Blackboard Launches Dedicated Innovation Initiative
First Offering is Polls by Blackboard, a Free Classroom Response Tool
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard Inc. today announced the creation of Blackboard Labs, an initiative dedicated solely to innovation and experimentation with education technology to help shape the future of the industry. The first offering to come out of the initiative is Polls by Blackboard, a free classroom response tool that enables live, in-class surveys directly from mobile devices.
By identifying creative and unique ideas from both inside and outside the company, Blackboard Labs focuses on experimenting with new teaching and learning technologies and launching early prototypes for users to test and provide feedback on. As a centralized effort within the company's Product Management team, Blackboard Labs will source ideas related to all areas of education.
This project marks the latest step in the company's efforts to increase its investment in core products, drive greater industry innovation, and integrate its market-leading portfolio to power a comprehensive teaching and learning environment that goes beyond the traditional learning management system.
"Blackboard Labs represents a place for us to explore new ideas and use them to push the industry forward," said Mark Strassman, senior vice president of product management at Blackboard. "The ideas coming out of Labs won't always be successful – but we are okay with that. We are using the platform as a way to gain insight into how to make good ideas great and as a way for users to give us immediate and incredibly impactful feedback."
Polls by Blackboard allow for survey responses to be submitted through a native iPhone® app, mobile or desktop Web browser, or via SMS in the United States. This industry "disruptor" removes the need for students to purchase expensive classroom response clicker hardware as the vast majority of them already own mobile devices. Users can provide feedback from within the app and on the product website, allowing the company to gather information and make improvements for future releases.
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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.
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SOURCE Blackboard Inc.
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