn is the company's flagship LMS, supporting course management, test & assessment design and administration, and is extensible via Blackboard's suite of addable modules.

Canvas, Infor Learning Management (LMS), and D2L Brightspace are common alternatives for Blackboard Learn by Anthology.

Reviewers rate Learning administration highest, with a score of 9.9.

The most common users of Blackboard Learn by Anthology are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(204)

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!

Based on user reviews, here are the three most common recommendations for Blackboard Learn:

  1. Consider Blackboard Learn for higher education and communication with parents. Users recommend it as the learning management system of choice, especially for higher education institutions. It is also recommended for effective communication with parents.

  2. Explore and utilize interactive functions. Many users find Blackboard Learn easy to manage and recommend taking the time to explore and utilize its interactive functions. The platform is considered convenient for classes and easy to use.

  3. Take advantage of Blackboard's tools for education. Users believe that Blackboard Learn offers a complete and effective educational forum. It is recommended for institutions with a large number of students, as it allows for uploading assignments, having timed tests, and recording live videos. Expert guidance is suggested during implementation.

While these are the most common recommendations, it is also advised to do research and consider the return on investment before choosing a learning management system. Additionally, some users suggest exploring alternative options and trying trials of other systems before making a final decision.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-4 of 4)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I used Blackboard back in college and it was a great tool for connecting students with their professors. It made it so easy to access assignments or different handouts from class that you may have missed. In addition, it provides a way for you to virtually hand in assignments if you miss class or if it's easier for the professor to do it that way. The platform also allows for collaboration among student groups for class, because you're able to have discussion boards and your own group pages to collaborate with one another.
  • Collaboration
  • Discussion
  • Connecting educators and students
  • User-friendly
  • Access to assignments
  • Access to class information/updates
  • Not very visually appealing
  • Would be nice if all professors adopted it, some refuse to use it
  • Frequently get errors when sometimes handing in assignments or uploading documents
I think it's really well suited as a way for teachers to easily communicate with their students in a less formal way. If they need to send out an announcement to the class, it's very easy to do so and it assures that all students in the class get the message. In addition, if there's a snow day or the teacher will be out sick, it's a great platform to schedule a make up class or provide any missed materials because of the cancellation.
  • Better communication
  • Better learning experience
  • Improved grades
  • Easier collaboration
  • Uploading
  • Downloading documents
  • Participating in discussion boards
  • Not visually appealing
  • If teachers have too many folders or topics it can be hard to find information
  • The timeout feature can make your submissions not go through
Yes
It works well but it's not the most visually friendly and it's somewhat of a pain to use. It's much easier and quicker to go on the computer and look up what you need that way. Doing it on a phone takes a while to load and I've frequently gotten error messages when trying to use it.
Overall, the program is extremely user-friendly and easy to use. It makes it way easier to communicate with your professor if there are any class updates or if you're having an issue with an assignment. It provides an all-in-one place to get any information for a class that you might have missed which makes it very convenient.
August 18, 2017

Blackboard Just So-So

Score 3 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Blackboard is the learning management system used by the faculty and students of our college. Blackboard provides an online place to manage all aspects of course administration for faculty and a place for students to access course content and grades. Blackboard is used by most faculty for at least posting a syllabus, but use of other features varies per professor.
  • Blackboard has purchased a number of companies to add functionality to their product
  • Their customer support is inconsistent. Sometimes it is fairly good, but right now we are more often frustrated by the lack of concern for what the customer needs. What company tells a user that they are aware that something is broken but that they are choosing to not fix it? Blackboard does.
  • Things that the user needs to do are buried down a few layers and are not intuitive to find. For instance, to make a course available, the user has to go to the course control panel, click "Customization" and then "Properties." Then it is necessary to scroll down to find the "Make course available?" question and click the "Yes" radio button. This could be so much simpler! Just add a toggle button at the top of the instructor interface that says "Make Available?" with the ability to toggle between yes and no. They already do something similar with the edit course function.
  • The Grade Center is clunky and not intuitive. Faculty complain most about this feature.
Blackboard was created with the college classroom in mind, and its features apply most to this environment. It has the tools to work well in the online classroom scenario. It may not be a good fit for the corporate training world.
  • Blackboard has had a neutral impact on our business objectives in that some faculty use it more than others. We don't hear much about Blackboard unless a feature is broken.
  • I do think that Blackboard is very frustrating for many faculty to use.
Sakai does not measure up well against Blackboard because it takes lots of manpower to maintain. It was also buggy.
From the reviews and my ability to play around in a demo account, Canvas is greatly superior to Blackboard. It is among the LMS products we would consider should we move away from Blackboard.
200
Faculty and faculty support
3
Those with technical skills and problem-solving skills who have the ability to work with people.
  • Distance Learning
  • Traditional classroom courses where Blackboard is used to supplement the teaching learning environment
I don't think that Blackboard gives users a great experience, though it is adequate. Users do not find it intuitive, at least from the feedback I receive. The customer support is not always good.
No
  • Existing Relationship with the Vendor
We had been using Blackboard and our faculty were not vocal about making a change. At the time we were making the decision the main thought was there was no need to replace Blackboard because it was adequate.
I think we would accept user feedback about their experiences with Blackboard, but the decision on product would be made by the technical group. Getting too many cooks in the kitchen complicates matters.

