You've got a course structure and all of your graded assessments done. Now it's time to focus on providing your students with the material they will need in order to succeed on those assessments. In this chapter, you'll fill out each of your modules with readings, video, images, and other content to support their learning.
Clicking Add a Description at the top of any module will open the Brightspace Editor. This is an excellent place to describe the objectives and tasks you intend students to do with the content contained in the module. You can provide a brief overview of the topic and themes for the week/module, a list of tasks, and/or an introductory video.
The Upload / Create button allows you to add files from your computer, video, audio, weblinks, and internal web pages to your course module. Clicking the Upload create button will display a menu with many options. Below is a description of the most commonly used options:
Upload Files allows you to send files on your computer to your course and add a link to them in the current course module. Brightspace will accept most major file types. Many types, such as .pdf, .docx, and pptx, will display in a viewer right within Brightspace, allowing students to read them without having to download them.
Create a File allows you to create a web page of content directly in Brightspace with the Brightspace Editor. The page can contain text, images, links and video.
Create a Link lets you add a link to an external web site to your course module. They can be set to either open within a viewer window in Brightspace, or open a new tab in the student’s web browser.
The Video or Audio option allows you to add media from several common video websites, including YouTube, Khan Academy, TED, and Vimeo.
If you haven't followed the course building workflow presented in this guide, in addition to instructional content, you can create Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes/Exams from the Upload/Create button as well, BUT be aware that the creation screens this route uses do not have the same options . Also, if you choose this method, don't forget to add Grade Items!
Use the Existing Activities button to add Assignments, Quizzes, and Discussions to your modules. You can also add content you have stored in Kaltura My Media, ARES Course Reserves, and third-party publisher materials. To use the Existing Activities button:
In the Content tool, click one of your Modules that will contain the item you wish to add.
Click the Existing Activities button and select the type of item you wish to add.
Select Assignments, Discussions, Quizzes & Exams for assessments you've previously created with those respective tools.
Select Insert Kaltura to add media stored in the My Media tool, such as Zoom Cloud Recordings.
In the pop-up that appears, select the item you wish to add.
A link will appear in the module that will take students to the assessment. It will also include any Instructions or description you provided when you created it.
Be sure to check the visibility status of the item and that it is set the way you intend it to be.
Note: The rest of Kaltura’s tools can be accessed from the Navbar by clicking the Tools link and selecting My Media. Here is a video demonstrating adding Kaltura video to Brightspace. (Kaltura-specific instructions start at 3:40.)
Click the upper-right corner of the screenshots for larger versions.
Now that you have modules built out for your course, we can begin placing the course assessments you previously created into their respective modules.
In the Content tool, click one of your Modules that will contain one of your assessments..
Click the Existing Activities button and select the type of item you wish to add. (Assignments, Discussions, or Quizzes & Exams)
In the pop-up that appears, select the item you wish to add.
A link will appear in the module that will take students to the assessment. It will also include any Instructions or description you provided when you created it.
Be sure to check the visibility status of the item and that it is set the way you intend it to be.
Click the upper-right corner of the screenshots for larger versions.
Every Brightspace course has a dedicated Syllabus page in the Content tool. It’s an ideal place to put a brief description of your course and attach your syllabus. The Syllabus page is automatically shown to students the first time they visit the Content tool in your course. Once posted, you can easily create links anywhere within your course that go directly to your syllabus. Depending on the software you used to create your syllabus, you have a few options for adding it to your Brightspace course. The instructions and video below contain several methods.
Click the Content link on the Navbar. The Content tool will appear.
Click the Syllabus link in the left-hand column.
Click the Action Button next to the Syllabus title text and select Add an Attachment from the menu that appears.
A pop-up will appear with a list of options. Select My Computer and click the Upload button
A file selection box will appear. Browse your computer for your syllabus, and select it.
After the file has uploaded, click the Add button.
After a few moments your syllabus will appear on the page. Students will be able to read it directly in Brightspace.
Need to Update a Syllabus?
If you previously posted your syllabus in .docx or pdf format and need to replace it with a new version, see these instructions in the Preparing For A New Semester section to update it.
First, make sure you have the correct permissions set on the Google Doc and get the Share Link:
Open the Google Doc you would like to share.
Click the Share button on the top-right side of the screen. A pop-up window that displays a summary of the document’s sharing settings will open.
Click the blue Change Link to University of Maine System link at the bottom of the window.
Click the downward arrow next to “University of Maine System.” A menu will appear.
Select Anyone with the link. The link will turn green.
Click the Copy Link button.
Click the Done button.
Next, Use the Share Link you acquired above to create a link in Brightspace:
Go to your course and select the Content link from the navbar.
Click the Syllabus link on the left side of the page.
Click the Description area. A Brightspace Editor box will appear.
Type some text, such as “Read the Course Syllabus.”
Highlight the text you want to be a clickable link to your syllabus.
Click the Quicklinks button on the Brightspace Editor toolbar. The Quicklinks list will appear.
Scroll down and select URL from the Quicklinks list.
Paste your syllabus Google Doc's Share Link in the URL field.
Windows users, hold down the Ctrl key and press the V key.
Mac users, hold down the Command key and press the V key.
Select the New Window option if it isn’t already.
Click the Insert button.
The previous method only creates a link to the syllabus on the Syllabus page. If you want an attractive display of your Google Docs syllabus, perform the instructions below.
Embed Code Template
You’ll need the code below for Step 5:
<iframe width="100%" height="1000" src="YOUR_SYLLABUS_URL"></iframe>
Instructions
Follow the instructions above for sharing a Google Doc and getting its share link.
Edit the Description on your course’s Syllabus page in the Content tool.
Create a link that goes to your Syllabus as a fallback in case the embed is blocked when the student views it. (unlikely, but it’s good best-practice.)
Click the Source Code button on the Brightspace Editor toolbar.
Paste the embed code from above.
Replace YOUR_SYLLABUS_URL with your syllabus’ share link. Don’t remove the quotation marks.
Remove the edit?usp=sharing from the end of your Share Link URL and replace it with the word preview.
Click the Save button.
Click the Update button.
Once posted, you can add links to your syllabus anywhere you want in your course that gives you access to the Brightspace Editor:
Type some text, such as “Read the Course Syllabus.”
Highlight the text you want to be a clickable link to your syllabus.
Click the Quicklinks button on the Brightspace Editor toolbar.
A pop-up with a list of options will appear. Select Content from the list.
You will be shown a list of items and modules in your course. Click Syllabus.
The highlighted text will now be a clickable hyperlink. When students click it, they will be taken directly to your course syllabus.
Note: These types of in-course hyperlinks will not break after the course is copied like they did in Blackboard.
All of the instructions on this page are demonstrated in the video below.
