Blackboard Learn

Blackboard Learn (previously the Blackboard Learning Management System) is a web-based virtual learning environment and learning management system developed by Blackboard Inc. The software features course management, customizable open architecture, and scalable design that allows integration with student information systems and authentication protocols. It may be installed on local servers, hosted by Blackboard ASP Solutions, or provided as Software as a Service hosted on Amazon Web Services. Its main purposes are stated to include the addition of online elements to courses traditionally delivered face-to-face and development of completely online courses with few or no face-to-face meetings.

Blackboard Learn
Developer(s)Blackboard Inc.
Initial releaseJanuary 21, 1997 (1997-01-21) (as Blackboard Learning Management System)
Stable release
October 2014 (2014-10)
Websitewww.blackboard.com/teaching-learning/learning-management/blackboard-learn

History

On January 21, 1993, Stephen Gilfus and Daniel Cane started a company called CourseInfo LLC and were developing a software product that would power online education and be scalable for wider institutional application.[1] At the same time, Matthew Pittinsky and Michael Chasen formed Blackboard LLC and were contracted to help lead the formation of the Educause IMS standards group for online education technology. The two groups merged to form Blackboard Inc., which then developed the Blackboard Learning System.[2]

In October 2005, Blackboard Inc. and WebCT, the two leading providers back in the day of course management software for e-learning services to the education market, announced plans to merge their companies, which ultimately led to a combined LMS.

In May 2009 Blackboard learn purchased the privately held competing learning management systems company Angel Learning, inc. ANGEL Learning.

In 2015, the company announced a user experience update, called Ultra.

In October 2017, Blackboard partnered with OpenEd to integrate OER with Learning Management Systems.[3]

Learn Ultra

Ultra is an optional user interface sitting on top of the existing Learn 9.1 architecture, only available for SaaS installations.[4] It is the largest change to Learn's front-end since its inception. It uses a single page application format, which significantly changes the user experience and the ways in which 3rd-party tools can be included.

Blackboard has begun offering additional products such as Blackboard Collaborate Ultra (a video-classroom service), Blackboard Ally (an accessibility assistant), and a chat-bot support service. These are designed to integrate with Ultra to deliver contextually-relevant interactions.

The interface added features which allow teachers to create assessments and course content within the application, such as assignments, grade books and learning modules. also added features like the ability to post announcements and discussion threads, the introduction of mail and chatrooms, and messages between students and teachers.[5]

Criticism
See also: Blackboard Inc. § Legal matters

Blackboard Inc. has had several legal issues, including faulty patent rights claims.[6] In addition, a number of educational institutions,[7][8][9] teachers,[10] and students[11] have expressed concerns about the reliability of Blackboard. McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, has replaced their Blackboard system after multiple problems during one year of use.[12] Citing numerous glitches and high costs, many universities are turning to the cheaper, open source alternative Moodle, including University of Montana,[13] Vassar College,[14] California State University, Long Beach,[15] and many other schools.[16] Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's implementation of the system notably suffered sporadic outages in the Grade Book section during the finals of the Fall 2014 semester.

In spring 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, Fairfax County Public Schools, one of the largest school systems in the United States with 189,000 students,[17] abandoned Blackboard Learn 24/7 after weeks of unsuccessful attempts to use it. The issues included poor security allowing live sessions to be hacked and disrupted,[17][18] and inability for the system to cope with the volume of students and teachers[19] even on the days when only elementary schools were using the system.

One of Blackboard's biggest contract, City University of New York, encompassing of 25 schools and over 275,000 students, announced the university are ending its contract and will be transitioning to Brightspace.[20] Reasons stated, difficult of navigating, extensive downtime, and functionality. This transition is set to begin in Spring 2024 and finish by the end of 2025.

See also

References
  1. Archived 2018-02-19 at the Wayback Machine, The Blackboard Learning System.
  2. "The Blackboard Learning System" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-02-19. Retrieved 2012-12-22.
  3. "Blackboard Integrates OpenEd OER with Learning Management Systems -- THE Journal". THE Journal. Retrieved 2017-10-13.
  4. "Ultra Experience". Blackboard Help. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  5. "THE BLACKBOARD LEARNING SYSTEM" (PDF). The Journal of Educational Technology Systems. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-02-19. Retrieved 2012-12-22.
  6. "Blackboard: Bully or Misunderstood?". Inside Higher Ed. August 18, 2006. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  7. "Florida State University "Blackboard Blackout"". Archived from the original on 2010-10-13. Retrieved 2014-09-19.
  8. "CUNY "Blackboard Blackout"". Archived from the original on 2009-12-06. Retrieved 2014-09-19.
  9. "Blackboard catastrophic system crash in Utah"
  10. "Great Blackboard Crash of 2009"
  11. "Glitches in new Blackboard system a hassle"
  12. "McMaster University Daily News "A new learning management system"". Archived from the original on 2010-04-01. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  13. Rabil, Lily. "Blackboard no match for Moodle". Montana Kaimin. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  14. "Vassar to switch from Blackboard to Moodle". April 22, 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  15. "BlackBoard to be replaced by new system". Daily 49er. September 13, 2010. Archived from the original on 13 October 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  16. Trotter, Andrew (June 13, 2008). "Blackboard vs. Moodle: Competition in course-management market grows". Education Week. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  17. Natanson, Hannah (15 April 2020). "Tech glitches, harassment mar Fairfax County schools' online learning rollout". Washington Post. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  18. Wicentowski, Danny (16 April 2020). "Fairfax Schools Distance Learning Was A Disaster, Board Says". Kingstowne-Rose Hill, VA Patch. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  19. Leayman, Emily (20 April 2020). "Fairfax Schools Distance Learning Resumes Amid Blackboard Issues". Kingstowne-Rose Hill, VA Patch. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  20. Erkan, Hande. "Students hope Blackboard's replacement will be better". Brightspace. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
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