News

Thursday 21 August 2008

The future is 'NOW'

A state-of-the-art virtual learning environment allowing students to access their university resources from anywhere in the world has been unveiled at Nottingham Trent University. The new Nottingham Trent University Online Workspace – ‘NOW’ for short – aims to provide students with a whole range of modern and cutting edge tools that can be accessed via the internet to help them with their studies.

Consultation with more than 2,500 students and staff has contributed to a two year process of identifying exactly what NOW should offer to its users today, as well as in the future. The initiative includes blogs, discussion forums and electronic assessment tools providing ample opportunity for collaborative and independent learning. NOW has also been developed with important consideration to accessibility for users with disabilities, ensuring that content can be uploaded and interpreted easily by all.

With its introduction, the NOW project has ensured that Nottingham Trent University remains at the forefront of successful and innovative teaching and learning practices in higher education.

Sue McKnight, Director of Learning and Knowledge Resources and NOW project leader, said: “There’s nothing ordinary about NOW. The University has significantly invested two years’ of hard work in ensuring that the final product contains tools and resources that will benefit our students in their studies and support the needs of our staff in teaching.

“A typical visit to NOW could see students logging on from anywhere in the world to check their timetable, download files and course notes and to discuss work and projects with fellow students and lecturers. They could then watch a video, listen to a podcast, submit their latest piece of work for assessment on which they can expect to receive feedback, as well as browsing the library for books and an expanding range of e-Resources.”

Nottingham Trent University commissioned Canadian-based and global leader in eLearning technologies ‘Desire2Learn’ to help develop NOW. With a proven track record in the field of online learning, Desire2Learn has helped in creating a modern and innovative product perfectly suited to Nottingham Trent University.

John Baker, President and CEO of Desire2Learn said: “We were delighted to have been chosen for this project with Nottingham Trent University. The final product and its tools are going be invaluable for students for years to come.”

ENDS

Notes for editors:

Desire2Learn Inc
Founded in 1999, Desire2Learn Inc. is a leader in providing innovative eLearning solutions to academic and other leading organisations around the world. Their focus is on research and development and service and support for their clients, and their products lead the market in innovation and client satisfaction.

Press enquiries please contact Matt Wallace, Press Officer, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8785, or via email matthew.wallace@ntu.ac.uk, or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8774, or via email therese.easom@ntu.ac.uk.