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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Edsby

    Score8 out of 10
    Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
    Edsby is a cloud-based learning management system (LMS) for K-12 school districts that uses web and mobile technologies to connect teachers, students, parents and administrators in new ways. This LMS allows students and parents to check grades, attendance, homework and more from a browser, tablet or mobile phone. The vendor says what sets this LMS apart from others is that Edsby is designed specifically for the special requirements and needs of K-12. To make district-wide…

    $5

    per user/per year

    Sakai

    Score8.7 out of 10
    N/ASakai is an open source learning management system provided by the Apero Foundation. The LMS provides what it calls Core and Expanded Features. The Core Features encompass an integrated tool set that is tested by the Sakai community members and is then included with each new release. The tool set can be configured by: instructors, students, research investigators and project leaders. The other set of tools, known as “Contrib Tools” are specific to Sakai tools and innovations that are developed…N/A
    Pricing
    EdsbySakai
    Editions & Modules
    Edsby
    5+
    per user/per year
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    EdsbySakai
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsEdsby charges an up-front fee for initial integration. There are also annual costs, variable with the number of students. Parent, teacher and administrator accounts are free. Certain other features are charged for annually. Special pricing applies for private schools. Contact Edsby for details.Must contact vendor for pricing information.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    EdsbySakai
    Considered Both Products
    Edsby
    No answer on this topic
    Apereo
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    5 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    5 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    5 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    EdsbySakai
    Learning Management
    Comparison of Learning Management features of Edsby and Sakai
    Feature
    Edsby
    9.0
    1 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Sakai
    7.9
    5 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Player/Portal10.01 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Mobile friendly9.01 Ratings7.05 Ratings
    Progress tracking & certifications7.01 Ratings8.05 Ratings
    Assignments9.01 Ratings10.05 Ratings
    Learning administration10.01 Ratings9.05 Ratings
    Social learning9.01 Ratings9.04 Ratings
    Course authoring00 Ratings8.05 Ratings
    Course catalog or library00 Ratings7.04 Ratings
    Learning content00 Ratings8.05 Ratings
    Compliance management00 Ratings7.04 Ratings
    Learning reporting & analytics00 Ratings6.05 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    EdsbySakai
    Small Businesses
    Google Classroom
    Score8.2 out of 10
    Google Classroom
    Score8.2 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Schoology Learning
    Score9.7 out of 10
    Schoology Learning
    Score9.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Axonify
    Score10 out of 10
    Axonify
    Score10 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    EdsbySakai
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (4 ratings)
    9.0
    (14 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    Usability
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    7.4
    (3 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.1
    (3 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    EdsbySakai
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Edsby
    I use only Edsby - I have no use for a google classroom as well as an Edsby page. I try to convince and how teachers how easy it is to use only one system
    Read full review
    Apereo
    I've used Sakai to supplement my Public Speaking class. Public Speaking is very much a F2F type course, so I didn't use Sakai much for course content delivery. However, I did use it to post my syllabus, post my lecture slides, communicate any class announcements, and to conduct a final exam for the class. Building the final exam was very simple and I was easily able to swap out questions to vary it from term to term. Before I was a staff member and lecturer, I used Sakai as a student. My instructor used Sakai to varying degrees. I really appreciated it being the one-stop-receptacle for all-things class related. If I somehow lost an assignment instruction sheet, I could rely on it being posted there. For multimedia work it was lacking, at that time, but I know Sakai has been updated over time and I hope that part of it has improved. If I was ever frustrated by Sakai, it was because faculty used it in a piecemeal way. It's fine not to want to use the gradebook, but don't enter some grades and not others. It's wonderful to upload class documents to it; but don't do some and not others. Whatever way you're going to use Sakai, commit to it and use it well. Your students will thank you.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Edsby
    • It has a home page viewable by students in which there is a Journal space. Teachers can post reminders for example for homework or upcoming events.
    • EDSBY has a place where one can create Folders or Unit Assessments which students can access and if need be print themselves a copy of the assessment. These folders can be used for different unit work or for something that is used throughout the semester. For instance, information on The Writing Process is in a folder, as are major assessments.
    • It's easy to set up the Grade Book because of the automatic choices that are offered for semester work and culminating work. Weights can be edited and categories of assessment can be changed quickly, if needed.
    • If you have a problem, you can ask for help from someone in the school or in the system who knows about the program, or you can send a message to EDSBY, and they are very quick in replying with a fix.
    Read full review
    Apereo
