How to Create an Announcement
Announcements are the first thing a student sees in the D2L course, and they are very useful for providing simple information and directions. Many PSC instructors use announcements to remind students about deadlines, to provide links to virtual class meetings, and to post short messages.
The D2L Announcement can also act as an email or instant message if students have their D2L Notifications turned on.
Learn how to create announcements through the instructions on this page, or watch this video tutorial from D2L.
To create an Announcement:
Go to the Course Home page
Click the down-arrow next to Announcements
Click “New Announcement Item”
On the next screen, add a title for the announcement, and type the message.
Use the media, image, and link buttons (on the left) to insert these items within the message.
Use different font styles, text size, and text color to create categories and draw attention to specific words and phrases.
In the Availability section, add a Start Date when the announcement will become available. For immediate availability, use the current date and time.
You can schedule announcements to display at another time in the future.
Check the box and add an optional End Date if you would like to hide the announcement at some point in the future. End Dates could be useful for hiding announcements that are no longer relevant, such as links to previous virtual meeting sessions and notes about previous assignment deadlines.
Use the attachment buttons at the bottom to share documents with students.
Click “Publish” when done.
What to Post on a D2L Announcement
A Welcome Message at the beginning of the semester that provides information on how to navigate the course and where to get started.
A link or document upload of the Syllabus on the first day.
Information about new modules, units, projects, etc.
Reminders about up-coming assignments, projects, exams, extra credit, in-person clinical or lab sessions.
Links for up-coming virtual sessions.
Brief instructor observations on a recent assignment or discussion.
Personal messages about Thanksgiving, Spring Break, etc.
What NOT to Post on a D2L Announcement
Complete lecture materials, such as PowerPoints, readings, handouts, links to videos, and other instructional content. These are typically posted within the content module.
Full assignment requirements and grading rubrics. These are typically posted within the assignment itself.
Videos of recorded virtual sessions. Designate an area of the content module where these will be posted.
Long or detailed responses to a weekly discussion or recent assignment. Post in the discussions area or content module.
The Dept. of Online Learning provides support, collaboration, and faculty development in instructional design and online pedagogy.
We also provide technical support and troubleshooting for faculty and students.