Class Technologies Inc., the company that is changing the way the world learns by adding teaching and learning tools to Zoom, and Open LMS, the company that leverages open-source software to deliver an effective and engaging online learning experience, today announced their partnership to maximize the hybrid learning environment and student engagement.
Class recently reached a definitive agreement to acquire Blackboard Collaborate, aiming to build the next-generation platform for synchronous virtual learning. Open LMS commercializes and maintains the Blackboard Collaborate plugin, leveraging the Moodle community. With this agreement, Class and Class Collaborate, formerly known as Blackboard Collaborate, will now be Open LMS’ preferred synchronous virtual learning solution.
The companies will create an integrated solution that enables the delivery of memorable remote and hybrid learning experiences for higher education, K-12 and the workplace. Through these combined platforms, learners and instructors can seamlessly access synchronous and asynchronous learning tools, solving for the new world of remote and hybrid learning.
“Both Class and Open LMS share a common goal of providing users with an effective and engaging experience that ultimately helps learners reach their educational goals,” said Phill Miller, Managing Director of Open LMS. “This new partnership reaffirms our commitment to providing customers with the tools they need to create top-notch content in a new and integrated way while accommodating new learning models.”
The demand for hybrid environments is strong in both education and workplace settings. In the work environment, employees and employers continue to see a shift in positive attitudes towards remote work. A 2021 study conducted by Slack found that 72% of respondents prefer a hybrid remote-office model. In higher education, 68% of students and 57% of faculty said they would prefer a hybrid learning option post-pandemic, according to Cengage’s 2021 Digital Learning Pulse Survey.
“Blended learning experiences continue to be the wave of the future,” said Michael Chasen, founder and CEO of Class. “I’m delighted to welcome Open LMS as a partner so instructors and learners at all levels will be able to have access to the benefits of each other’s tools.”
About Class Technologies Inc.
Class is software developed by Class Technologies Inc., a company founded by education software pioneer Michael Chasen. Class adds teaching and learning tools to Zoom. It helps instructors take attendance, hand out assignments, give a quiz or test, grade work, proctor exams, talk one-on-one with a student, track student progress, and more all within the Zoom platform. Class is headquartered in Washington, DC with staff around the world. Schedule a demo at class.com and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok at @WeAreClassTech.
About Open LMS
Open LMS leverages open-source software to deliver an effective and engaging online learning experience. As the largest commercial provider of hosting and support services for the open-source Moodle™ learning platform, we help organizations and institutions deliver the best learning experiences without complexities. Previously a Blackboard product, Open LMS was acquired by Learning Technologies Group plc (LTG) in March 2020. Learn more about Open LMS at www.openlms.net.
