Blackboard, WebCT combining forces
Blackboard, WebCT combining forces
The top two providers of learning management system (LMS) software and services for higher education, Blackboard Inc. and WebCT Inc., have announced an agreement to merge. The merger would leave the combined entity with more than 80 percent of the LMS market share in higher education, which includes the software platforms that drive online learning. The impending deal has a price tag reported to be approximately $180 million.
Blackboard says the transaction will combine two academic eLearning organizations into a single company with the client base, resources, and expertise to meet the rapidly evolving needs of educators around the world. But the deal also has the potential to squeeze out other LMS providers and reduce competition, some observers fear.
well, that’s certainly my fear. we have the two largest suppliers of online learning management systems and they are both based on old technologies. so, we’ll end up with the best of both worlds, when both worlds are quite lacking. and, they easily control the market (>80%), so what does this say for the future of online learning? call me less than enthused.
November 8th, 2005 at 10:04 pm
I am not as up too date on technology as you, which is no suprise. I have no personal quarrel with blackboard. I love the fact that teachers can post your grades as the semester goes on. I like it that they can post announcements on it. I always check it before class to make sure class has not been cancelled. I hate driving all the way to class and having it be cancelled. I also work part time and sometiimes could have gotten a few extra hours of work if I had known class was going to be cancelled. I used to think the forum were great until I had this class. I like our forum for this class much better. I love seeing the persons face and being able to put it with their comment. I like blackboard because it can have all the assignments and course documents their to print out or just read. My final thought comes down to this course. After finding out how much you know about technology I believe your comment that two not so good services combined don’t make a good one. It could be worse, their could be no service like these at all.
November 13th, 2005 at 6:02 pm
I, personally, don’t have a beef with blackboard. I see where it is lacking in some areas. I honestly think that the reason it is so technologically lacking is because so many professors are afraid of new technology. It’s taken them this long to figure out how to use the system. I still have professors who insist there’s something broken in their computers, and really it’s just human error. When this extends from their actual hardware to software, it’s completely beyond them. I agree with Kyle too, I like being able to keep track of my grades, and assignements. I’m always losing things that teachers pass out in class. I think I may have a notebook gnome, closely related to the underpants gnome who takes the matching sock when you do laundry. I had to use blackboard for some online class sessions for a french class I had. Most of the class would have done really well during the discussions, but blackboard’s forum had an issue with foreign characters. Also as Kyle says some service is better than no service at all.