Introducing G2.ai, the future of software buying.Try now

Blackboard Pros and Cons: Top Advantages and Disadvantages

Quick AI Summary Based on G2 Reviews

Generated from real user reviews

Users love the ease of use of Blackboard, praising its user-friendliness and supportive features for seamless navigation. (85 mentions)
Users find Blackboard to be intuitive and user-friendly, enhancing the teaching and learning experience effortlessly. (45 mentions)
Users appreciate the intuitive navigation of Blackboard, making it easy and user-friendly for everyone. (35 mentions)
Users appreciate the diverse features of Blackboard, enhancing content creation and data gathering capabilities. (28 mentions)
Users find the intuitive design of Blackboard greatly enhances their teaching and learning experiences, ensuring ease of use. (28 mentions)
Users highlight the powerful features of Blackboard, revolutionizing content generation and enhancing the learning experience significantly. (21 mentions)
Users criticize the limited features of Blackboard Ultra compared to the Original version, impacting usability and flexibility. (33 mentions)
Users criticize the lack of essential features in Blackboard, highlighting outdated functions and missing notifications. (28 mentions)
Users express frustration with limited customization options in Blackboard, making personalization difficult and the experience less enjoyable. (19 mentions)
Users find the interface not intuitive, complicating navigation and increasing frustration with essential tasks. (16 mentions)
Users find Blackboard's not user-friendly interface challenging, leading to navigational difficulties and frustration. (16 mentions)
Users find the cumbersome interface of Blackboard overwhelming due to its complexity and lack of simplicity. (15 mentions)

Top Pros or Advantages of Blackboard

1. Ease of Use
Users love the ease of use of Blackboard, praising its user-friendliness and supportive features for seamless navigation.
See 85 mentions

See Related User Reviews

MS

Mary Beth S.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Lovin Ultra!"

What do you like about Blackboard?

Love that it is userfiendly, easy to navigate, accessibility friendly with Ally and has the AI helper. The customer service is a huge plus! Thank you

Thomas S.
TS

Thomas S.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"It's getting better in some ways"

What do you like about Blackboard?

More design power is being put in the hands of users.

2. User-Friendly
Users find Blackboard to be intuitive and user-friendly, enhancing the teaching and learning experience effortlessly.
See 45 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
A

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"Blackboard Ultra"

What do you like about Blackboard?

Blackboard Ultra is really intuitive and user friendly for the newer generation. Students have enjoyed using and have not needed much instruction to u

Verified User
U

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Best LMS so far"

What do you like about Blackboard?

I like the Blackboard platform because it is intuitive, user-friendly, and easy to navigate. It also has a number of options to manage more complex fu

3. Navigation Ease
Users appreciate the intuitive navigation of Blackboard, making it easy and user-friendly for everyone.
See 35 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
A

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Bb is a solid LMS"

What do you like about Blackboard?

With Bb Ultra, you get the modern UI and the years of solid features and stable platform.

Verified User
A

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"Blackboard Ultra"

What do you like about Blackboard?

Blackboard Ultra is really intuitive and user friendly for the newer generation. Students have enjoyed using and have not needed much instruction to u

4. Feature Diversity
Users appreciate the diverse features of Blackboard, enhancing content creation and data gathering capabilities.
See 28 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
A

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"instructional designer"

What do you like about Blackboard?

The upsides are the the easy to use interface and many features that allow you to create content and assignments.

Bertha O.
BO

Bertha O.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Blackboard Review"

What do you like about Blackboard?

I like how I can easily gather data from our participant. I also like the recent feature with competencies.

5. Intuitive
Users find the intuitive design of Blackboard greatly enhances their teaching and learning experiences, ensuring ease of use.
See 28 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
A

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"Blackboard Ultra"

What do you like about Blackboard?

Blackboard Ultra is really intuitive and user friendly for the newer generation. Students have enjoyed using and have not needed much instruction to u

Verified User
U

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Best LMS so far"

What do you like about Blackboard?

