The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama selects D2L’s Brightspace platform

D2L, a global learning technology leader, today announced that The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama has selected the Brightspace platform to provide an enhanced and engaging virtual learning environment for its students and staff.

The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (Central), a specialist institution which is a part of the University of London and is renowned for its training and research in the Dramatic Arts, made the decision to upgrade from its previous learning platforms to a single platform that delivers a more modern, accessible and engaging learning experience for its students. The school also wanted to ensure that it was fully aligned and compliant with the recently updated General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Following a rigorous evaluation process, Central chose the Brightspace platform.

The platform is currently being used by students who are studying on degree courses at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, as well as by staff who are undertaking training.

“As a relatively small institution, we needed a platform that was easy-to-use, flexible and accessible,” said Aris Koliopoulos, Head of IT at The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. “We are a performing arts school, which means we don’t have a traditional learning environment where students sit in a lecture hall or at a computer and learn from the lecturer; our classes are much more active, hands-on and dispersed. What we love about Brightspace is that it seamlessly bridges the gap between tactile assignments and virtual materials through the use of video and audio features, as well as interactive feedback options.

“Our students also pursue work placements around the world, but require regular communications with their lecturers and fellow classmates on-site. Brightspace’s ePortfolios, interactive quizzes, live streaming and forums make this possible and create an engaging learning experience, wherever they are. Brightspace perfectly meets our specific demands, especially in a financial and operational context,” continued Aris.

In addition, the Brightspace platform has improved the efficiency of academic administration and provided additional peace of mind that the school is compliant with current regulations. The staff at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama have praised the ease in downloading large student data, as well as ePortfolio and content integration.

“Our lecturers agree that Brightspace is easy and intuitive to use. It was important to us that our staff was comfortable with the learning platform as, if they’re happy and using the platform, so will the students. Finally, with GDPR enforced earlier this year, we were under greater pressure to protect the data we handle; by using Brightspace we are confident that we are are fully compliant,” concluded Aris.

The Brightspace platform is mobile responsive, offers real-time analytics, and a personalised learning experience, all within one flexible Virtual Learning Environment. The dynamic and mobile Daylight interface lets instructors design courses easily, create content and grade assignments on their phone or tablet. Brightspace’s built-in analytics lets The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama monitor courses tailored to each learner’s experience.

“We are very happy to be working with Central,” said Elliot Gowans, Senior VP International, D2L. “Like us, the institution is committed to enhancing the student experience and equipping lecturers with the most effective tools to deliver their lessons. We look forward to extending our relationship going forward.”