The problem:  Blackboard owns the education software market for Universities.  Why is this a problem? Their software is out-dated, but there’s really not another mainstream option out there.

Some history: Blackboard started out as a startup which gained traction by offering their service for free to professors.  Professors, lacking a better solution, would use the service and give the link out to their classes.  When the schools decided they needed to buy a web solution for their classes, they put together a committee to decide which was best, which often included most of these professors that already used the software.  The natural choice was to purchase Blackboard, as that’s what they used already.  This was brilliant strategy and it’s gotten them to where they are today.

Where this turns south is that Blackboard has lost it’s edge.  It was a cool application in it’s day, but most who’ve used Blackboard recently will mention how dated the software feels.

The thing is: this is an application with clear requirements.  Post course information, accept homework, drive student interaction.  Blackboard does a poor job at all three by modern standards.  The interface is claustrophobic and confusing, most professors use it incorrectly, and students rarely participate in the course discussion boards unless required to, only partially due to students being lazy.

Why hasn’t another provider stepped up to innovate?  Students rail against Blackboard on a daily basis.  It’s not a market that’ll disappear any time soon, someone should build a better blackboard.