Upgrade from Collaborate to ClassClass: The next generation virtual classroom
Built on industry-leading video conferencing platforms
Class is the leading synchronous virtual classroom, featuring tools and capabilities designed specifically to drive education outcomes. Our platform leverages the scalability of successful video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams to build large, stable synchronous learning experiences.
Industry expertise you can rely on
Class was founded in 2020 by education pioneer Michael Chasen, founder and former CEO of Blackboard. In June 2022, Class announced the acquisition of Anthology’s Blackboard Collaborate virtual classroom tool with the goal of bringing the two products together to take online learning to the next level.
What makes Class the right solution for you?
In addition to the teaching and learning tools Class has to offer, we’ve heard from many of our Collaborate customers that there are a few key benefits that really set Class apart from the rest.
Preparation & configuration
Class is built to give instructors more control over their sessions, including the ability to prepare and preload content, adjust individual learner-level permissions in real-time, and monitor activity in all breakout rooms simultaneously.
Improved accessibility
Designed to support a range of learner needs, Class comes equipped with features like automated live captioning and a dedicated sign language interpreter camera that can be pinned directly below the instructor podium for an equitable learning experience.
Real-time data dashboard
Instructors have access to a number of real-time metrics—including talk-time, attendance, and frequency of chats and reactions—that can be used during and after sessions to measure and improve learner engagement.
Experience the benefits of Class before upgradingDiscover Class for free
As a part of the Guided Upgrade Program, current Collaborate customers have the opportunity to explore Class alongside key members of your institution by leveraging our Discovery Access platform.
Guided Upgrade Program
You’re invited to join our cohort-based virtual upgrade program designed to support customers upgrading from Collaborate to Class 2.0. The program is free to Collaborate customers, with our first cohort available in June 2023.
Discovery Access PlatformExperience Class for yourself
All Collaborate customers can gain access to an exclusive limited-use Class environment for up to five system administrators or learning technologists. This discovery platform provides a hands-on trial of Class for key colleagues at your institution to experience the benefits of Class firsthand ahead of the upgrade. Along with access to Class, you’ll receive curated discovery guides with recommended activities to complete to get the most out of your exploration.
Guided Upgrade CohortsUpgrade alongside others
Customers are invited to participate in a cohort of peer institutions upgrading from Collaborate to Class. Cohorts are designed to support the release of Class for a small group of instructors within your institution. As part of the Guided Upgrade Program, you will receive a 6-week guided technical implementation and training support program, and custom Collaborate to Class resources, including a series of cohort webinars, office hours, and guided labs.
Resources & CommunityConnect with peers and get support at every step
Join our Class Community for the most up-to-date product and upgrade information, as well as live discussions with Collaborate and Class customers and the team at Class. You’ll get access to content on the Guided Upgrade Program and our Discovery Access platform, and have the opportunity to engage directly with Class Collaborate subject matter experts, connect with members of your upgrade cohort, and share product feedback and feature enhancement requests.
Ready to get started?
Follow these four steps to participate in our Collaborate to Class Guided Upgrade Program.
Connect with our upgrade team
Your Account Manager will get in contact with you to align on your institution’s readiness, resource requirements, and upgrade timeline preferences. See our upcoming cohort schedule for more information.
Questions? Reach out to collaborate@class.com.
Join a guided upgrade cohort
Once your institution has confirmed the desired cohort and the registration steps have been completed, you will be ready to start the Upgrade Program.
Begin your personalized upgrade journey
Class will guide your institution through our six-week program, where we’ll cover Technical Implementation, Class Product Training, and Change Management and Adoption Planning.
Launch Class at scale
Following the guided technical implementation, training, and change management and adoption planning, your institution will have the flexibility to fully transition to using Class at scale on your preferred timeline.
Additional resources
You’re invited to join our cohort-based virtual upgrade program designed to support customers upgrading from Collaborate to Class 2.0. The program is free to Collaborate customers, with our first cohort available in June 2023.
