Brightspace vs Course Hero

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Our analysts compared Brightspace vs Course Hero based on data from our 400+ point analysis of LMS Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

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Product Basics

Brightspace is a cloud-based LMS that supports personalized learning for educational institutions, corporations, healthcare institutions, nonprofits and more. For K-12 schools, it offers blended and virtual learning options, along with tools for professional learning. For companies, it provides an engaging learning platform to train employees, customers and partners.


Key features include tools for tailored learning experiences, intelligent agents, analytics for tracking progress, course authoring and a gradebook with a mastery view. You can choose from flexible options to build and curate content, and use its mobile-friendly design for on-the-go learning.

Users praise Brightspace for its extensive features, user-friendly interface and proactive support. A large number of reviews mention its exceptional implementation and onboarding process, praising the responsiveness and speed of the support team. While the majority of users are impressed by the solution’s capabilities, some mentioned that it may have a learning curve for new users.

The exact pricing of the solution isn’t mentioned online. For accurate pricing details based on the size and requirements of your institution, you can contact the vendor for a custom quote.

On the bright side, you can access the 30-day free trial to get hands-on experience with the platform. It includes a variety of pre-loaded courses to explore and a sandbox area where you can experiment with creating your own course.

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Course Hero is an educational technology platform that offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to assist students and educators in managing academic tasks. The software excels in providing a vast repository of study resources, including course-specific documents, practice problems, and step-by-step explanations. It is particularly well-suited for college students seeking supplemental learning materials and educators looking to enhance their teaching resources. The platform's key benefits include access to a wide array of study guides, textbook solutions, and the ability to connect with tutors for personalized help. Popular features include the extensive library of user-uploaded documents, flashcards, and the ability to ask questions and receive answers from subject experts. Compared to similar products, Course Hero is praised for its user-friendly interface and the breadth of its resource library. Pricing details are variable, often based on subscription models that can be monthly or annually. For precise pricing tailored to individual needs, users are encouraged to contact SelectHub for a detailed quote.
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Product Insights

