Case Study: University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM) achieves dramatically higher course success and narrowed equity gaps with D2L Brightspace (U‑Pace)

Award-winning U-Pace sets a new standard for online learning

The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM), an urban doctoral university with more than 28,000 undergraduates, developed U-Pace to address low completion rates and persistent achievement gaps—particularly for low-income and minority students. UWM’s challenge was to boost academic success across disciplines and close the gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged learners by turning learner analytics into actionable, scalable support.

Using D2L’s Brightspace, U-Pace combines mastery-based learning with data-driven “Amplified Assistance”: conditional releases, automated analytics alerts, and personalized instructor outreach that give students control over pacing while ensuring timely support. The results are striking—about 69.8% of U-Pace students (69.2% of low-income students) earned As and Bs versus 27.9% (21.6% low-income) with conventional instruction, U-Pace students study 1.2 hours more per week, and they scored 16% higher on a follow-up exam six months later—outcomes that helped U-Pace win national recognition.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM)

Dylan Barth

Interim Associate Director, Learning Technology Centre