Upgrade from Collaborate to Class FAQsYour questions answered
What is the Class Collaborate Guided Upgrade Program?
Class has designed a Guided Upgrade Program to support customers interested in upgrading from the Collaborate product to Class 2.0 at no cost to customers. This guided program includes access to (a) a free, limited-use Class 2.0 Discovery trial for all customers, (b) 6 weeks of guided technical implementation and training support, (c) custom resources for Collaborate instructors, administrators, and learners, and (d) cohort webinars, available at varying times, covering topics such as “Understanding Class” functionality through the lens of Collaborate. Customers will participate in a cohort alongside peer institutions upgrading from Collaborate to Class. Cohorts are available to customers each quarter beginning June 2023.
Cohorts are designed with a phased rollout approach, allowing institutions to implement Class with a small group of instructors before ultimately rolling out Class at scale. The go-live date for a full launch of Class at your institution will be defined in partnership with each institution.
Will I be required to upgrade to Class 2.0? If so, is there a deadline for my institution to upgrade?
Class 2.0 is the combined Collaborate and Class Next Generation Virtual Classroom. Class 2.0 will better support the needs of all Collaborate customers by introducing features Collaborate customers have been waiting on for years, while retaining all the best parts of Collaborate. We are eager to partner closely with you to design a custom upgrade path that meets your institution’s needs and timeline preferences. Any change to the support of Collaborate will include plenty of advance notice. No change in support for the Collaborate product is scheduled at this time.
How do I get access to the Class 2.0 Discovery Platform (Class free trial program)?
The Class 2.0 Discovery Access Platform will be made available to all institutions this April. Each institution will receive 5 default sample accounts (2 instructors and 3 students) at no cost. In addition, each institution will be given a course where you can independently try out Class as an instructor, and test things out with your team. You can continue to use your Class 2.0 Discovery Access platform until you’ve registered for an Upgrade Cohort, where we’ll then provision your own Class instance that can be integrated with your LMS so you can start using Class with real instructors and students. Customers interested in exploring Class with a larger number of instructors are encouraged to join an Upgrade Cohort.
Will I be required to sign a new agreement with Class?
As a part of your upgrade process, we will provide an addendum for your acknowledgement of the upgrade to Class 2.0 honoring your Collaborate contract terms with the same renewal date.
Will my pricing and terms change?
Class is committed to honoring your Collaborate annual contract price and terms.
For Collaborate Customers with existing minutes/usage-based agreements, you will receive unlimited minutes and access to Class for the same total number of annualized active users (combined number of hosts and end users).
For Collaborate Customers with User/FTE-based agreements, you will receive unlimited minutes and access to Class for the same total number of contracted users.
In rare cases of unlimited Collaborate user access, the Class Account Management team will work with your institution to align your FTE model with Class’s available FTE tiers.
Will I be able to use Collaborate during my upgrade?
Yes. During the upgrade project planning, you’ll define a transition period during which you want to keep access to both platforms for your users. It is recommended to make this period somewhat brief (and no more than a semester) in order to avoid confusion for students and instructors and minimize the number of tools they are juggling. You can keep your Collaborate recordings in old courses for longer than this, but for new courses and “live” usage we recommend using a single main tool.
What are the Zoom requirements for utilizing Class?
For customers already utilizing Zoom, Class will integrate seamlessly with your institution’s Zoom instance. This installation type allows for the central access and administration of Zoom and Class, will utilize your Zoom account to power both courses and individual meetings, and allows customers to leverage other Zoom capabilities like Zoom Webinars, Zoom Phone, etc.
For customers who do not have Zoom, we’re building a simpler deployment that is also powered by Zoom on the back-end but removes the front-end Zoom experience. This install method does not allow for the use of Zoom for individual meetings. Institutions wanting to upgrade to their own Zoom license for the full feature set of Zoom can buy through Class at a discounted rate.