Implementation of the Blackboard solutions
Implementation of the Blackboard solutions
Ranking among the world’s top 100 educational institutes, Lund University is one of oldest, largest and most prestigious universities of northern Europe. The Faculty of Law of Lund University has been educating lawyers for 350 years and also provides short courses to meet the huge demand for a fundamental knowledge of law amongst non-lawyers.
Sweden’s 10 million population is spread over 50,000 square kilometres and most of these students cannot easily get to the university campus. That’s why for the University to cater for even the remotest students, a successful distance learning option was essential.
The Faculty of Law has been offering distance-learning courses since the mid-1990s, using a Learning Management System (LMS) specifically developed for the faculty. Years later they decided to implement Blackboard’s solutions instead of making a huge investment in the existing one.
Most of the 1,000 students enroled during the year now study through Blackboard Learn, taking courses asynchronously, with pre-recorded, high-quality lectures that can be accessed virtually at any time.
The teachers design the assignments, which are distributed through Blackboard Learn, and also prepare detailed answers for the coaches. The students on a fundamental course submit their assignments to the coach who will use the teachers’ answers for comparison, provide comments on the student’s legal answer, and legal technique, and suggest opportunities for further study. Coaches are also using Blackboard Collaborate to talk to students, answer questions, and respond to queries.
Feedback from students and teachers has been absolutely positive. The popularity of these courses has grown and there are now approximately eight times as many applicants as places available. Teachers are particularly pleased that they are able to share their knowledge with such a large number of students. They are also glad that the University is employing full-time students to support them with technical help as needed so they can focus on creating more immersive learning content.
Lund University is 350 years old, but its Faculty of Law certainly has a modern approach to learning and continues to look ahead at how to use technology to reach the widest group of students.
