Comparison of WebCT and CourseInfo

Note: We are currently running WebCT 3.5 and will be upgrading from CourseInfo 4.0.8. to Blackboard 5 in Summer 2001. This file is posted for archival purposes, and is not the latest version of the comparison. Both products have many new features which this comparison, done during the summer of 1999, does not cover. Many of the "Get Help" links in this document are broken, as the help files are in different locations in the current version.

During Spring 1999, over 100 faculty and staff attended demonstrations of two courseware products: WebCT and CourseInfo. These products help faculty build, conduct, and manage classes on the Web. They are the leading courseware products, in use at over 1,000 universities worldwide.

In June 1999, Information Systems and Technology purchased and installed both products. Over the last 2 months, we have had the opportunity to thoroughly explore both products in detail far greater than you can achieve in a 2-hour demo. We have learned a lot about the strengths and weaknesses of WebCT and CourseInfo. Through these pages, we share what we've learned.

We go beyond simply comparing features. We compare functions. Sure, each product has a bulletin board feature and each product has online quizzes, but how do they work? What functions do each of them provide? Can you sort and display bulletin-board messages based on subject? Can you set time limits on quizzes? This is the detail you will find here.

We hope that these pages will help you decide with product best meets your needs. But you need not make a decision based solely on this comparison.

Talk to your department. What do they recommend? For example, SMG provides courseware services to its own faculty. To request a course, call 353-9440. Also, while faculty on the Medical campus can use either product, the Medical Campus IT group will provide training in CourseInfo only.

Talk to your colleagues and ask what they use. In the demonstrations that we held during Spring, faculty in sciences and engineering expressed a preference for WebCT. Faculty in other fields preferred CourseInfo.

Finally, you are welcome to attend an Introduction to WebCT and CourseInfo tutorial. We will give a broad overview of each product and answer any questions you might have.