Faculty Welcome Packet for Students
Please reference this page if you are a faculty member teaching for the first time in Brightspace. The below will outline recommended steps and resources to alert, prepare, and answer questions for your students.
The time has come to prepare your students for your first course in Brightspace! Please be sure to publish your course before the first day of class so that your course content is visible to students. Leverage the Student FAQs below to assist in answering various students questions that may arise.
The table below outlines downloadable resources and recommended actions you can leverage in the weeks leading up to your first course in Brightspace to support your students:
| Resource Hyperlinked | Description | Recommended Action |
| Student Welcome Letter | A welcome letter email template for you to introduce students to Brightspace, how to login, what to expect, and resources to use. | 1. Update highlighted text to match your course. 2. Send to students ahead of your first day of class. |
| TA Welcome Letter | A welcome letter email template for you to introduce your TA to Brightspace, how to login, what to expect, and resources to use. | 1. Update highlighted text to match your course. 2. Send to TA before your first day of class. 3. Bonus tip: make sure your TA is enrolled in your course, if not please manually enroll them. |
| Syllabus Blurb | A brief introduction to Brightspace that can be included at the top of your course syllabus. | 1. Update highlighted text to match your course. 2. Add to your syllabus and distribute to students. |
| Call to Action: Brightspace Demo for Students | Take 5-10 minutes on your first class to walk students through key Brightspace features & help. | 1. During your first class, show students the Brightspace platform and where to find your course’s important items like grades, assignments, etc. 2. Discuss how you plan to communicate with students and how they can manage notifications. Pro-Tip: Spend 3-5 minutes asking students for feedback on their navigation experience and ease of use after completing key tasks for the first time, such as quizzes, assignments, and discussions. |
| Student Survey | A survey template to gather feedback on your students’ experience in your Brightspace course(s) following the transition from Blackboard. | 1. Use the optional student survey to gather feedback on their Brightspace experience. |
Student FAQs
I cannot see my course.
Recommended Solutions:
Where are the Zoom meetings?
Recommended Solutions:
- If Zoom is being used, look under Course Tools->USC Zoom. Only users logging into their usc.zoom.us account will be able to access recordings.
- For certain accounts, check with your local IT department.
I have OSAS accommodations for extended time on exams.
Recommended Solution:
- Ask student if they have submitted their OSAS Letter of Accommodation to the course instructor.
- Verify letter of accommodation and extended time accommodation (e.g., Time-and-a-half).
- Go into the class list (Course Tools>Classlist).
- From the drop-down menu next to the student’s name, select Edit Accommodations.
I have OSAS assignment extensions (i.e., additional days late).
Recommended Solution:
- Ask student if they have submitted their OSAS Letter of Accommodation to the course instructor. Verify letter of accommodation and assignment extension. Confirm the allocated number of additional days allowed for specific assignment.
- Go to the Assignments page and select the drop down menu next to the name of the assignment.
- Select Edit Assignment.
- Go to Availability Dates & Conditions.
I am not receiving Brightspace notifications.
Recommended Solution:
- Encourage the student to review their notification settings by selecting their name in the upper right>select notifications from the drop-down menu>select the notifications that the user wishes to receive.
Where do I submit my assignment?
Recommended Solution:
- If the instructor is using the default Navigation Bar, go to Activities and show students where the corresponding activity might be included (e.g., discussions, assignments, quizzes).
- Check that the assignment is set to visible
- Check that the assignment does not contain date restrictions.
- Check the assignment allows for more than 1 submission.
I can’t find my grades for assignments and quizzes.
Recommended Solution:
- Regularly remind students how to access their grades through the “Grades” section. Demonstrate this in class or through a short instructional video.
- Check if the grading column is visible.
I don’t know my grade in the class or my overall points.
Recommended Solution:
- Ask the course instructor if they want to show a “running total” for the course or not.
- If they want running total, the grades should be “released.” It is recommended that the name of the column be changed to “Running Total” and students informed in advance that they will receive an email notification when they are released, but this is just a running total.
- If they do not want running total, recommend using the syllabus to identify all points and refer to their My Grades to see what has been earned to date.
Where do I find my feedback?
Recommended Solution:
- Depending on what type of activity the feedback was given on, feedback can be found under grades area, by navigating to the activity->assignments/quizzes.
- Grades will be visible once they have been “published” so the TA should check to make sure the grade is published.
Where do I go for help with Brightspace issues?
Recommendations:
- Direct students to the Brightspace Help Desk.
- Link to the Brightspace at USC student guides.
- Provide links to the Brightspace Community forums and knowledge base for additional support.
- Call 888-895-2812 or email usc@d2l.com
I want to track my course progress more effectively.
Recommendation:
- Show students the “Class Progress” tool to monitor their course completion status, view grades, and see instructor feedback (My Grades > Class Progress).
The quiz isn’t loading properly in my browser.
Recommended Solutions:
- Advise students on the best browsers to use with Brightspace (e.g., Chrome, Firefox).
- Advise students to clear their cache regularly.
- Provide troubleshooting tips and contact information for technical support.
Can you reset my quiz attempt due to technical issues?
Recommended Solution:
- Explain the process for requesting a quiz attempt reset, including contacting the instructor and providing evidence of the issue.
- Go to the quiz (Activities>Quizzes).
- Click the drop-down icon to the right of the quiz you want to reset for a student and select Grade from the drop-down.
- Check the box to the left of the student’s attempt needing to be reset, and then click Reset.
- Click Yes on the pop-up to confirm.
I’m confused about how to reply to discussion posts.
Recommended Solutions:
- Demonstrate how to use the discussion tool in the first class.
- Encourage students to subscribe to discussion threads for updates.
- Include learner videos or resources provided by D2L.
I’m having difficulty keeping track of all my assignments and due dates.
Recommended Solutions:
- Utilize the Brightspace calendar to list all important dates and deadlines.
- Encourage students to sync the Brightspace calendar with their personal calendars.
- Include due dates on assignments and assessments.
- Consider using the Brightspace checklist feature.
How do I see my groups and submit an assignment.
Recommended Solutions:
- Check that groups are created and enrolled in the group.
- If the assignment is available and the groups are set up correctly, students in a particular group should see their group name next to a group assignment. They can submit to it normally in order to submit for the group.
- If the assignment doesn’t appear as a group assignment, TA check to make sure that Groups were set up for the assignment (Activities > Groups). If groups have been set up, check the Assignment (Edit Assignment from drop down menu), under Submission & Completion to make sure groups were added for the assignment.