Instructor How To Documents

We have curated a list of resources and instructions for the most common tasks in Brightspace.  (For How To's in a video format, visit our curated list of How-To Videos)

Brightspace Quick Reference Guide

D2L Brightspace Higher Ed Instructor Documentation

Getting started

• Sign in using your UWin ID email (UWinID@uwindsor.ca) and password
• Navigate Brightspace Learning Environment
• Change personal settings in Brightspace Learning Environment
• Manage Notifications (video). Learn how to set up getting notifications either by email or text when certain activity occurs in your course.
• Log out of Brightspace Learning Environment
• Computer and Browser requirements
• Add an existing user (TA/GA/Departmental support/Guest) to my course
   - Roles in UWindsor's Brightspace
• How to search for users in the Classlist
• Download a classlist
• Blackboard and Brightspace tool comparison

Create Content

• Create course content with the Content tool (use the forward arrow on the screen to scroll through all docs on Content)
  • Create a new module
  • Create a new topic (add material into a module)
• Why can't learners see the Content I posted?
• Hide newly created content so students are not notified 
• About Brightspace Editor
  • Create and insert a video note in Brightspace Editor
  • Insert and edit images
• Notify learners about updated course content
• Best practices for creating release conditions
• Delete a module
• Exporting Videos from a Blackboard Site into YuJa, then Adding Video to Brightspace Site
• Connect Legato course reserves as a module in your course
• Copy course material from another course
• Use images provided by D2L Brightspace in Content

Assignments

• Create a rubric
• Create an assignment
• About assessing assignments
• Evaluate and add feedback to assignments
• Using Rubrics to grade

Quizzes

• Create a question library
• Create a quiz
• Copy an existing quiz (in the same course)
• Submit an in-progress quiz on behalf of student

Grades Tool

• Assess and grade learners
  • Set up your grade book
  • Create Grade items and calculated grade items
  • Hide grade items
• Managing grades and grade items
• Grades FAQs – Choose from the left-hand questions or the right-hand menu for Grades Book and grading FAQ answers.
• Show running total to students
• Learn to use the Grades Tool (video tutorials).

Communicate and Engage with Learners

• Create an Announcement
• Create private and group chat rooms
• Email learners in Brightspace Learning Environment
• List of Replace Strings for Announcements and Intelligent Agents

Discussions

• Assess users in discussion threads
• Create and manage discussion forums – Scroll through the various items
• Allow learners to reflect on their learning – Self Assessments

Groups

• Create Groups

Teams as Virtual Classroom

• Create a recurring Teams Meeting
• Add Teams meeting to Nav bar
• Activate your Teams Course team
• A Guide to Teaching in Teams
• IT Services Teams Owner Guide

Turnitin (similarity/plagiarism checker)

• Create an Assignment with Turnitin enabled (where it says "folder" our instance says "assignment") 
• Introduction to Turnitin Feedback Studio (video of workshop provided to UWindsor by Turnitin)
• Turnitin Instructions for D2L Brightspace Instructors
• Setting reasonable expectations for the Turnitin Similarity Score