After 12 years of using Google Classroom for high school assignments, switching to Blackboard was perplexing at best and infuriating at worst. While I consider myself to be relatively proficient in Microsoft systems, I have several qualms about the platform’s practicality for use in higher education.
At first, I chalked up my dissatisfaction to a lack of acclimation to the interface. I gave myself an entire semester to learn how to utilize Blackboard (though, it realistically took only a week or two.) While I have since gotten the hang of it, I have concluded that the platform has all of the necessary tools to help students succeed. However, in practice, its configuration relies too much on professor competency to be universally effective.
For example, Google Classroom and Canvas have designated tabs for assignments. As such, homework and deadlines are made clear, strikingly displayed on the website’s front page. While Blackboard offers this option in some capacity, most professors bury their classwork under various virtual folders. Thus, course organization varies immensely. This inconsistency not only makes assignments hard to find, but adds confusion for students who must remember how each class is structured.
Also lacking from Blackboard is a calendar that populates assignments automatically. While Microsoft has a unified calendaring feature, students must manually update assignments without a streamlined submission system. This results in the use of paper planners or other organizational tools, effectively defeating the purpose of a unified system altogether.
“I use my planner every day to keep track of my homework,” freshman Lily Lincoln said. “Microsoft’s calendar isn’t connected to my Blackboard, and it’s frankly more of a hassle than it’s worth.”
In switching to Blackboard, one of the University’s goals was to cultivate increased student-faculty collaboration. Previously, professors and other administrative bodies used Microsoft systems, while students primarily used Google.
“The decision to switch from Google Workspace to Microsoft Office 365 was centered on increasing collaboration, enhancing cybersecurity and preparing our students for a modern workforce,” Jonathan B. Hardy, Deputy Chief Information Officer at Villanova University, said.
“Students have been using a different email, calendar and document platform than the faculty and graduate students with whom they regularly interact,” he said. “Bringing students, faculty and staff together in the Microsoft environment will improve students’ ability to work and communicate with faculty and TAs at Villanova, increase functionality with other Microsoft Office 365 tools (like OneDrive and unified calendaring) and provide a smoother end-to-end user experience.”
While I understand the objective behind switching to Microsoft Office 365 for increased uniformity, the University fell short in its execution of this goal. Blackboard greatly caters to the needs of professors, rather than those of students. Other Microsoft-oriented submission systems, like Canvas, would have been better suited for the needs of all university members and not just faculty.
Canvas was designed to address problems seen in Blackboard and similar systems. The platform is allegedly more user-friendly, excelling in features such as locked browsers and timed tests. Canvas also allows students to share course materials, allowing them to connect not only with admin but with fellow peers. These updates further reinforce the idea that Microsoft can undoubtedly be utilized in beneficial ways, but only if given the opportunity.
“I don’t mind using [Microsoft] Outlook or Word, especially since it’s more realistic for the working world,” Lincoln said. “What bothers me is the little things. It’s hard to make a discussion post, it’s hard to see grades and it’s hard to keep track of what’s due. It definitely gets frustrating.”
Lincoln’s point rings true for many students, especially those who have seen their grades suffer from struggling to find an assignment or forgetting to turn homework in. While personal accountability and time management are important skills for those in higher education, the University should strive to foster these habits instead of confusing the process.
