Dive Brief:

• Blackboard has announced the New Learning Experience at its annual user conference in Washington, D.C., and the new platform, focused on student user experience, unites all of its disparate tools and services in a single place.
• The platform is being billed as a simplification of Blackboard's existing products, able to follow students from K-12 through higher ed and perhaps even through their post-graduate job searches.
• With its announcement, the company made its first market offering aligned with the New Learning Experience, including integrated releases of Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Collaborate, and the Bb Student App.

Dive Insight:

Users who already have Blackboard products will have the option of shifting their interface into the New Learning Experience or keeping their traditional view. For those who prefer the original Blackboard Learn experience, the company will continue to release enhancements and innovations for use on earlier versions. The company’s redesign comes with a shift from a perceived focus on administrators in its original products to a focus on students. Blackboard aims to improve student engagement, interaction, and learning with the new technology.