Blackboard Launches Learning Analytics Solution

- Application Gives Leaders Unprecedented View of Learning Across Institution

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time when education institutions are increasingly looking for ways to leverage data to improve performance and student outcomes, Blackboard Inc. today announced the launch of Blackboard Analytics for Learn™, a solution that gives education leaders an unprecedented view of teaching and learning across their institution.

The application harnesses learning activity and data from the learning management (LMS) and student information systems (SIS) to give education stakeholders at all levels access to on demand information needed to improve academic success and student retention.

Armed with greater insight, campus leaders can better set and measure learning goals and assess the success of various programs. Instructors can quickly identify where students are falling behind and intervene to support them, and get better insight into course development approaches that can be more engaging for students. Even students can leverage the application to gain insight into course activity and progression measures of their peers to better understand activity patterns associated with peer performance.

"Campus-wide, we have various initiatives that support completion and retention, and this tool empowers all parties involved by providing critical data that reveals where changes are needed," said Celeste Schwartz, Vice President for Information Technology at Montgomery County Community College. "There is a need across the industry for data analytics in education and it will soon become a standard to use a tool like this."

Blackboard Analytics provides a complete and customizable view of teaching and learning data through reports and dashboards that draw critical information from an institution's Blackboard Learn™ platform and SIS. The reports highlight activities institution-wide, analyze efficiencies across academic departments, evaluate individual student performance based on demographics, degree programs and more.

Clients participating in a field trial for the solution earlier this year reported great success in gaining insight into student activity, identifying outstanding course designs that promoted active student engagement, and fostering a culture of discovery and investigation about the future of online and blended learning at their campuses.

"Throughout the field trial, Blackboard has truly been a partner, not just a vendor," said John Fritz, Assistant Vice President of Instructional Technology and New Media at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. "Having a tool like Blackboard Analytics for Learn that provides a deep level of data analysis was always a priority for UMBC, but a time-consuming project to undertake. Blackboard worked with us to expand our current capabilities to meet the need for rich reporting."

"Business intelligence is critical to the success of an organization, but it is underutilized in education due to resource constraints of traditional methods," said Jim Hermens, General Manager of Blackboard Analytics. "This solution is designed to harness the wealth of data that institutions already possess, and place information in the hands of those who need it most, when they need it most. We want to give academic leaders the tools to help them make better decisions about their programs, meet the internal and external pressures for accountability, and ultimately contribute to student success."

Blackboard Analytics for Learn was built on the Blackboard Analytics™ platform and is one of six modules in the suite of solutions. Each module within Blackboard Analytics provides immediate access to data analytics and insight on areas including enrollment management, finance and human resources. Blackboard Analytics was launched in 2011 and is now used to guide data-driven decision making at more than 130 higher education institutions.

Blackboard Analytics for Learn is currently available for clients using Blackboard Learn™ 9.1, with Service Pack 4 or later. The application integrates with the leading SIS solutions and can be customized to integrate with other SIS solutions.

For more information about Blackboard Analytics for Learn, please visit: http://www.blackboard.com/Platforms/Analytics/Products/Blackboard-Analytics-for-Learn.aspx

About Blackboard Inc.

Blackboard Inc. is a global leader in enterprise technology and innovative solutions that improve the experience of millions of students and learners around the world every day. Blackboard's solutions allow thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate, and government organizations to extend teaching and learning online, facilitate campus commerce and security, and communicate more effectively with their communities. Founded in 1997, Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Blackboard represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release. Actual results may differ materially as a result of various important factors. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company's views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.