  • Revolutionizes Learning with AI: D2L Lumi uses AI to simplify tasks for both teachers and admins in Brightspace. It can automatically generate practice questions and custom learning paths for students, speeding up course setup. For learners, Lumi provides personalized feedback and helps with note-taking, making learning more efficient and boosting training outcomes.
  • Digitizes Courses: Brightspace’s Content Experience platform makes it easy to build interactive courses with videos, images and even external tools like Google Drive and OneDrive. Pre-made templates simplify course design, and tools like Video Note come with automatic captions, ensuring accessibility for learners with special needs.
  • Facilitates Performance Review With Grading Tools: Based on our data, Brightspace scores 93 for the Assessments module. Its Gradebook and Mastery View make it easy to grade and track student progress in one place. With the Creator+ add-on, AI helps you by automatically generating quizzes and practice questions, saving you time. Advanced Analytics give you clear insights into student engagement and performance, so you can quickly spot who may need extra support and adjust your teaching to fit their needs.
  • Improves Decision-Making: With predictive models, you can actually forecast how learners will perform and fill in any knowledge gaps with personalized learning paths. Plus, real-time reports and visualizations give you a clear view of how effective your courses are and how engaged learners are.
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  • Enhanced Learning Support: Course Hero provides access to a vast library of study resources, including textbook solutions and expert Q&A, which can help students understand complex topics more effectively.
  • Time Management: By offering step-by-step solutions and explanations, Course Hero helps students save time on homework and study sessions, allowing them to focus on other academic or personal commitments.
  • Improved Academic Performance: With detailed explanations and practice problems, students can reinforce their understanding of course material, leading to better grades and a deeper grasp of the subject matter.
  • 24/7 Accessibility: Course Hero's online platform is available around the clock, enabling students to study and seek help whenever they need it, regardless of time zone or schedule constraints.
  • Peer Collaboration: The platform encourages collaboration by allowing students to share notes and resources, fostering a community of learners who can support each other’s academic journeys.
  • Expert Assistance: Students can get help from subject matter experts who provide detailed answers to specific questions, ensuring they receive accurate and reliable information.
  • Resource Variety: Course Hero offers a diverse range of study materials, including practice quizzes, flashcards, and lecture notes, catering to different learning styles and preferences.
  • Confidence Building: By providing clear and thorough explanations, Course Hero helps students build confidence in their knowledge and problem-solving abilities, which can reduce anxiety and improve overall academic performance.
  • Cost-Effective Learning: With a subscription, students gain access to a wealth of resources that can supplement their textbooks and classroom instruction, often at a lower cost than hiring a tutor.
  • Preparation for Exams: The platform’s extensive collection of practice questions and study guides can help students prepare more effectively for exams, leading to better outcomes and reduced stress.
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  • Roles and Permissions: Create, define, modify and delete user roles, and assign permissions to control access to features like creating discussions or editing navigation bars. Apply roles to users for specific org units to determine their access levels, and use cascading roles to extend permissions to all subordinate org units for easier management.
  • Calendar: Display all upcoming events to learners in one central location. Post essential dates like project deadlines, office hours, in-class events and more on the calendar.
  • Assignments: Create and edit assignments using the Assignments tool, track submission times and review work directly. Associate assignments with rubrics and competencies, and return them with grades and feedback. Organize them into categories, and set restrictions by date, group membership or special access.
  • Mobile App: Use the Brightspace Pulse mobile app to let learners access course calendars, assignments, grades and announcements from one place. Send real-time alerts for cancellations, room changes, and new content or grades. Allow them to view schedules and weekly tasks with built-in visualization tools to track what’s due today, this week and later.
  • Portfolio: Use the Portfolio tool to help learners capture and showcase their learning journey. Create and update digital portfolios to track progress over time. Use the app to collect evidence, record audio and video reflections, and document achievements.
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  • Document Library: Access to over 40 million study resources, including course-specific notes, study guides, and practice problems.
  • Tutoring Services: On-demand help from subject matter experts available 24/7 for personalized assistance.
  • Textbook Solutions: Step-by-step solutions for thousands of textbooks, aiding in understanding complex problems.
  • Course-Specific Content: Resources tailored to specific courses and universities, ensuring relevance and applicability.
  • Study Groups: Virtual study groups that allow students to collaborate and share resources in real-time.
  • Flashcards: Customizable flashcards for efficient memorization and review of key concepts.
  • Practice Problems: Interactive practice problems with detailed explanations to reinforce learning.
  • Scholarship Opportunities: Access to various scholarships to support students financially.
  • Document Uploads: Ability for users to upload their own study materials, contributing to the community and earning unlocks.
  • Mobile App: A user-friendly mobile application for studying on-the-go, available on both iOS and Android.
  • Verified Educators: Contributions from verified educators, ensuring high-quality and reliable content.
  • Search Functionality: Advanced search tools to quickly find relevant documents and resources.
  • Course Recommendations: Personalized course recommendations based on user activity and preferences.
  • Community Q&A: A platform for students to ask and answer questions, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
  • Resource Ratings: User ratings and reviews for documents, helping to identify the most useful resources.
  • Privacy Controls: Robust privacy settings to protect user information and control document visibility.
  • Subscription Plans: Various subscription options to suit different needs, including monthly and annual plans.
  • Academic Integrity: Tools and guidelines to promote academic honesty and prevent plagiarism.
  • Customer Support: Responsive customer support to assist with any issues or questions users may have.
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Product Ranking

#11

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#36

among all
LMS Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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AI-based Capabilities Assessments Collaboration Compliance Content And Course Management ECommerce Learning Delivery Mobile Capabilities Platform Capabilities Reporting And Dashboard User Management And Gamification 43 93 100 100 86 92 100 87 93 100 81 0 25 50 75 100
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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 911 reviews
Fair User Sentiment 14 reviews
87%
of users recommend this product

Brightspace has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 87% when considering 911 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

66%
of users recommend this product

Course Hero has a 'fair' User Satisfaction Rating of 66% when considering 14 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

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Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Brightspace and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Assessments, Compliance and Learning Delivery.

