Instruction Toolkit

Discussions

The Discussions tool is an area to post, read, and reply to threads on different topics. Learners can share thoughts about course materials, ask questions, share files, or collaborate with peers on assignments and homework. 

Forums

A discussion forum is like a folder- it organizes all your related topics. You must have a forum before you can create a topic, and all topics must be in a forum. 

The number of forums is up to you. Some people use one forum to hold all discussion topics, while others prefer to have multiple forums to hold various discussion topics. 

Topic

Topics are where learners post and read messages. Instructors or facilitators use topics to share ideas or subjects they want learners to discuss.

Thread

A thread is a learner's post in a discussion topic.

Reply

If a user responds to another user's post, it is a reply. A reply is a part of the original poster's thread.

Locking Forums

Locking allows you to control participation in a forum or a topic house within it. If you select Lock Topic, the topic is visible but does not allow learners to post threads, replies, or make any changes to already existing posts.

Creating New Forums

In the Navbar (or Course Admin if it is hidden), Select Discussions. From there...

• Click the "New" button, and select New Forum
• Enter a Discussion title in your new forum details (if you click the box below that, you can create a topic with the same name)
• In the Brightspace Editor below that, Enter descriptions instructions for you forum
• Select the Options for you forum

Modules and Files

The clearest way to visualize the Module/ File relationship is to think about a filing cabinet. The drawers of your cabinet are the modules. Each drawer holds related files, the topics. The drawers can be organized in multiple ways:

• By unit (e.g., Poetry, Short Stories, Essay Writing)
• By timeline (e.g., Week One, Week Two, Week Three)
• By theme (e.g., Compliance, Workplace Safety, Accessibility)
• Note- Topics must be stored within a module

Submodules

You may find as you add content to your course that you end up with a large amount of files in your lesson plan. This can make the interface too cumbersome for your learner to follow or prioritize. When you run into this situation it is time for a Submodule. A submodule of "Additional Resources" such as charts, graphs, or supplemental readings can help your students categorize and/ or prioritize the large amount of content you may be presenting to them.

Note that:

• Sub-modules exist within a module and help to further categorize content topics.
• Sub-modules do not appear in the table of contents unless you have clicked on the module that holds them, so your learners will not be able to see the entire course structure at once if you use sub-modules.

Brightspace Editor

The text editor looks a lot like what we use in LibGuides. You will find word processing features, an accessibility checker, equation editors, and more. There is an "insert stuff" icon which is circled below. You can quickly add video notes and links to webpages, materials, etc. using this icon. 

 

Document Templates

Brightspace includes HTML templates that you can choose from the "Select a Document Template" dropdown menu you can find next to your module's name.

These templates can help you:

• Create a consistent look and feel across your course
• Make your content look more professional
• Organize your content in a fun or engaging way
• Increase the accessibility of your course content

Every page in this course is built with a customized version of the free HTML templates that are available to all Brightspace instructors and administrators. 

They can be installed in a particular course in managed files, or in a shared folder which can link to multiple courses.

Working with Modules

To Create a Module:

On the left hand side of your screen, mouse down to the bottom of the table of contents where you find the "Add a Module" field.

Type in your Module name and hit enter. Your Module has now been created.

Editing or Deleting a Module: 

Editing and deleting modules is easy. To edit a module, enter the module from the content area in the navbar. To edit a module’s title, simply select the title, and type your changes. You do not even need to be in Edit mode to do this. When done press Enter and the new title will be saved.

Beyond editing the title, you can also add a module description and/ or an image by clicking "Add a description" right below the module name. Anything you add here will appear on the flipcard format module widget on the course home page.

It is also possible to add dates and restrictions. Below the module name click on "Add dates and restrictions" to view these options. You will be able to set start dates, end dates, due, dates, and even release conditions ("students must complete something else before they have access to this") 

To delete a module, select Delete Module from its context menu ( the chevron to the right of it). 

Quick tip:

If you realize that you need to reorganize your modules there is an easy fix. Simply hover your mouse over the two rows of dots to the left side of the module. Your cursor will change into a cross arrow.

You can drag and drop the module to where you would like it to go. You can even move it inside another module, making it a submodule. 

Creating a Submodule

As you populate your course on the Content page, you will notice an "Add Submodule" box towards the center bottom of the page your are working in.

Click on that to add a module to the module you are currently working in.

Then either drag and drop it where you want, or click its chevron and choose which option you want- to move it up or down in the page content order.

Creating a File or Topic Page

When you select the Upload/ Create button in the Content tool you can choose to:

• Upload files from your computer
• Insert a Capture video
• Add a Video or Audio file by uploading or inserting a URL
• Create a File using the HTML editor
• Create a Link that can open in the same frame of in a new window
• Add from Manage Files

To edit a file click the Edit HTML button at the bottom of the page. This will take you into edit mode.

Once in edit mode you can make whatever changes you want. When you are satisfied click Save and Close button at the bottom of the page. You can also save and keep editing by pressing the Save button (next to Save and Close) or back out of any changes you decide against by clicking Cancel at the bottom of the page.