LONDON, UK – 5 August 2021 – D2L, a global learning technology leader, today announced that the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) has selected Brightspace as its new learning platform to deliver effective online learning for its members.
RCPsych is the UK professional medical body responsible for supporting psychiatrists throughout their careers from training through to retirement. It works to secure the best outcomes for people with mental illness, learning difficulties and developmental disorders by promoting excellent mental health services, training outstanding psychiatrists, promoting quality and research, setting standards and being the voice of psychiatry.
The Royal College has offered online learning content since 2006 through CPD Online, its purpose-built website, and its course structure historically had members gain up to half of their CPD points through online learning. However, the RCPsych felt that the existing solution was no longer fit for purpose, and its members needed a dedicated learning environment that could provide quick access to a variety of content when they needed it.
As COVID-19 severely impacted the ability for face-to-face teaching in spring 2020, the need to find a better online learning solution became ever more pressing for the Royal College.
Following several months of research into the learning platforms available on the market, and taking into account recommendations from other royal colleges, the tender process began in April 2020, with a field of four providers. The D2L Brightspace platform was chosen based on its ease of use for both learners and educators, its customised learning pathways functionality, and its partnership with integrated course registration storefront, Course Merchant.
“Our goal is to add value to our members in the Psychiatric profession and, ultimately, ensure that those with mental illnesses and developmental disorders are getting the highest quality treatment they can. The pandemic has impacted not only the ability for us to deliver our training, but also the mental health of the general population. The services of our members have never been in higher demand, and it’s essential that our members can access engaging learning materials to continue in their professional development,” said Sonia Walter, Director of Professional Standards at RCPsych.
RCPsych started migration of content immediately after the partnership began and has already uploaded most of its existing learning materials to Brightspace. The Royal College plans to upload additional training modules later this year and is developing new courses and formats based on the increased functionality of the Brightspace platform.
As of August 2021, the Brightspace platform has been launched to 2,500 individual RCPsych members, with a further 3,000 institutional subscribers due to launch in the autumn. As lockdown restrictions ease even further, RCPsych will investigate hybrid learning approaches through Brightspace and, as its learner datasets become more robust, RCPsych plans to offer even more personalised and engaging learning pathways for its members.
“Demand for psychiatric services has been huge during the course of the pandemic, and will likely continue to be even as lockdowns end. We’re proud that the Royal College of Psychiatrists will be using Brightspace to further the professional development of its members so they’re equipped to provide the highest standard of care for their patients,” said Alan Hiddleston, Director of Corporate Learning, D2L.
ABOUT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PSYCHIATRISTS
- We are the professional medical body responsible for supporting over 19,000 psychiatrists in the UK and internationally.
- We set standards and promote excellence in psychiatry and mental healthcare.
- We lead, represent and support psychiatrists nationally and internationally to governments and other agencies.
- We aim to improve the outcomes of people with mental illness, and the mental health of individuals, theirfamiliesand communities. We do this by working with patients, carers and other organisations interested in delivering high quality mental health services.
For more information please contact:
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.rcpsych.ac.uk
Twitter: @rcpsych
Out-of-hours contact number: 07860 755896
ABOUT D2L
D2L is transforming the way the world learns – helping learners of all ages achieve more than they dreamed possible. Working closely with clients all over the world, D2L is supporting millions of people learning online and in person. Our more than 950 global employees are dedicated to making the best learning products to leave the world better than where they found it. Learn more about D2L for K-12, higher education and businesses at www.D2L.com.
ABOUT D2L BRIGHTSPACE
D2L Brightspace is a cloud-based learning platform built for organisations that value continuous investment in people to drive their business success.
D2L Brightspace is powering smarter upskilling and reskilling of workforces around the world. It is the one place that supports all aspects of learning with better engagement and productivity through personalised learning. It gives your teams the tools they’re going to love and makes it easy to support exceptional experiences face-to-face or fully online.
D2L Brightspace is designed in close collaboration with clients around the world – building a rich set of features to improve engagement, retention and learning outcomes. And it makes it easier to give feedback. It’s worry-free with 99.9% reliability. It’s highly accessible and looks beautiful on any mobile device, making it easier for you to reach every learner.
Like many of our clients, D2L uses its award-winning Brightspace learning platform to support onboarding, compliance training, leadership development, and upskilling of its own employees. This has led to back-to-back #1 in North America awards for new hire and onboarding experiences. To learn more, visit D2L for Corporate Learning.
UK PRESS CONTACTS
Pippa Twigg, Finn Partners
Tel: +44 (0) 7769 719 719
[email protected]
Twitter: @D2L_EMEA
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