News
Desire2Learn Packs Increased Flexibility and User-Centric Approach in New Version of Learning Environment
SYNOPSIS: Desire2Learn introduces Learning Environment 8.2 enabling boundless learning through added functionality, new enhancements and optimized user-experience
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, May 30, 2007 – - Desire2Learn Inc., a leading provider of mission-critical enterprise eLearning solutions, today unveiled its latest version of the Desire2Learn Learning Environment, its flagship product. Learning Environment 8.2 offers increased power, greater flexibility and an optimized user-experience, among many other new capabilities.
Key improvements focus on making collaboration, navigation and task completion easier for students and instructors. This major release includes more than 100 new features and enhancements to key tools, as well as innovations in group collaboration, Competencies, Discussions and Grades to assist organizations in delivering a high quality learner-centric learning environment where learners can achieve their potential. More than 75 key clients participated in the design, development and testing process.
The Desire2Learn Learning Environment 8.2, a complete suite of teaching and learning functionality for course development, delivery and management, empowers organizations to achieve their eLearning vision. Through a comprehensive suite of online teaching and learning tools, institutions can offer learning environments that reflect their vision, objectives and pedagogy. With a rich feature set and the ability to easily tailor features and interfaces, the Desire2Learn Learning Environment is scalable from hundreds to over one million learners.
New features and enhancements include:
- Unparalleled Flexibility: Learning Environment 8.2 empowers users to do things 'their way' using the flexibility of the platform. Instructors and administrators can deliver their online programs, without compromising on how they create and deliver their courses.
- Optimized User-Experience: Learning Environment 8.2 enables the creation of an enjoyable online learning experience through improved consistency and increased usability of the user interface and provides enhanced navigation. Partnering with clients for in-depth usability testing has resulted in the creation of an intuitive and user-centric design, therefore, enabling instructors to focus on teaching and learning, and not on the technology.
- Interactive Group Collaboration: Learning Environment 8.2 facilitates peer-to-peer collaboration and interaction through group management integrated into a range of collaboration tools. Group discussion areas enable group members to share knowledge and insight; group lockers provide learners with a shared workspace; and group Dropbox folders make it easy for learners to submit and receive feedback on group assignments.
- Powerful Course Management: Learning Environment 8.2 empowers institutions to design, develop and deliver engaging courses where instructors can ensure learners achieve results. Through extensive and robust functionality, along with seamless tool integration, organizations can quickly get started. Additionally, instructors can use their time efficiently by rapidly creating dynamic courses and making key decisions based on assessing and monitoring learner progress. The advanced course conversion functionality enables institutions to easily migrate their current course offerings to the Desire2Learn Learning Environment.
- Effective Measurement and Assessment: Learning Environment 8.2 offers a powerful suite of tools to measure and assess learning outcomes. The industry-leading Competencies and Rubrics framework has been expanded to include Grades and Discussions when evaluating learner knowledge.
Demonstrations of these new features and many others in Learning Environment 8.2 will be given at the Desire2Learn booth at upcoming conferences and industry events.
"This is a milestone release for the Desire2Learn Learning Environment," said John Baker, Desire2Learn President and CEO. "Learning Environment 8.2 soars to new heights with flexible functionality, a new student-centered approach to collaboration and the proliferation of our industry-leading Competencies engine, further elevating our clients' eLearning programs. Our clients will gain significant time savings as a result of new features that enable quicker course development, easier management and maximized group collaboration. We are looking forward to working with clients to drive and deliver new innovations."
This release has been very well received by Desire2Learn clients.
According to Todd Blankenbeckler, Coordinator of Instructional Design and Accessibility, Southwest Tennessee Community College, "We absolutely love the new streamlined user interface! We're also extremely exited about the many new options and enhancements available in Learning Environment 8.2. These new features and functionality once again illustrate commitment by Desire2Learn to produce a quality, user-focused learning environment."
Availability
The Desire2Learn Learning Environment 8.2 is available June 1, 2007. Visit www.Desire2Learn.com, call (519) 772-0325 or email Info@Desire2Learn.com for details.
About Desire2Learn Inc.
Desire2Learn Inc. is a world-leading provider of enterprise eLearning solutions that enable institutions and other organizations to create teaching and learning environments that reflect their vision, values, goals, pedagogical approaches and branding. Desire2Learn supports over four million learners worldwide and clients include higher education, K-12, as well as associations, government, and other leading organizations. For more information, visit: www.Desire2Learn.com
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Jacqueline Chioreanu
Marketing Specialist
Desire2Learn Inc.
(519) 772-0325 ext. 365
PR@Desire2Learn.com