I like the Blackboard platform because it is intuitive, user-friendly, and easy to navigate. It also has a number of options to manage more complex fu

6. Features
Users highlight the powerful features of Blackboard, revolutionizing content generation and enhancing the learning experience significantly.
See 21 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
A

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Bb is a solid LMS"

What do you like about Blackboard?

With Bb Ultra, you get the modern UI and the years of solid features and stable platform.

VC

Vinicius C.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"I see Blackboard as a great work partner"

What do you like about Blackboard?

I've been following the development of Blackboard for almost eight years. The constant effort to make changes and improvements always surprises. Two o

Top Cons or Disadvantages of Blackboard

1. Limited Features
Users criticize the limited features of Blackboard Ultra compared to the Original version, impacting usability and flexibility.
See 33 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
A

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"I’ve been a student, instructor, and admin user, and appreciate it from all perspectives."

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

Some Ultra features have kinks and I miss some of the flexibility of Original.

Bryan B.
BB

Bryan B.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"I love the Ultra interface."

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

My least favorite part of Bb is the lack of features compared to Original. Ultra is making improvements, but any of the functions of Original are not

2. Missing Features
Users criticize the lack of essential features in Blackboard, highlighting outdated functions and missing notifications.
See 28 mentions

See Related User Reviews

BL

Barbara L.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Dynamic product with room to grow"

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

Lack of a seamlessly embedded video option; inability to receive notifications based on individual courses.

QB

Quentin B.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Blackboard Ultra Review"

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

There are some features that aren't available in Ultra as there was in Learn such as managing column organization.

3. Limited Customization
Users express frustration with limited customization options in Blackboard, making personalization difficult and the experience less enjoyable.
See 19 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Caitlin S.
CS

Caitlin S.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Easily accessible & easy to use"

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

Can sometimes be slow, and there seems to be limited customization

NC

Nick C.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

2.0/5

"Blackboard: Riding the Competition's Coattails"

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

My experience is mostly with Blackboard Original, and this version of the LMS is simply outdated. An ancient user interface, lack of modern LMS featur

4. Not Intuitive
Users find the interface not intuitive, complicating navigation and increasing frustration with essential tasks.
See 16 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Thomas S.
TS

Thomas S.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"It's getting better in some ways"

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

The shallow folder structure is not great. The switch to Ultra was unhelpfully rapid, and the conceptual differences between folders and learning modu

Brian H.
BH

Brian H.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Blackboard a great way to deliver content"

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

The gradecenter could be more intuitive to use

5. Not User-Friendly
Users find Blackboard's not user-friendly interface challenging, leading to navigational difficulties and frustration.
See 16 mentions

See Related User Reviews

NC

Nick C.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

2.0/5

"Blackboard: Riding the Competition's Coattails"

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

My experience is mostly with Blackboard Original, and this version of the LMS is simply outdated. An ancient user interface, lack of modern LMS featur

Margarita T.
MT

Margarita T.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Blackboard and Genius - the best combo"

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

Wish beyond the blackboard would route directly to Genius, instead of waiting for someone to review my support request then send it to Genius. This ca

6. UX Improvement
Users find the cumbersome interface of Blackboard overwhelming due to its complexity and lack of simplicity.
See 15 mentions

See Related User Reviews

NC

Nick C.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

2.0/5

"Blackboard: Riding the Competition's Coattails"

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

My experience is mostly with Blackboard Original, and this version of the LMS is simply outdated. An ancient user interface, lack of modern LMS featur

Verified User
A

Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.0/5

"A learning curve, but full of features for students, teachers, and staff"

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

I wish it would be easier to search for at least filter data within the GUI (i.e., give me all course for X semester built after Y date using Ultra)

Blackboard Reviews (1,055)

View 2 Video Reviews
Reviews

Blackboard Reviews (1,055)

View 2 Video Reviews
4.0
1,055 reviews
Search reviews
Filter Reviews
Clear Results
G2 reviews are authentic and verified.
Cheryl M.
CM
Instructional Technologist/Application Administrator
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Blackboard is a great LMS, always enhancing their product."
What do you like best about Blackboard?

