Melissa Haworth-Cox
Contributing writer
The Blackboard Mobile Learn Application has changed. This application will now be available for multiple operating systems/service providers, but it will now cost.
A Blackboard announcement stated that the new purchase price of the application to individual users would be $1.99 per year or $5.99 for a lifetime license.
This first application resulted from a contract between the Blackboard Learning System and Sprint and was free to all Sprint users. Due to the expiration of Blackboard’s contract with Sprint, this new Blackboard Mobile Learn app was created with a cost associated for individual users.
This new application makes use possible for iOS mobile operating systems and any version of the Android operating system.
Hendrix said the cost associated with the new application is the payment accumulation to Blackboard for the cost of a new 3G data plan available to everyone with a smartphone or tablet.
According to Hendrix, this application has a new organization that the old Blackboard app did not. This setup display makes it easier to access information by showing all courses easily manageable through the use of a separation of student organizations, classes and favorites.
There are also new features available on the new Blackboard app that are not available on the Blackboard website.
One feature is that of the favorites menu which allows users to select your most frequently visited classes for quicker access.
Those with the original version of the Sprint supported Blackboard Application will not be charged for usage in the future as long as they do not update and by not updating, one does not have access to the new features, according to Hendrix.
Hendrix said this cost addition has not affected the amount of people using the application on the Southeastern Campus.
The announcement states that downloading the Blackboard Mobile Learn application is voluntary and not required of students, faculty or staff.
Students must keep in mind that Southeastern does not guarantee the app will work with all devices and does not provide technical support for setting up or maintaining the Blackboard app as stated in the announcement
Devices with iOS systems lower than 4.3 will not be compatible with the new application. For instance, if using an iPhone 3G it is recommended not to install the new version of this application.
The Blackboard Mobile Learn application created no additional cost for Southeastern.
November 15, 2012