/EINPresswire.com/ -- LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - July 31, 2017) - D2L, a global learning technology leader, announces that the University of Derby, the number one university for graduate employment in the East Midlands, UK, has selected its Brightspace virtual learning environment (VLE) to deliver a suite of new online professional development courses.

Renowned for technology and innovation, the University of Derby decided to build on the success of its online degree programmes and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), and introduce a number of paid-for short courses for working professionals seeking Continuing Professional Development (CPD), as well as for employers for their staff development. With topics ranging from leadership and finance, to more specialised subjects including Child and Adolescent Mental Health or Diabetes, the University wanted to expand its offerings for the non-traditional student audience and provide a personalised experience that would attract different types of learners and drive new revenue opportunities.

Following an evaluation process involving three shortlisted companies, the University of Derby selected D2L's Brightspace VLE. The platform was chosen for its ease of use, modern mobile design, seamless course delivery, open integration and superior analytics capabilities.

"When we decided to introduce online professional development courses, we didn't want just any VLE; we wanted a flexible, intelligent, insightful VLE. D2L's Brightspace ticked all of our boxes," said Munib Hadi, Head of Academic Innovation Hub at the University of Derby. "Our learners are often eager to learn, yet they are time-constrained and on-the-go, which means they require an adaptable, flexible learning platform that they can engage with when and where it suits them. Brightspace stood out in this respect. The platform is extremely easy to use and can be tailored to each learner's lifestyle and skillset -- something that is very important for us.

"What I particularly like about Brightspace is that it automates the delivery of our courses, but it still has the human touch. The platform uses intelligence agents to recognise each learner's progress and communicate with them accordingly. We are able to automatically generate emails and still offer a truly personalised learning experience. Furthermore, the platform's data analytics capabilities give us invaluable insight into which courses are popular, helping us continually adapt our classes and improve our teaching."

Brightspace is mobile responsive, offers real-time analytics, a personalised learning experience and complete accessibility, all within one flexible VLE. The dynamic and mobile Daylight interface enables instructors to design courses easily, create content and grade assignments on their phone or tablet. Brightspace's built-in analytics enable the University of Derby to monitor courses and individuals, helping them tailor each learner's experience.

The University of Derby, like D2L, is committed to taking an innovative approach to technology and learning, which was clear from the outset," said Elliot Gowans, VP EMEA, D2L. "Derby already has a great reputation for online learning and we are looking forward to helping the University further develop and enhance its online credentials."

This announcement follows the recent news that the university was awarded Gold by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in the UK's first Teaching Excellence Framework, putting it in the top 20 percent of providers in the country.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF DERBY

The University of Derby Online Learning (UDOL) is the thriving distance learning division of the University of Derby. Since 2001, the University of Derby has offered online distance learning to students who required more flexible study options. As demand for these popular online distance learning courses increased, Derby learned to tailor course content specifically for online delivery and in 2011, UDOL was launched.

UDOL is now one of the UK's leading providers of online learning. Its aim is to inspire people to achieve more and realise their academic ambitions. It is dedicated to providing online learning degree courses, professional courses and CPD opportunities to people around the world. Its courses are studied entirely online, and study materials are available at any time via computer or mobile devices, allowing learners to study at a time and place that suits them, fitting studies around family and working life.

UDOL's students learn in a structured and supported environment, with academic advice and tuition from experienced online academic tutors and pastoral support from a dedicated online learner advisor. Many of UDOL's programmes are accredited by professional bodies meaning they meet industry standards/ expectations.

By combining the best quality university teaching and the latest online delivery techniques, UDOL's learners can expect their studies to be stimulating, rich and rewarding. In addition, the support and guidance service ensures learners are able to get the very best out of their studies, no matter their location or situation. Through debates and collaboration, students from around the world can interact, share their knowledge and skills, thereby enhancing the overall learning experience.

Proud to be an award-winning team, UDOL has experienced significant success and its future plans are ambitious as it continues to expand and grow to meet the rising demand for quality online degree courses.

ABOUT BRIGHTSPACE

D2L's Brightspace is a learning management system (LMS) that helps schools and institutions deliver personalized learning in a classroom or online to people anywhere in the world. Created for the digital learner, Brightspace is cloud-based, runs on mobile devices and offers rich multimedia to increase engagement, productivity and knowledge retention. The platform makes it easy to design courses, create content and grade assignments, giving instructors more time to focus on what's most important: greater teaching and learning. At the same time, analytics reports track and deliver insights into the performance levels of departments, courses or individuals.

Brightspace was named the #1 LMS in Higher Ed by Ovum Research and #1 in Adaptive Learning by eLearning Magazine. In addition, Aragon Research ranked D2L as a 'Leader' in 2017 Aragon Research Globe for Corporate Learning and included Brightspace in its highly coveted Hot Vendors In Learning list.

ABOUT D2L

D2L is the software leader that makes learning experiences better. The company's cloud-based platform, Brightspace, is easy to use, flexible, and smart. With Brightspace, organisations can personalise the experience for every learner to deliver real results. The company is a world leader in learning analytics: its platform predicts learner performance so that organisations can take action in real-time to keep learners on track. Brightspace is used by learners in higher education, secondary schools, and the corporate sector, including the Fortune 1000. D2L has operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Brazil, and Singapore. www.D2L.com Twitter: @D2L @D2L_EMEA

© 2017 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. All D2L marks are trademarks of D2L Corporation. Please visit D2L.com/trademarks for a list of D2L marks.