Blackboard is user friendly. There are a variety of features that are enticements to the overachieving faculty who are always looking to enhance their course deployments. Because it has been in the LMS market for so long, nearly all vendors have made sure they can integrate easily with it. With SaaS now deployed for large software applications, it has made implementation and upgrades much easier and more efficient. Customer support is tiered so if the first level does not have a fix, it gets escalated to the next tier until it is resolved. I use Blackboard daily and have for nearly 20 years now. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

Customer Support is based out of the South America so getting someone that truly understands the problem or speaks clear English is at times a hinderance to getting quick resolutions.

Also, for large deployments like mine, some basic features were left off years ago as they enchanced the product and never brought back. Like setting a pagination display for number of viewable records. I must change this 25 times a day. Also, searching is limited to only one field which with 100,000 users, looking for "Smith" is tedious at best. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

LG
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Blackboard Ultra vs Canvas"
What do you like best about Blackboard?

The construct that I enjoy the most is the continuous improvement of the product from the feedback of the customer users and their experience with the product. Some of the suggestion I have made to the idea exchange has made it into software updates. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

The users do need to be comfortable with software use and will need to also participate in continuous training to maintain efficiency with the product. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

RK
Blackboard Systems Developer
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Blackboard for the Rescue of Training & Development"
What do you like best about Blackboard?

The current capability of AI that recently featured is by far the game changer for us. It helps speedup the course and assessment delivery that are designed using the AI structure and questions. From User Interface which is super easy to use for anyone, the third party tools implementation are all just amazing and super easy. Intergration is another thing that I love the most. Customer support is as a smooth as it should be. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

I won't say I hate but one thing that needs to be improved is the Reporting framework. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Rachel S.
RS
Senior Instructional Designer and Senior Lecturer
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Bb Ultra"
What do you like best about Blackboard?

Calendar tool = makes it easy for students to see when assessments are due, and the auto reminders are great

Gradebook = being able to post all at once or as you go is handy

Peer Eval = student feedback on each other's work is sometimes more impactful than teacher feedback

Built in rubric = make no more questions about "why did I get X grade"

Analytics = easier to track each student and assess projects. If grades are low, is it because of questions or students?

Partner = LTI tools for integration are easy to use, so long as they (3rd party vendor) haven't changed something. When they do = you have to resync or sometimes remove and then add again. Which can play havoc with the grade book, if you don't download a copy of what you had already before doing this. I learned the HARD way. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

Grade book gets very complicated if you want to drop more than 1 lowest grade. If you use weighted categories, you have to make a weighted column for just that category, then have the overall grade be the total of what each of these is to get accuracy. I have to convert mine to PTS for each category so that the students can understand and verify against Excel calculations.

Additionally, if you teach multiple sections of the same course and merge so that you only have to upload in one = the grade book is a beast to separate these out and track each by course.

The lack of the ability to create and use your own badges, and lord forbid you mess up = means you can't edit them, you have to start all over again. Having a badge designed for "XYZ" requirement that all students in a program must complete is needed. They could then share that badge with all of their professors and not have to complete the assessments multiple times or upload screenshots as proof. Being able to auto-populate or follow the student is needed.

If I set up an assessment to be a completion grade, it should not require that I manually type in a number. I should be able to select the cell with my mouse and choose either complete or not.

Messaging via Bb, when we need to do this through Outlook, so thatthe legal team has a record of all communication. Plus I don't need yet another APP to track messages. I already have email, Zoom, Teams, etc...

Being able to upload video and audio files as attachments should not be allowed. They should all have to be uploaded to the My Media and then deployed. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Rahul K.
RK
Senior Specialist
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Highly Recommended for Learning & Development"
What do you like best about Blackboard?

Oh Where to start, I mean there's so much useful tools and features that makes our learning operations so smooth. From easy navigation, to complex business operations through Genius SIS, from scalable platform solution to integration to third-party tools and icing on cake, the support that we get. This is an all rounder easy to use, easy to implement scalable platform that any L&D or an institution need. Blackboard has evolve from just another LMS to must have platform and now with feature pack with AI capability. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

The reporting tool still needs to improve which I am sure will be on their priority list. This is one of the area where pulling the report still depends on tools like Illuminate, Power BI and/or Direct Database. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Dr Roohullah S.
DS
Professor, Health Science, Social & Community Service Programs- Seneca College
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"BB as teaching tool"
What do you like best about Blackboard?

