Lightspeed Classroom vs Piazza

Lightspeed Classroom is a classroom management solution that gives teachers controls for student screens and web activity. Teachers can view, lock, and record screens, receive alerts about unusual browsing, restrict web access, set tab limits, and close off-task tabs. They can organize students into groups with custom browsing rules and curriculum links, add co-teachers, and merge classes. The product provides visibility and notifications about classroom AI activity. It interoperates with Lightspeed Hall Monitor to show hall-pass reports and integrates with Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Lightspeed Classroom works on Chromebooks, Windows devices, and Macs; its FAQ says third-party screen monitoring does not work on iOS. Administrators can decide whether screen monitoring is enabled off campus. Lightspeed offers weekly live online teacher training, an on-demand video course, documentation, and help materials. The company says data is encrypted at rest using AES and in transit using TLS, and that it undergoes an annual independent SOC 2 Type II audit. Pricing is available by request.

Piazza is a course Q&A platform connecting students, teaching assistants, and professors around coursework. Its wiki-style format lets participants edit shared responses, with one student answer and one instructor answer for each question. Students can post anonymously to classmates, or anonymously to the instructor if the instructor permits it; instructors can endorse questions and answers. Course pages can hold announcements, course information, syllabi, assignments, lecture notes, and links. Participation reports show instructors who asks, answers, edits, or reads, as well as when questions arise during the term. Piazza lists integrations with Blackboard, Moodle, Sakai, Desire2Learn, Canvas, Jenzabar, and Angel. Integrated rosters can enroll users with appropriate roles, and users can sign in through the LMS. Piazza is available on web, iOS, and Android, with class alerts in its mobile apps. It says student email addresses and course enrollment details are accessible only to class instructors, and describes technical, administrative, and physical safeguards. Founded in 2009, it is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. A contribution-supported plan is free; paid instructor licenses start at $379 a month, billed per term.