    • Sakai is flexible, providing a way for our customers (instructors) to customize their courses while staying in line with consistency and continuity of course design. This has allowed our courses to be far less cookie-cutter and stale. This is mostly accomplished through Sakai's LTI functionality and it's Lessons tool. This is particularly notable because not every course is the same, nor should it be. Our faculty and course developers can draw from OER resources, course text publisher assessment quiz banks and pull in content from sources from our library databases and services like YouTube.
    • Sakai is customizable, allowing us to pair it with our student information system to automatically create and track with student registration data - including adding new students and removing students who have elected to drop a course. The customization features also include being able to create course templates for individual schools or courses using specific tools or sequences of tools as well as a way to personalize content for students when they engage with each lesson.
    • Sakai is stable in the market. We have been using Sakai for almost 10 years and continue to see it improve; responding to changing trends in browser technologies, mobile platforms and accessibility requirements. Multiple programs offered over the years have been recognized by outside organizations like BestColleges.com for our programs and given high marks by students taking the courses offered in Sakai.
    • Sakai allows our faculty to inform it's continued evolution. We work closely with the developers, having a front seat to how things can work and function for our faculty. There have been multiple occasions where faculty ask, "Can Sakai do this?" and the answer is never "No."
    Read full review
    Cons
    Edsby
    • Edsby could make the sorting and collecting of information such as attendance easier.
    • Enhancements to the messaging system are needed - sorting into folders, searching, etc.
    Read full review
    Apereo
    • The coming upgrade will address many issues, the visual presentation of sites and courses
    • The Forums (discussion) tool is not natively integrated into the Gradebook, but needs another step to connect the two.
    • The Wiki tool is awkward and not WYSIWYG. But I understand that is common with wikis in most platforms
    • The Help documentation could use some focus on student needs rather that course developer needs
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Edsby
    No answers on this topic
    Apereo
    Sakai is a good general learning management system - it is not leading edge but rather a stable system with standard learning management system features. It can be fairly easily customized and is fairly easy to learn from both student learning and faculty administrative vantage points. New paradigms for online learning though are emergent so the current field should also be investigated with competitors.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Edsby
    The user interface is widely modelled on a web 2.0 design (e.g. Facebook). This is not a criticism per se, as it makes moving around the site very easy and familiar. The mobile site is also very well designed, it makes good use of space and is also easy to navigate.
    Read full review
    Apereo
    When faculty are preparing courses from term to term, a portion of the content is static within a specific discipline. The time it takes to import past lessons into new versions of Sakai can be an inefficient use of my time. When I want to add new content and edit from the old content, it's reliant upon me to cut and paste the content from term to term rather than simply import and edit from a backup.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Edsby
    No answers on this topic
    Apereo
    Since Sakai is open-source their documentation is often lacking and support is absolutely needed onsite. Internal documentation is more important with Sakai than other services. The Sakai community is fun, passionate, engaged, and absolutely doing their best, but it's an uphill battle against the current market and trends.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Edsby
    No answers on this topic
    Apereo
    No, I don't
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Edsby
    Edsby and Google Classroom are two entirely different services, yet they can be used together with increased learning effectiveness as the result. When used in tandem, they combine the best features of both platforms and blend them together to get the best learning platform possible.
    Read full review
    Apereo
    As an adjunct professor, I didn't pick Sakai for the university. I have experience with Moodle, Blackboard, eCollege, iBoard and now Sakai. I would have to say that Sakai is one of my all time favorite LMSs to use as it is very easy to navigate.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Edsby
    • Better customer service, in the sense that students know clearly what they need to do, and when they need to do it.
    • Better customer service, in that it is easier for teachers to contact parents, with the lap top in front of them and all the relevant data on student progress or lack thereof in front of them.
    • Better customer service, in that students can email the teacher directly through EDSBY to ask a question or see clarification, or make a request.
    Read full review
    Apereo
    • Sakai makes it easy for students to monitor grades which puts their minds at ease.
    • Sakai makes it easy for teachers to assign and receive assignments from students.
    • Communication is one of the most important and one of the most taxing parts of an educational system. Sakai makes this process just a little bit easier.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Edsby Screenshots

    Screenshot of the student's dashboard view in EdsbyScreenshot of private teacher observations of students in Edsby, taggedScreenshot of mobile Edsby clients available for iOS and AndroidScreenshot of a teacher's view of an Edsby class, the heart of the Edsby learning and analytics platformScreenshot of the teacher's view of a class gradebook in the Edsby learning and analytics platformScreenshot of a student eportfolio in the Edsby learning and analytics platform