Case Study: Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing achieves digital learning transformation and streamlined assessments with Totara

Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing Launches an Entire Digital Learning Strategy

The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) is a 100‑year‑old examination board and registered charity with around 7,000 members in over 65 countries, delivering some 150,000 exams a year. While developing its new Diploma in Dance Education (DDE) ISTD found its paper‑based portfolio system was costly, inefficient and unsuitable for younger, remote learners; assessors had to travel to London, submissions were lost or late, and centres needed easier access to updatable teaching resources and a way to build a learning community online.

Working with Accipio, ISTD implemented a Totara Learn multi‑tenant LMS with automated onboarding, personalized pathways, multi‑language support, plagiarism tracking and interactive e‑modules, digitalising assessment and integrating their previous Moodle site. The platform dramatically reduced costs, enabled remote marking, removed paper portfolios, improved reporting and communication, upskilled staff, provided 24/7 access to contemporary resources, and positioned ISTD to scale its digital strategy and international reach.

Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing

Louise Molton

Director of Education