User friendly-Centralized Learning Hub: Blackboard offers a single platform where students can access course materials, submit assignments, view grades, and communicate with instructors—all in one place. This organization helps streamline learning and keeps students focused.

Flexible Assessment Tools: Blackboard supports a wide variety of assessments including quizzes, discussion boards, journals, and group work, with customizable grading rubrics and feedback options that help instructors tailor evaluations to learning goals.

Integration and Accessibility: Blackboard integrates well with tools like Zoom, Turnitin, and Respondus, and is designed to be accessible for students with different needs, including screen reader compatibility and flexible content delivery options. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

One common challenge of Blackboard is its user interface complexity. Many users—both students and instructors—find the platform unintuitive and difficult to navigate, especially when locating assignments, discussion posts, or course materials across multiple folders or modules. This can lead to frustration and missed deadlines, particularly for those new to the system. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Stephen T.
ST
Learning Technology Lead
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Learning experience with pedagogy at it's heart"
What do you like best about Blackboard?

Learn ultra is clearly designed with ease for the learner and tutor at it's heart. The new AI tools are underpinned by strong pedagogical principles, designed to help the tutor with idea generation, taking some of the legwork out of designing strong formative assessment and feedback tools.

The platform is continuously growing in response to customer feedback and since the merge with anthology is clearly placing learners needs at the heart of everything it does. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

From an admin perspective the systems are still a bit outdated. It would be nice for those to get an overhaul on a par with the learning experience. I don't want to have to jump through hoops and add myself to courses in order to assist my users with copying content over for instance. But I'm sure these changes will come with time Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

John P.
JP
Owner and CEO
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Blackboard ULTRA Streamlines Learning Management"
What do you like best about Blackboard?

Blackboard ULTRA offers a sleek and intuitive interface that enhances the overall user experience. The streamlined navigation makes it easy to access course materials, assignments, and grades. The integration of various tools such as Collaborate for virtual classrooms and the mobile app for on-the-go access are particularly beneficial. The platform's ability to support multimedia content and interactive elements fosters a more engaging learning environment. Additionally, the analytics and reporting features provide valuable insights into student performance and engagement, helping educators tailor their teaching strategies effectively. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

While Blackboard ULTRA has many strengths, there are areas that could be enhanced. The system occasionally experiences performance issues, such as slow loading times and occasional glitches, which can disrupt the user experience. The customization options for course layouts and themes are somewhat limited, which may not cater to all educators' preferences. Additionally, the integration with third-party tools and applications could be more seamless to avoid compatibility issues. Improving the user support and documentation would also be beneficial, as users sometimes find it challenging to navigate certain features without adequate guidance. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Guido G.
GG
Advisor
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Blackboard as an LMS"
What do you like best about Blackboard?

Blackboard stands out for its robustness and versatility as a learning management system (LMS). I especially like its ability to integrate academic tools, assessments, analytics, and communication into a single ecosystem, which facilitates large-scale course management. Additionally, its flexibility to adapt to different educational models, multilingual support, and accessibility options make it a solid solution for institutions with diverse and complex needs. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

Its interface can feel outdated and unintuitive compared to more modern platforms, which sometimes makes the learning curve unnecessarily long. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

VC
College Teacher
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"I see Blackboard as a great work partner"
What do you like best about Blackboard?

I've been following the development of Blackboard for almost eight years. The constant effort to make changes and improvements always surprises. Two other aspects that deserve to be highlighted are the stability of the system and, especially, the UX team, always willing to help. In addition, events, seminars, and support materials always help to improve the experience of teachers and students. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Blackboard?

The mobile app has improved a lot in recent times, but it still needs improvement, especially regarding speed. Many students who rely on the app to attend online classes also complain about the lack of consistency regarding the desktop experience. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Product Avatar Image
Product Avatar Image