D2L’s Brightspace Offers Professional Learning for K-12 Teachers and Staff

Waterloo, ON, April 30, 2018 --  D2L today announces a new Professional Learning offering for K-12. The Brightspace learning platform can now be used for Professional Learning by teachers and staff in the same environment as their students.

“Teachers tell us they want to make the most of their professional learning time and they’d like that learning to directly benefit their students right away,” said Ken Chapman, VP of Market Research at D2L. “Now, teachers and staff can not only learn within the same environment as their students, they’ll become more effective teachers within that environment.”

D2L Customer Comments:

Justin Bruno, Professional Learning Services Manager at Michigan Virtual High School
“When professional learning is effective, it helps educators become better equipped to serve the evolving needs of their students. Good professional learning can improve instruction in the classroom and help shape great school leadership practices -- two areas that greatly affect student achievement.”

Tracy Dalton, Assistant Principal at Bowness High School
“So much research in the last 10 years has changed what we know about good teaching and learning that it can be overwhelming. Teachers need to be lifelong learners, but it can be challenging to keep up with all that is new when you are mired in the day-to-day work with students. Really effective, job-embedded, action-oriented professional learning helps teachers continually evolve their practice without burning out.”

Chris Huckans, Principal of Bishop Hall Charter School
“While Professional Learning has always been important for educators, the speed at which technology and information is accelerating makes it imperative for education to stay viable and relevant. It is impossible for one teacher to be an expert at everything. Using an LMS allows teachers to blend their expertise in a given field with technology that is keeping up with today’s global environment. An LMS also allows for teachers to collaborate (Peer Guidance), which provides for a learning community.”

D2L’s Professional Learning Solution will maximize learning time with the following capabilities:

• Organize and Track Teacher and Staff Development with the new Manager Dashboard.
• Use the Tools You Love to add materials from numerous sources -- Microsoft OneDrive®, Google Drive™, YouTube, Vimeo and TED talks.
• Go Mobile and Build Content Natively by using our HTML5 design templates that make all your content look great on all devices, including video.
• Leverage new assessment types. Practise, demonstrate and get feedback on what you’ve learned using video-based recordings (e.g., interview or presentation skills).
• Inspire and Reward milestone activities and course completion with badges and certificates that show up in a learner’s profile card.
• Showcase and Share what you’ve learned with your peers using online discussions and video sessions.
• Recognize Informal Learning, share and enter dialogue with peers and connect formal learning goals to authentic examples.

D2L has also released a new service package focused on delivering customized implementation and consulting services to help create a lasting and effective professional learning culture for teachers and staff.

ABOUT BRIGHTSPACE
Brightspace is a cloud-based learning platform that makes online and blended learning easy, flexible and smart. Brightspace is a quantum leap beyond traditional Learning Management Systems (LMS) -- it is easy to drag-and-drop content to create engaging courses, supports all mobile devices, has industry-leading up-time and is accessible for all learners. Plus, Brightspace enables the future of learning with a gaming engine, adaptive learning, video management, intelligent agents, templated interactives for course design, full support for outcomes or competency-based learning, and actionable learning analytics.

D2L’s Brightspace was recently named the #1 LMS in Higher Ed by Ovum Research and #1 in Adaptive Learning by eLearning Magazine. In addition, Aragon Research included D2L in its highly coveted Hot Vendors In Learning list.

ABOUT D2L
D2L believes learning is the foundation upon which all progress and achievement rests. Working closely with clients, D2L has transformed the way millions of people learn online and in the classroom. Learn more about D2L for schools, higher education and businesses at www.D2L.com. 

Twitter: @D2L © 2018 D2L Corporation

The D2L family of companies includes D2L Corporation, D2L Ltd, D2L Australia Pty Ltd, D2L Europe Ltd, D2L Asia Pte Ltd, and D2L Brasil Soluções de Tecnologia para Educação Ltda.

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PRESS CONTACT:
Virginia Jamieson, Vice President of PR and AR, D2L Ltd., 650-279-8619, [email protected]