Blackboard is a web-based learning system that was developed by Stephen Gilfus in 1997. It incorporates muliple features such as communication, test creation and distribution, and grading into one application with an easy to use interface. As with many other products with a simple UI, its most serious limitation is customization. For typical courses, Blackboard's ability to consolidate all aspects of the classroom into one central location works very well. Furthermore, Blackboard is also able to automate tasks such as grading and updating grade books, thus increasing the efficiency of the instructor. However, if an instructor tries to use Blackboard for atypical exams, such as those that contain programming, Blackboard's limitations immediately become apparent.
Intuitive GUI and UI
Universal platform
All features are consolidated for easy use
Testing restrictions are securely enforced
Distribution of course materials that can be used in an exam
Has printing functionality
All automated features can be overridden by the instructor
Can allow timed tests, retake capabilities, etc.
Testing questions are limited to multiple choice, true/false, or essay
Unable to use multiple windows
Hard to enforce closed-book, closed-internet tests as it is easy for users to get around
No question database, all questions are inputted at the creation step of each test
No statistics or data of passed tests or courses available
Tests are not automatically generated in any way
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