Learning Curve

Case study: How a Canadian university integrated e-learning into their curriculum

Challenge:

A leading Canadian University recently identified a need to supplement business school curriculum with additional courses. They found that students were lacking basic competencies needed to be successful in their post-secondary education. Many students lacked fundamental business skills and were struggling with office tools necessary for completing business assignments. As a result, professors were forced to delay delving into the theoretical side of the subject matter and instead spent time teaching skills they felt students should already have learned.

Solution:

The solution was to implement Serebra’s learning management system and offer additional courses online. In this manner, students could take the courses they needed on their own time and at their own pace.

In addition, if certain students struggled with particular areas they could spend time going back through the relevant online courseware. From the beginning, the courses were never intended to replace the instructor-led courses but were rather implemented to supplement and complement what was being taught in class.

Why Serebra:

The University was first attracted to Serebra Campus for its user-friendly interface. Students taking the online courses were business students and not experts in information technology. As a result, it was important that the learning management system be fluid and intuitive. Serebra Campus offered just that.  In addition, Serebra offered a catalogue of over 7,000 courses from which to choose the right mix for the university. Ultimately, the school created a library of 27 courses, which covered the topics identified by the business professors as being key prerequisites and complementary skills to the courses they were teaching in person.

 Benefits:

 By implementing an LMS and online courses, the University’s business school saved both time and money while enhancing the quality and effectiveness of student education. Students in the business program were offered over 40 hours of additional credentialed training that focused expressly on tools and techniques. As a result, valuable instructor hours were no longer consumed teaching supplementary skills that could be more sensibly delivered online. Instead the focus of live, critical classroom time returned to core curriculum and key learning objectives. In this manner, students became better equipped for their studies overall, while also spending time independently to enhance their professional skill sets. Allowing all students in the business program access to the complete library was highly cost-effective and far less expensive than using a professor to teach the subject matter. In addition, Serebra’s LMS allowed administrators and professors to see which students were taking what, when and whether the courses were successfully completed.

Overall, students, administrators and professors benefited from the program. Serebra is pleased to have made a difference to business education in Canada!