The Challenge
As the oldest nursing institution in Norway, Lovisenberg diakonale høgskole (LDH) has a strong focus on values and reputation. Since 1868, the college has been a significant name in educational nursing.
With an emphasis on quality of care, the institution wanted to partner with a platform (LMS) that would support the sharing of medical knowledge and ensure students are equipped to access the information they need to deliver the best possible modern patient care.
Following a lack of engagement with the previous LMS, LDH wanted to find a more visually appealing and user-friendly solution.
Quoting their students as their most important asset, it was important for the nursing institution to find a partner which placed user experience at the heart of product development.
Key Findings
The previous Learning Management System (LMS) at LDH did not meet the college’s expectations for a user-friendly experience
LDH first learned about Canvas after the college was invited to participate in a national technology project in Norway
Canvas won the college’s support based on the team’s acute understanding of educational issues and pressures, as well as the organisation’s commitment to delivering ground-breaking learning experiences
In addition, Canvas LMS appealed because of its easy-to-use interface, its accessibility on mobile and tablet devices, and the integrated apps.
After researching numerous learning management systems being used by prominent educational institutions, what stood out for us was how user-friendly the Canvas platform is and how easily staff and students adopted and embraced the technology. The Canvas Guides are highly informative and, with the added professional support from Instructure, we felt well equipped to implement Canvas LMS right away and start benefiting from its state-of-the-art technology and innovative design and tools.
Pål Hægland,
Canvas Project Leader, Lovisenberg diakonale høgskole
The Decision
LDH began testing Canvas LMS around 5 months ago. Initially, the user-group was limited to a small committee who shared feedback on their experiences before the technology was rolled out widely to students and staff. The nursing institution’s plans are to achieve full implementation across students and faculty by 1st August 2015.
The greater focus on knowledge sharing, easy access to learning materials and the emphasis on student feedback and results tracking has helped to forge stronger relationships between students and tutors.
“Staff at LDH have embraced the Canvas LMS quickly and with enthusiasm thanks to the platform’s modern interface and easy-to-use apps” said Pål Hægland.
“Messages are now sent back and forth between our students and teachers. This efficiency of communication is something we have never seen before and it really opens up the amount of time students get to interact with their tutors, which improves feedback and the whole learning experience” Pål continues.
Lovisenberg diakonale høgskole is looking to scale its operations with Canvas further and is investigating new learning techniques such as remote learning and MOOC courses as part of its mission to deliver learning experiences fit for the 21st century.
The Results
Students and staff contributed to the LMS evaluation process. Lovisenberg’s main criteria were:
⟶ Usability; a modern interface which would work seamlessly across devices and appeal to students, faculty and staff
⟶ Open communications; a platform which would facilitate greater academic discussion and knowledge-sharing between faculty and students
⟶ Guided implementation; a technology partner which could provide quick and efficient support for LMS users
In Norway, students in higher education often sit a final exam which makes up most of the degree grade awarded.
With a great deal of pressure on the end-exam, students can now benefit from a learning platform which provides greater engagement choices to support their personal learning styles.
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