D2L Brightspace set to replace Blackboard with innovative, technology enhanced learning

TORONTO, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - D2L, a global leader in learning innovation, announced that Rasmussen University has selected D2L Brightspace to help power all courses and programs, replacing its previous learning platform, Blackboard.

Rasmussen – part of American Public Education, Inc.  (APEI) – has been committed to providing career-ready learning opportunities for over 125 years. The transition to D2L Brightspace is set to help streamline administrative processes between APEI institutions, to better enhance content creation through artificial intelligence (AI), and deliver more engaging, inclusive learning experiences.

"We're excited to support Rasmussen University in its mission to meet learners with more personalized, flexible, and career-focused learning experiences designed to help them reach their goals," said John Baker, President and CEO of D2L. "We're delighted to extend our relationship with American Public Education and help deliver a more engaging and inspiring learning platform for educators and learners."

Following a pilot in May 2026, Rasmussen University plans to implement D2L Brightspace across all programs, with a focus on nursing education. D2L will help advance Rasmussen's mission to empower learners through:

• D2L Brightspace: An award-winning learning platform, designed to help educators create high-quality content, monitor learner progress, and deliver more personalized learning.
• D2L Lumi: An AI-native offering that supports learners with personalized study recommendations and helps educators and instructional designers efficiently build more immersive content aligned to learning outcomes. 
• D2L Creator+: A dynamic content creation tool that integrates 50+ interactive content types with H5P to support more engaging and accessible learning experiences.
• D2L Performance+: A robust analytics dashboard that helps deliver actionable insights into learner engagement, success, and retention—empowering educators to make data-informed decisions.

Rasmussen is set to also implement D2L Lumi Tutor and D2L Lumi Feedback. These offerings provide tailored study support for learners and time-saving tools for educators, making it easier to integrate AI in education and build high-quality, personalized learning activities and assessments.

"Rasmussen University has always been committed to providing unwavering support to our students, and our partnership with D2L reflects this shared commitment to innovation and student success," said Dr. Brooks Doherty, Vice President and Chief Student Experience Officer at Rasmussen University. "We're excited to lean into the power of AI as we focus on delivering more engaging and personalized learning opportunities that meet the needs of today's learners."

The American Public University System (APUS), a wholly owned subsidiary of American Public Education, Inc., was one of the first institutions to implement Lumi Tutor and Lumi Feedback, further supporting learners with tailored study supports and time-saving tools for educators. APUS selected D2L Brightspace in 2019 to deliver higher-quality, affordable online learning experiences to the United States' military and public service communities.

About Rasmussen University
Rasmussen University, a university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission—an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education—is committed to enriching our communities by providing innovative, career-ready higher learning and outstanding healthcare education. The University offers undergraduate and graduate programs online and in person at 20 campuses across the country across eight areas of study. Since 1900, Rasmussen has been creating opportunities, transforming lives, and strengthening communities through person-centered career-focused education. In 2025, the University celebrated 125 years of empowering students to achieve their goals and make a lasting impact. Rasmussen University is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Public Education, Inc. (Nasdaq: APEI). Learn more at www.rasmussen.edu.

About American Public Education, Inc.
American Public Education, Inc. (Nasdaq: APEI), through its institutions American Public University System (APUS), Rasmussen University and Hondros College of Nursing provides education that transforms lives, advances careers, and improves communities.

About D2L   
D2L is transforming the way the world learns, helping learners achieve more than they dreamed possible. Working closely with customers all over the world, D2L is on a mission to make learning more inspiring, engaging and human. Find out how D2L helps transform lives and delivers outstanding learning outcomes in K-12, higher education and businesses.

The D2L family of companies includes D2L Inc., D2L Corporation, D2L Ltd, D2L Australia Pty Ltd, D2L Europe Ltd, D2L Asia Pte Ltd, D2L India Pvt Ltd, D2L Brasil Soluções de Tecnologia para Educação Ltda and D2L Sistemas de Aprendizaje Innovadores, S. D2 R.L de C.V., and H5P Group AS.

All D2L and H5P marks are owned by the D2L group of companies. Please visit D2L.com/trademarks for a list of D2L marks. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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SOURCE D2L