Case Study: Nightingale College achieves smooth adoption of competency-based nursing education with D2L Brightspace

Brightspace enables smooth adoption of competency-based learning at Nightingale College

Nightingale College, a competency-based nursing school serving primarily rural students, needed an LMS that could support skills mastery rather than time-in-class learning. Their initial platform lacked reliable SCORM integration, robust conditional-release controls, and tools for instructors to track and enforce competency progression, undermining the college’s CBE model.

Nightingale replaced the system with Brightspace, chosen for stronger SCORM interoperability and precise release conditions, and ran a phased rollout so students weren’t disrupted. In a two-week pilot 70 students and three full‑time faculty were fully operational; Brightspace improved student adherence and demonstrated competency achievement, gave instructors better mastery tracking, and will be rolled out to the entire college.

Nightingale College

Aaron Nelson

Manager, Learning Resources