If it were up to me only, I would have asked a couple of competing vendors in to see a demonstration of their products.
No
It costs more money.
Support is adequate; however, on more than one occasion over the years we have gotten the response that something is "a known issue but we aren't planning to fix it." Recently a colleague raved about the support from another of our vendors and lamented that Blackboard's support couldn't be that good. Sometimes it takes a push to get Bb support to care for an issue, though this isn't a common occurrence.
Yes
I have reported several bugs to Blackboard. Sometimes the resolution was satisfactory and sometimes not. I don't feel that Bb makes fixes in a timely way.
Nothing comes to mind.
  • None of the functionality stands out as being easy or elegant when using Blackboard.
  • Making a course available
  • Using the Grade Center
  • Most functionality is less intuitive than it should be.
Yes, but I don't use it
Blackboard's usability is adequate at best. The interface needs massive redesign to make functions easier to find and more intuitive to use. When I train new users, I skip teaching about certain features because I know that these features are cumbersome and confusing to use. Recently when I was researching how to accomplish a task, I couldn't even find information from the online help section on this task.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Blackboard is used across the entire university and is an integral part of every college. Blackboard is used for things as simple as electronic file delivery and emailing students, and as complex as 100% online course delivery.
  • Blackboard is very easy for novice technology users to pick up and begin to build a course. They have really expanded on their online help documentation over the last couple years to facilitate new users to the product.
  • It is very easy to integrate Blackboard with our SIS system for automatic course creation and enrollment adds and drops. We have automated everything and have little to no hands-on for higher administrative tasks.
  • Behind the Blackboard Support is quick to respond when tickets are opened requesting software updates, application bugs, usage questions, etc.
  • One major flaw in Blackboard Learn is their Software Updates module. This module is supposed to allow hosted customers, such as ourselves, to be able to apply updates to the software on our own time. Unfortunately, almost every update has this disclaimer: "Managed Hosting clients should create a case on Behind the Blackboard to schedule the recommended server restarts after Building Blocks are updated. To expedite the scheduling process, please include a desired day and time for the restarts to begin." The Software Updates module is pointless if we can't run those updates ourselves.
  • There are little issues that pop up on occasion, such as template colors on new courses occasionally not being set correctly and odd error messages that could be a bit more detailed, but all in all, the application has been very bug free for us since we moved to Managed Hosting (Blackboard's hosting service) in 2013.
  • Blackboards mobile applications are fairly bare-boned and don't offer anything more than what you can get via a mobile web browser.
Blackboard has been a very stable and heavily utilized product for us. SIS integration was fairly easy between Blackboard and Banner and allows a seamless automation of course creations and enrollment adds and drops.

