Rasmussen University, a 125-year-old institution with campuses across six U.S. states, has selected D2L Brightspace to replace its legacy Blackboard platform across all courses and programs. The move represents one of the most significant recent LMS migrations in the higher education sector.
Following a pilot in May 2026, the full rollout will prioritize nursing education and deploy D2L's full AI-native stack: Lumi for personalized study recommendations, Lumi Tutor, Lumi Feedback, Creator+, and Performance+ analytics. The transition also streamlines administrative processes across Rasmussen's parent company, American Public Education, Inc.
From Legacy to AI-Native
The Rasmussen decision is part of a broader pattern: institutions are increasingly replacing legacy LMS platforms with AI-first alternatives. Blackboard, once the dominant player in higher education, has seen its market share erode as competitors like D2L Brightspace, Canvas, and Moodle offer deeper AI integration and more modern user experiences.
What This Means for Nursing Education
By prioritizing nursing programs in the rollout, Rasmussen is signaling that AI-enhanced learning is not just for general education courses. Clinical simulations, adaptive competency tracking, and AI-driven remediation are becoming standard expectations in healthcare education.
For other institutions still running legacy platforms, the Rasmussen migration offers a template: start with a pilot, prioritize high-impact programs, and deploy the full feature stack rather than layering AI on top of outdated infrastructure.