Assessments Award
Compliance Award
Learning Delivery Award

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Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Comprehensive Feature Set: Brightspace gets major props for its "all-in-one" feature set that includes tools for creating and managing courses, delivering content in various formats (videos, quizzes, documents) and promoting collaboration. Users appreciate its support for different instructional approaches, whether it's entirely online, blended or traditional classroom settings.
User-Friendly Interface: The platform's interface is generally described as clean and intuitive, which is crucial for both instructors and students. This minimizes the learning curve, allowing users to focus on teaching and learning rather than navigating a complex system.
Customization: Institutions and instructors like the ability to tailor the platform to their branding and specific needs. This includes customizing themes, layouts and navigation.
Analytics and Reporting: Brightspace provides detailed analytics and reporting tools that allow instructors to track student progress, identify areas where students might be struggling and measure the effectiveness of their teaching methods.
Accessibility: Brightspace is built with accessibility in mind, complying with standards like WCAG 2.1, Section 508 and EN 301 549. Features like screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation and alternative text for images ensure that all learners, including those with disabilities, have equal access to educational content.
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Extensive Library: Course Hero offers a vast collection of study materials, including notes, study guides, and practice problems, aiding students in their studies and homework.
Resource Variety: The platform provides access to a diverse range of academic resources, covering various subjects and courses, which can be beneficial for students seeking supplementary learning materials.
Time-Saving: Course Hero allows users to quickly find and access specific resources, saving time and effort in searching for study materials.
Peer Connection: Course Hero provides a platform for students to connect and collaborate with peers, fostering a sense of community and shared learning.
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Learning Curve: While the interface is generally user-friendly, some users, especially those new to Brightspace or transitioning from another LMS, may find the initial setup and learning process to be challenging.
Limited Customization in Certain Areas: Although Brightspace offers extensive customization in many areas, some users have reported limitations in specific areas, such as fine-grained control over page layouts and graphics.
Cost: Depending on your organization's size and requirements, the cost of Brightspace can be a significant factor. Additional costs for add-ons or premium features can further increase the overall investment.
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Content Quality Concerns: Course Hero's reliance on user-uploaded content creates inconsistency in quality, with some materials potentially inaccurate or incomplete, impacting reliability for business users.
Subpar Customer Service: Reviews highlight slow response times and unhelpful interactions with Course Hero's customer support, a significant drawback for businesses requiring timely assistance.
Subscription Costs: While Course Hero offers various subscription plans, the fees can be prohibitive for businesses, especially when considering potential limitations in content quality and customer support.
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Brightspace is one of our top-rated LMSs with a solid analyst score of 92. It’s designed for large organizations and is popular for both education and corporate training. According to our data, Brightspace has a high score for several LMS modules. These include:  Collaboration: 100 Compliance: 100 Reporting and Dashboard: 100 Assessments: 93One of its standout features is the flexible course builder, allowing you to create interactive courses without technical expertise. With Creator+, you can use ready-made templates to quickly build professional-looking content, complete with quizzes and polls to keep learners engaged.Brightspace also makes it easy to add videos and multimedia, giving courses a dynamic feel. Built-in design styles help ensure that everything looks consistent and polished. The platform’s grading system, including the Gradebook, simplifies the grading process by automatically pulling in scores from assignments, quizzes and discussions. Setting up grading is easy with a step-by-step wizard, and you can provide feedback through text, audio or even annotations.Brightspace’s predictive analytics helps you spot students who might need extra support by analyzing grades, engagement, and activity. Performance+ adds even more reporting power, letting you generate detailed reports, track learning patterns and set up personalized learning paths for each student based on their progress.If you need advanced reporting across courses, the Achievement+ package includes tools for tracking learning outcomes and viewing results over time. This package includes features like the Outcome Achievement Dashboard and the Course Achievement Overview, which offer visual reports that can also be exported for offline use.Brightspace integrates with third-party tools like video conferencing and student information systems. Plus, its mobile-friendly design allows students to access courses from any device, anytime. Based on our data, Brightspace stands out in collaboration, compliance and reporting. Its Performance+ suite offers real-time training insights, and it complies with standards like WCAG and SCORM, while providing strong security measures like encryption and backups.However, compared to other platforms like Docebo or LearnUpon, Brightspace lacks certain AI-powered features such as AI-based tagging and content recommendations, which could be a disadvantage for organizations wanting advanced AI tools. Absorb LMS also offers more options for subscription management and interactive learning, which Brightspace doesn’t fully support — potentially making it less ideal for businesses looking to monetize training or enhance engagement with interactive features.Although Brightspace excels in core features like tracking, reporting, and compliance, it’s missing some capabilities like workload balancing and lesson gating, which can help manage learner progress. Pricing varies by organization size, making it scalable, though some users note a steeper learning curve than with other platforms.For organizations that need a customizable LMS with strong analytics, Brightspace is a worthwhile investment, especially for businesses focused on data-driven training and development strategies.

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Is Course Hero a true champion, a Herculean force in the realm of learning management systems? User reviews from the past year present a somewhat mixed bag. While Course Hero is generally lauded for its expansive library of study materials, some users feel it doesn't quite hit the mark as an LMS. A recurring theme in positive feedback is the platform's impressive repository of study aids. Users consistently praise the platform for its wide array of course-specific notes, study guides, and practice problems, finding them particularly beneficial for exam preparation and tackling homework assignments. However, a consistent gripe among users is the high cost of a subscription, with some finding it difficult to justify the expense, especially given the variable quality of user-uploaded content. This inconsistency in quality raises concerns about reliability, as users can't always be sure of the accuracy and helpfulness of the materials they encounter. While some users rave about the platform's user-friendliness and intuitive design, others express frustration with the interface, finding it less intuitive than competing platforms. Ultimately, Course Hero, as an LMS, seems best suited for students who need supplementary study resources and are willing to pay a premium for a vast library of materials. However, those seeking a primary learning platform or relying on a tight budget might find more suitable options elsewhere.

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