One area that a potential customer would want to look into is Blackboard's mobile applications and future development in this area, to see if what they currently offer is satisfactory for the customers needs, since this is one area Blackboard needs to improve upon.
  • Simplified delivery of electronic content to students.
  • Allowed for increased technology assignments for student involvement.
  • Very simple for faculty to jump in and provide content to their students and get students involved.
When we were evaluating a move from self-hosted Blackboard (version 8) in 2012, it came down to Blackboard Learn and Desire2Learn. Ultimately, we stuck with Blackboard because of faculty comfort. We had been a Blackboard customer for over a decade and faculty wanted to stick with what they knew. In the long run, Blackboard has made huge improvements over the last 5 years and we are happy with our decision to move to their Managed Hosting infrastructure.
Blackboard is used for simple classroom content delivery, all the way to 100% online classes. It is also used for staff communities, news delivery, electronic communications, etc.
3
My support staff is proficient in the use of technology and has quality communication skills.
  • Vendor implemented
No
Change management was a minor issue with the implementation
  • Migrating content from our self-hosted Blackboard 8 installation to Blackboard's Managed Hosting.
  • Faculty, staff, and student notifications and marketing of the upcoming migration to Blackboard Learn.
Blackboard's Managed Hosting was top-notch in getting us up and running quickly.
The majority of tickets are answered and resolved quickly, but every once in a while a ticket gets "escalated" and then the next tier of support is much slower in following up.
Yes
Usually yes...
n/a
  • Posting electronic content.
  • Involving students with groups, discussion boards, assignments, etc.
  • Contacting students via announcements and email.
  • Some faculty struggle with the Grade Center area of Blackboard.
Yes
Their mobile applications are limited. I personally find using my devices mobile web browser to be the easier way to go.
Blackboard is very easy to use. A handful of faculty struggle with the Grade Center, but overall, there is very little support needs for day to day Blackboard usage.
February 15, 2014

No Chalk Dust Here

Inez Whipple | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
The college uses Blackboard to develop and deliver online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses for students. We also use it for faculty and staff training. It is the only learning management system used at the college and has been used here for quite a few years. It helps us keep our course content together and allows documentation for grades and communications between faculty and students.
  • It's super easy to use. Blackboard was originally developed for K-12 users and requires very little student training. It's mostly point and click for students. Faculty do need some in-depth training, but it's the simplest LMS I've used.
  • It's the biggest educational LMS, so they have a ton of experience in dealing with clients and IT departments. Our recent migrations and upgrades looked seamless from my POV - i.e. as someone not involved in the process.
  • They provide a lots of training resources for students and faculty on their YouTube site.
  • The biggest thing that annoys me about Blackboard is the HTML editor. It picks up the propriety code from Microsoft documents and adds it into the background of the text when you copy and paste from a MS product. This code slows down loading times for students which is especially important during timed testing and faculty don't even know they're doing it. I've seen test questions with at least 5 pages of code attached to it and another 3 pages attached to EACH question. Multiply that by 50 or 100 questions and it can really slow a student down. Blackboard really needs a "Copy from Word" button to strip this code.
  • I would love to use the module tool, however, it adds a Table of Contents that steals a ton of real estate from the screen. It would be great if that could be minimized.
  • The gradebook is terrible to use, but I haven't seen something better anywhere.
  • It's super expensive
Blackboard is probably best for institutions that are either really big or really small. Better options exist, but you really need to employ programmers to make them good, so it's usually not an option for smaller schools.
  • We recently worked with Blackboard to upgrade our system which is seriously reduced our unscheduled downtime.
  • It allows us to create a model for online learning that is clear, consistent and compliant so that we can accomplish our mission of offering students quality education.
While not involved in the selection process, I have used other learning management systems at other institutions. Blackboard is robust and very easy for both students and faculty to use. Whenever I have been involved in choosing a LMS, Blackboard usually comes in first or second. I'm generally happy with it.
Our faculty recently reviewed a competing product and decided to stay with Blackboard, not only because they were used to it, but also because they were excited about some of the new features they would have access to. I doubt that this feeling will subside as we move forward with implementing the upgrades.
  • adding content
  • creating courses
  • grading
  • wiping MS propriety code from text copied and pasted into the HTML creator
  • moving text from an HTML creator (Dreamweaver) into the course
Yes
It works for the most part. I have a problem with having to pay for it.
It is very usable for both faculty and students. The interface is pretty intuitive and most students can use it without a lot of additional training. Faculty do need some training to effectively use the interface, but they usually get it pretty quickly. We have had to create some additional programming to give faculty a way to delve deeper into the content.
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