Wednesday, February 6, 2013 Meeting

Blackboard Mobile App

Jeff Maston demonstrated the Blackboard Mobile app.

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blackboard.android&hl=en 

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/blackboard-mobile-learn/id376413870?mt=8

The Blackboard Mobile Learn app is Blackboard's current answer to providing access to the learning management system via a mobile device.

Blackboard Mobile Learn is a mobile app available currently on the iTunes App Store for iPad, iTunes App Store for iPhone and iPod Touch, as well as on the Android Market (accessed directly from the device),BlackBerry App World, and Palm webOS. You can purchase the app for $1.99 a year of access or $5.99 for lifetime access.

This video clip provides an overview of the app. 



After launching the app for the first time, you'll be prompted to search for your school and then login into Blackboard with your regular username and password for Blackboard. The layout or design of the Blackboard app is quite a bit different from what you see when you log in on a computer.

While the app does offer access to the Blackboard system on a mobile device, many of the features and task you desire to complete are not available through the app. Whichever mobile device being used may limit the Blackboard features that can be accessed from the app, also.

Features of Blackboard Mobile Learn:

• Get course notifications on your mobile device. 
• View course announcements. 
• Instructors can create new announcements. 
• View, create and reply to discussion boards. 
• Students can view grades. 
• Read blog posts and add comments. 
• Read and add comments to Journals (based on permissions, of course) 
• Attach items from dropbox to discussion board. 

Limitations of the Blackboard app:

• The control panel and most management aspects of the course are not available in the app. 
• The grade center and any ability to enter or grade assignments or discussion boards is not available in the app. 

The following features either will not work at all or are likely to not work properly when accessed from the app and therefore should only be used when accessing from a full browser on a computer:

• Adding new content to a course 
• Building tests, quizzes, and surveys 
• Submitting tests, quizzes, and surveys 
• Submitting assignments 
• Grading assignments 
• Adjusting Grade Center options 
• Participating in chat or synchronous sessions 
• Viewing any Flash-based instructional content or movies 

As new features and upgrades for the Blackboard Mobile Learn app are announced and made available, we will revisit and review the app again in our future User Group meetings.