Blackboard Launches Professional Competency Profile for Students

WASHINGTON, June 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard has unveiled a professional profile designed specifically for students and embedded directly in Blackboard Learn^™, the company announced today. Leveraging the MyEdu experience, the profile, along with a redesign of the company's student portfolio tool, creates a more holistic learning environment that enables students to easily and professionally tell their academic story, outline their competencies, and ultimately connect them to job and internship opportunities. 

Only five months after the acquisition of MyEdu, Blackboard has integrated the incredibly successful set of student-focused tools that are already used by millions of students, directly into the company's existing learning platform. The Enhanced Cloud Profile allows students to capture and showcase a wide-range of information including their skills, competencies, academic achievements and degree plans to peers, instructors and potential employers.

"The profile can highlight the same things your resume would, but it tells a more compelling story," said Davante Lewis, University of Louisiana System student board member and student at McNeese State University. "It's a way you can market yourself beyond the typical 'what did you graduate in' and 'what jobs did you have.' This student profile is designed to show what students are capable of. It makes a huge difference in positioning yourself for a successful career."

Students control every aspect of their data on the Enhanced Cloud Profile through strict privacy controls and can also chose to link it to their free MyEdu account. At MyEdu.com, students have access to college planning and career tools, including browsing relevant jobs and internship opportunities that best match their skills and interest. They are also able to make their profiles visible to potential employers and connect directly with them on open positions.

"The traditional resume is on its way out and online tools that work for mid-career professionals don't effectively show a college student's skills and accomplishments or truly distinguish their talents," said Jay Bhatt, CEO of Blackboard. "It just makes sense to leverage the environment students are in every day to house their educational information, to also showcase their skills and connect them to job opportunities. Today's announcement marks the next step in the evolution of the traditional learning management system into a comprehensive environment that is designed specifically for the student, places direct emphasis on student outcomes, and better connects higher education to the workforce."

The company also announced the long-awaited redesign of Portfolios, a tool embedded in the learning environment that students and faculty use to collect and showcase their academic, professional and personal work, such as course assignments, projects, and publications. While the Enhanced Cloud Profile allows for a high-level view of the educational identity of a student, Portfolios allows for a more in-depth look at specific project work and course assignments. Together, the features enhance the ability for students to illustrate their competencies and achievements through Blackboard Learn.

Additionally, Blackboard provides institutions the flexibility and option to leverage a third-party building block for portfolio capabilities through SchoolChapters. Through this partnership, schools can choose to provide students with mobile access, additional storage and goal tracking capabilities to their portfolio outside of the learning environment, throughout their education career and post-graduation. It can also be leveraged for additional assessment, accreditation and outcomes capabilities.

For more information about Blackboard, please visit www.blackboard.com or follow @Blackboard on Twitter.

About Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard is the world's leading education technology company that is reimagining education by challenging conventional thinking and advancing new learning models. We rapidly deploy relevant and meaningful technologies and services to meet the needs of the modern day learner and the institutions that serve them, driving success and growth for both. In partnership with higher education, K-12, corporate organizations, and government agencies around the world, we help every learner achieve their full potential. For more information about Blackboard follow us on Twitter at @Blackboard.

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.

CONTACT
Lauren Dyke, Blackboard Inc.
(202) 463-4860 ext. 2860 or [email protected]

SOURCE Blackboard Inc.